Week 10 - Sexting

From an education point of view, the good news is that thanks to technology it is far easier to create and distribute content for a wide audience. Unfortunately, people seem driven to exploit technological advancements for both good and bad purposes. Adolescents have always done some things that appeared to the adults around them to be naive, or stupid, or emotion driven.  Add to this the fact that adolescents are instinctively trying to separate themselves from the adults in their lives in preparation for independent living and they tend to band together to make this separation less scary (for them, not us adults). They are just more likely to look to their peers for models of behavior and to reject the adults around them. 

As an adolescent I survived some actions that, in retrospect, were pretty stupid. The good news is that, like me, the majority of adolescents will survive their own foolish decisions. However, the range of actions, and the public exposure,  these actions can attract today is far far beyond what I had available in my day. Once anything enters cyberspace it can potentially be accessed by anyone forever. 

Back in my low-tech adolescence it was much more difficult for someone to torment me without my knowing who they were, and the spread of pictures or words were restricted to quant technologies such as word-of-mouth or copying. How can we as teachers help student learn to protect themselves in cyberspace?

I was amazed by the stories about “sexting”. It’s hard to imagine what is going on in the brain of someone who sends pictures to boyfriends or girlfriends without considering the consequences if these pictures are passed on to others. Would I have been that stupid? Actually, when I was young and in love (and filled with raging adolescent hormones), and thought the love would never end, I have to admit I probably would have been stupid enough.

Recent brain imaging studies have shown that adolescent brains are still developing to a greater extent than  previously thought, and are unlike adult brains in certain key areas. Most importantly, the pre-frontal cortex— the parts of our brain involved in decision making and fulfillment postponement— are not yet fully developed. Adolescents are just less likely to understand the consequences of their actions beyond the immediate pleasure that it gives them. So, at least we all have an excuse for some bone-headed choices in adolescence. I think we, as teachers, need to help students understand this— at least conceptually.


I don't want to imply that adolescents can't think before they act, or that they aren't responsible for their decisions, just that they need more direction and support and understanding. That's were we, as teachers, can come in.


Frankly though, sexting seems like just one more thing to try and dissuade students from doing. Like being gay or being bullied, we need to be aware that any adolescent who suffers from peer tormentors may need help in keeping it in perspective. It’s not the end of the world— unless you commit suicide! So, let’s add sexting, to the list of things we want our students to avoid such as taking drugs, driving under the influence, getting pregnant, facial and full body tattoos, and body piercings— most of which seem to me to have potentially longer lasting consequences than sexual pictures on the internet.