While a Canadian professor argues that sexting is a modern day variation of “spin the bottle or doctor,” it is important to recognize that in a media-saturated world where the lines between public and private are blurred, sexting can have serious long term consequences for teens.

Teens often act without thinking ahead to the consequences. On top of that, many teens don’t realize that with one push of a button they lose control of photos forever. A text containing a nude or sexually explicit photo (sexting) could be sent around the world in a minute, causing real harm and possibly even breaking the law. Reports of nude photos being passed on are not uncommon and embarrassment is just the start of the consequences.

This Ad Council PSA does a great job illustrating that photos never go away on the Internet – use this as a conversation starter with your kids about Internet safety!

You can also start a conversation about sexting by asking your teen or pre-teen what images of themselves they’d like to keep forever? Is it the one of them holding their pet dog or making the perfect sports move? Move into a conversation about privacy, reminding them that when a photo is sent over the Internet, it is a photo that never goes away – even if you push delete. Imagine the reaction of the college entrance committee or potential employers who could easily run across inappropriate photos.

Here’s my five tips for parents about sexting and teens:

1. Make sure your teen understands that she/he loses all control of messages or photos once they hit the send button.
2. Remind your teen that potential employers or college admissions officers could end up seeing sexting messages or photos.
3. Be clear with your teen that your ground rules for Internet behavior do not permit out sexting.
4. Be clear that there are consequence for sexting – possibly loss of cellphone for a period of time.
5. Use cell phone incidents as an opportunity to communicate with your teen about healthy sexuality and relationships.

Check out our MediaWise Parent Guide on Cell Phones and Your Kids for more information and tips.

Do you think that sexting is different than Spin the Bottle? Why or why not? How do you talk to your kids about sexting?

Dr. Dave