Group 6: Sexting

GROUP 6: SEXTING

'Sexting' Terms

Sexting – (a portmanteau of sex and texting) is the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones.

Felony - In the United States, where the felony/misdemeanor distinction is still widely applied, the Federal government defines a felony as a crime which involves a potential punishment of one year or longer in prison.

Child Pornography - refers to images or films depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child; as such, child pornography is a visual record of child sexual abuse.

Cyber Sex - a virtual sex encounter in which two or more persons connected remotely via a computer network send one another sexually explicit messages describing a sexual experience.

Sex Offender- one who is convicted of any type of sex crime

Cyber Space- the realm of electronic communication or the electronic medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place

Illicit- not legally permitted or authorized; unlawful; unlicensed, not sanctioned by custom or law

Exploit- to use selfishly for one’s own ends; to utilize especially for profit

Misdemeanor- an instance of misbehavior, a criminal offense defined as less serious than a felony

Disseminate- to scatter widely, to spread about, promulgate

Sociology- the study of human behavior, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of human society.

Hysteria-behavior exhibiting excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic

Popular culture- (or pop culture) is the widespread cultural elements in any given society that are perpetuated through that society's vernacular language or lingua franca . It comprises the daily interactions, needs and desires and cultural 'moments' that make up the everyday lives of the mainstream . It can include any number of practices, including those pertaining to cooking , clothing , consumption , mass media and the many facets of entertainment such as sports and literature . (Compare meme .) Popular culture often contrasts with a more exclusive, even elitist " high culture ," [1] , that is, the culture of ruling social groups ( http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Popular+culture )
　

　
Types of media and media producers involved:

News Companies- their role is to inform us of what our children are doing with their cell phones. They bring current issues to our attention, which some parents may have over looked.

TV Producers- Use current culture to help them create shows.

Film Makers- the use of visual elements of the cinema give motion pictures a universal power of communication. When movies are made they look at what is popular with their audience (usually 18-24) and choose to include that in the film.

Cell Phone Companies- Their role should be to try and initiate some sort of blocking mechanism against activities such as “sexting”. At least making it an available option for parents that would like to protect their kids.

Internet Websites- The internet is the easiest place to find inappropriate and sexually explicit material, and often all it takes to see it is saying you are 18. There should be some sort of system in place to make sure that an individual is actually of legal age to view certain material.

Text Communication in general- This is just a type of medium that has blown up in recent years. With kids getting cell phones at younger and younger ages, something really needs to be done to monitor or cut off their texting capabilities. Otherwise it can be a dangerous road for young, easily influenced teens.

***The media communicators are the authors of the articles, the reporters on the news programs, and anyone else who is acting as the medium and spreading the desired message. The media communicator becomes part of the issue by informing us of the issue at hand, in this case it is the issue of sexting. Once the communicator brings the issue out into the open, it is their job to keep us up to date on issue, it’s problems, and progresses.

Sources
1. Sextortion at Eisenhower High (http://men.style.com/gq/features/full?id=content_10178&pageNum=1 )
2. Sexting Lands Teen On Sex Offender List (http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/07/sexting.busts/index.html )
3. Sexting Shockingly Common Among Teens (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/01/15/national/main4723161.shtml )
4. Teen Commits Suicide From Sexting ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29546030/ )
5. Teens Face Child Porn Charges ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28679588/ )
6. Teens Caught ‘Sexting’ Face Porn Charges (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2009-03-11-sexting_N.htm )
7. Sexting: Sex and Technology Prevention for teens (http://www.phoenix.edu/profiles/faculty/leslie-baker/articles/sexting-sex-and-technology-prevention-for-teens.html)
8. “Sexting” Hysteria Falsely Brands Educator as Child Pornographer (http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/04/sexting-hysteri/ )