This is the practice of using digital technology to create and share sexually explicit content, particularly intimate images and videos. People who sext use social media, instant messaging, forums, or email. The material is sent through electronic devices, such as a cell phone.
Sexting is a frequent practice, particularly among young people, and is not exempt from risks. Sometimes, the person who receives the content resends it and makes it viral, without the consent of the person who created or initially shared the content. If it becomes part of a revenge, it is called revenge porn.
On the other hand, the person who receives the content can also threaten the person who sent it with publishing it, to force them to satisfy their sexual demands. This is known as sextortion. These phenomena particularly and disproportionately affect girls and adolescents. As a result, an increasing number of countries have begun regulating this type of violence in the digital sphere.
Guía de sensibilización sobre Convivencia Digital. Gobierno de la provincia de Buenos Aires. Febrero de 2017. UNICEF.
«Guía sobre adolescencia y sexting: qué es y cómo prevenirlo» ha sido elaborada por el equipo del Observatorio de la Seguridad de la Información de Instituto Nacional de Tecnologías de la Comunicación /INTECO/ y por Pantallas Amigas, febrero 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
Fundación del Español Urgente. Consultado el 17/11/2020.
Photo credit: Tero Vesalainen