Sexting is the sending of sexually explicit photographs.  Those involved have given many excuses for that action like, “I trusted him or her”, or “they kept asking”, or “they sent me one” and these excuses don’t change the consequences. Sending a photo like that to someone can have a huge effect on your life because they can send it to someone and another person sends it and it gets out to everyone, or it can be leaked online, or it can be stolen. 88% of self-made images that are located on inappropriate sites are stolen from the original owner. One out of five teenagers admits to sending nude photos to someone else, including teenagers just like you. One example, Jessica Logan, sent a nude picture to her boyfriend, when they broke up he leaked the pictures and almost the entire school.  People began harassing/bullying her to the point where she took her life.  She was only 18 and she shared her story so other people can learn from her mistakes. Another girl named Hope Witsell,13 years old, sent a nude photo to a boy to get his attention but instead the whole school and the school next door saw that photo. She also took her life. Everything you do has an effect on your life, and those actions can have a negative downturn on your social life that can lead to being depressed, isolated or in some unfortunate situations, even suicide.

There are also legal consequences of sexting.  It is crime to have, transfer, or produce any materials that shows a minor in the state of nudity, and not only photographs but video or ANYTHING containing a minor in the state of them being nude, even if it is yourself. Not only will you be charged but can have up to 8 years in prison and be a registered felon and then have to register as a sex offender for years and years after that.  If you think, just because you delete it, that it is no longer there, than you are wrong.  The police can restore those photos if they were ever on that phone.  Once it is there, it will always be there even if you delete it.

It’s not only texts or instant messages that can be restored or stolen.  It can be on snapchat, or Instagram. Someone actually hacked the snapchat server and leaked people’s personal stuff. 88% of self-made images were stolen, and no matter what, snapchat will always have your photos even if it says its deleted. Not only that but for Instagram also.  Lots of these website are based in other countries, meaning that they have different rules about privacy than we do in America and all the photos that you upload onto Instagram are legally Instagram’s property. If it ends up on another site, Instagram cannot get in trouble. The laws apply to cyberbullying as well; it is a crime and can lead to many problems for the victim who is getting bullied as well as consequences for the one doing the cyberbullying. If you witness anything of this sort you should speak out and stand up because you can save someone’s life.