Unsettling...

[Kitala]

So I logged into AOL because I like the interface, I'e had it for 16 years, my mom pays for it, I'm an old fart, and I have no complaints, and as usual I check out some of the AOL news when I see this..

I'm not really taken back by the meaning of the article, but that they compared identity theft and hacking to be as "equally unsettling" as your "teen sexting on facebook." How can the two possibly be compared? They refer to both as "online disasters" and while I can admit one most certainly is, the other can be or can not be. I'm talking, of course, about the sexting. I mean how dreadful is it that your child is taking a healthier road for pleasure? I'm not all for kids going out and showing nudes of each other and I wouldn't be totally fond of the concern that it may be used against my child (hypothetically), but I would not consider it all TOO BAD..especially not compared to online theft. :|

How do you feel?
Link, if you'd like to read the article.

[gamekillereater]

Parents are way too prude in America, as long as your child isn't dating with random people she met on the internet, there is nothing harmful about sexting, if they stay within certain limits.
Identity theft is a great disaster and should be treated as such, people should focus on it way more, creditcard numbers and personal details such as e-mails are getting traded and sold on a daily basis at the black market.

[Kitala]

Gamekillreater: I couldn't agree with you more! In my apartment building on campus there are a lot of Dutch girls and I really respect how they treat sex and education and all. It's really important to be educated and to not see sex as such a taboo that we don't talk about it or we talk about it subtly. Like, I believe in supplying condoms in a lot of various anonymous places. I, personally, am not for people having sex at a young age, but it's likely going to happen, so I think they should protect themselves. :|

Killerjeff: no, I'm good.

Twatlight: Yeah it's cybering. "sex" with text or pictures. Also, you WOULD be on gaia.

Ejit: Yeah that was pretty shocking too lol as if you have to "admit" something like that anyway.

[LightParadox]

Oh fuck sexting. The police just needed something new to get their panties in a bunch. Teens getting arrested for child porn?

I forgot the chill'un ain't got no minds of themselves.
God who the hell cares of your kid has a serious relationship with someone they love and they wanna flash? Better than getting herpes in the basement.

[UnreaK745]

I like naked teens or tweens. :3 So no objection on the sexting part.

3

[Sensationalism]

Parents, adults, they freak out and overreact and don't understand shit about the computer.
Generally speaking.

[Prinzy2]

I can understand why they'd rank sexting up there with online theft. 95% of the time sexting is no big deal, but if some guy were to keep those pictures, there's a chance that girl going to get blackmailed into anything from letting him copy her homework to doing sexual favors.

[Boxxy]

Free country my white ass.

[AlphaCentauri]

What if a key logger is watching us while we sext?

Th pervs!

[HazeStigma]

Well if my child was randomly sexting to like, everybody i'd be concerned but if its somebody him/her and the other person <3 each other then i have no problem with it, its their business.

[GiantDouche]

At 1/28/10 03:48 PM, Alex12345269 wrote: Free country my white ass.

lol hey you guys this guy thought that America was ever at one point a free country.

lol.

[OneWhoListens]

AOL is used by a lot of parents still, and parents just LOVE to hear about how bad the internet and other fun things are for their children. So AOL knows they can write an article like that and people will buy it.

[Kitala]

I'm not saying sexting doesn't come without the possible consequences, but I definitely wouldn't rank it up there with online identity theft lol or an internet disaster. I think parents should talk to their kids about the consequences and yet just be silently happy they're likely not, or hopefully not, engaging in unsafe physical sex practices.

as for the hackers watching sexting keystrokes

..damn

[Evark]

They're equally unsettling because one has the potential to be vastly destructive to one's financial well-being if not caught early and the other the potential to be vastly destructive to one's emotional well-being if not caught early.

I mean... they kids are basically being complicit in the creation of an enormous undiscovered wealth of spank-bankage for pedos. Does that unsettle you enough to compare it to the total destruction of one's finances?

[Vagetarian]

how do you feel using keywords instead of web addresses?

[Skwurll]

Keyloggers aren't all that bad, I heard a story about a man that put a keylogger on his own computer, so that he'd know what he'd typed the night before when he was drunk.
But in all seriousness, sexting isn't all that different than phone sex, albeit a watered down and more pathetic version.

Yes, that IS unsettling, these sexters need to go out and get some

STDs

[95688kage]

Sexting, because you are so alone, you have to have virtual text as an only freind

[ohbombuh]

At 1/28/10 03:48 PM, Alex12345269 wrote: Free country my white ass.

