Porn Perspectives

Sexting = sending lurid photos of oneself via cell phone, often as a prelude to sex

Apparently this is the latest superhip activity, and the kids are wild about it. I wouldn't be so alarmed at news reports about this trend--the media does love stirring hysteria--but I recently had a conversation with a therapist who works with teenagers which corroborates this story to a disturbing degree.

I don't care if I sound like an old granny here, but I am appalled at the rise in open, casual sex among minors, and in particular the way they are using technology to facilitate it. Casual sex is one thing - you may regret it one day or God forbid get knocked up or contract an STD - it can be treacherous if you don't know what you're doing, but you'll manage.

What is so unacceptable about this "sexting" and the posting of racy photos on Facebook is that these kids are documenting their casual encounters for the world and all of eternity to see. I have ranted about this before. But it bears repeating: if you are not ok with your dad, your grandpa, and every single employer you will ever have seeing a certain image, do not post it on the Internet. For crying out loud. Do not even allow someone to have a digital copy of the image. To be safe, it's best to not even create such images.

People might be confused about my stance on this, since here I am blogging about how great porn is and how women should get more involved. But there is a massive difference between grown women creating images of their bodies as a job choice (and I am an advocate of education even within this group), and young girls giving free access to their bodies to men for all of eternity. There is no way a girl under the age of 18--and I would argue, even under the age of 30--who truly understands and appreciates the value of her body and her sexuality. Nothing is as obsessed over as are women's bodies by men. It is difficult to internalize the intrinsic value of posessing a female body, and woman constantly receive contradictory messages stirring up thoughts of inadequacy. It's not surprising, then, that women often don't learn inherent sexual self-worth until well into adulthood, if ever.

This inability to realize that men's constant pursuit of sex with you has to do with your inherent value as a sexual being is incredibly common. I posit it is the product of a society uncomfortable with sexuality, and in particular female sexuality. This is one reason I've made it my mission to advocate healthy sexual images in pornography, and the involvement of women who can present a female perspective of sex. I'm not exactly saying that these girls should quit sexting and instead watch some porn, but honestly? I think they'd be a lot better off.