Report: Teen 'Sexting' Discouraged By Fees
Teenagers with unlimited text messaging plans are more likely to receive sexually explicit images on their cell phones, according to data released today by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. This was one of the strongest trends identified in a study that aimed to gauge how frequently minors are "sexting" -- exchanging sexual images of themselves on their mobiles.
The few dimes it takes to send a text, it appears, is a strong disincentive in the exchange of sexual messages. Among minors with unlimited plans, nearly one in five had received such images. That compares with 8% of teens on limited plans and 3% of teens who pay per message.
"Your attitude and whole perspective on texting in your life is different if you have an unlimited plan," said Amanda Lenhart, a Pew senior research specialist and author of the report. "It makes for a very different way of thinking about it when you're sending messages."
The question of whether America has a sexting problem arose this year as media reports snowballed about minors sending sexual images of themselves through their mobiles. Concerns ranged from the perennial outcry over teen sex habits to a new fear born of the Internet age: What if the images seep out to unintended recipients such as Web pornographers?
Washington lawmakers have taken two different approaches to the issue.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., and Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., introduced legislation in May aimed at educating minors about the dangers of sexting. The month before, Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., introduced a bill that would create strong penalties for "cyberbullying," which includes the transmission of electronic materials that cause distress to others.
Jonathan Beeton, communications director for Wasserman Schulz, said the Pew data reinforces the need for an educational approach. He noted that Pews' findings sync with lessons in existing educational programs aimed at encouraging parents to regulate their teen cell phone use. "One of the things we do is tell parents, 'Don't get your kids a cell phone with a camera on it' or 'Paint over the lens,'" he said. "[The Pew data] will be useful to the parents who are paying for the plan."
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