I wonder what would happen if you walked into a school and started cussing everyone out or showing off a gun (even an unloaded one). Weren't those among our first rights? The only thing I see separating us from the extreme communists we were so afraid of is our ability to have a religion....we'll see if it's still there in 100 years.

[Saxturbation]

I agree. Sexting isn't all that bad. Whoo, kids are seeing each other naked. Who cares? We came into this world naked, I say we walk around that way.

[k6ka]

What is sexting?

[Kitala]

If you don't know what sexting is, read the thread fully. It's been explained several times and it's not that long of a thread. Okie-dokes?

At 1/28/10 09:05 PM, Evark wrote: I mean... they kids are basically being complicit in the creation of an enormous undiscovered wealth of spank-bankage for pedos. Does that unsettle you enough to compare it to the total destruction of one's finances?

Not at all, actually. Like I said, I'm not for it, but I don't believe it to be on the same level of alertness. I'd rather my child sext (they didn't even MENTION nude pictures) than be caught in an identity theft scandal. I appreciate someone's attempt to defend the article's word choice, though. It's just way less of an issue to me. It's an issue, sure, but it's way less of one. This kind of thing can be resolved with talking to parents etc. People need to understand that while it's not exactly the best thing to be trusting someone to send them dirty texts or pictures, it's something that has come along with our technological advancements and it needs to be addressed in order to keep it in line. It's not something that will go away now...with the internet came porn and now sexting and nude pictures and webcam shows and camera phones. Is it a problem?-sure. Can it ruin someone's emotional repuation?-sure. But is it going to sink someone into debt or way worse?-no. Scandals exist and if you send the picture you need to be prepared that it may come back in the future to haunt you (case and point that whole miss america scandal or w/e). Identity theft stays with you in the "real world" everywhere you go and not just those who have happened to see a picture.

/wall of text lol

[Evark]

At 1/28/10 10:17 PM, Kitala wrote: Not at all, actually. Like I said, I'm not for it, but I don't believe it to be on the same level of alertness.

Which is a baffling ignorance to have, really. But, ok, I'll hear you out.

I'd rather my child sext (they didn't even MENTION nude pictures) than be caught in an identity theft scandal.

Sexting typically includes the sending of nude pictures. If your definition doesn't include nude pictures, I probably agree they're not comparably terrible.

But is it going to sink someone into debt or way worse?-no.

I think you have a distorted perception of how bad identity theft is, which you're then comparing to another slightly distorted perception of how frivolous sexting is.

Scandals exist and if you send the picture you need to be prepared that it may come back in the future to haunt you (case and point that whole miss america scandal or w/e). Identity theft stays with you in the "real world" everywhere you go and not just those who have happened to see a picture.

The point is that as a result of your ignorance with what's most valuable when not shared you may devalue (even permanently) two things that society uses to either hold someone in high regard or not.

It's an understandable comparison even if you don't agree that they're comparably severe, is my point. The fact is: thanks to the subjectivity inherent in individual values, one person may find their sexual identity far more valuable then their financial one. Or vice-versa. And as such, you can't really say they can't be compared except that you don't think they should be because of YOUR feelings on the two subjects.

[Kitala]

At 1/28/10 10:45 PM, Evark wrote: Which is a baffling ignorance to have, really. But, ok, I'll hear you out.

I'm going to stop YOU right here, sir. Calling someone ignorant without reason is beyond childish. If you wish to have an adult debate on it then so be it, but if you're going to keep calling me ignorant (as you do several times in your retort) for the beliefs that I have based on the information and judgements that I have gathered and formed then you are really a waste of my time.

Sexting typically includes the sending of nude pictures. If your definition doesn't include nude pictures, I probably agree they're not comparably terrible.

No, sexting doesn't typically include nude pictures. Sexting is by term the act of sex through text, not pictures. And no, I'm not talking about nude pictures, as that is a concievable problem however again, in my book, it doesn't own up to identity theft. Just like I had a bad snow storm in December--it was bad but it wasn't near comparison to the earthquake in Haiti.

I think you have a distorted perception of how bad identity theft is, which you're then comparing to another slightly distorted perception of how frivolous sexting is.

I don't believe my perception is distorted, however if you feel this way then you need to back your opinion up with further explanation rather than slander. I never said, mind you, that sexting isn't frivolous. In fact, I believe I said quite a few times (if you had read) that I believe it's an issue. I will again repeat myself so that you can understnad--I believe it's lower on the scale of worry to ME in my honest and educated opinion.

The point is that as a result of your ignorance with what's most valuable when not shared you may devalue (even permanently) two things that society uses to either hold someone in high regard or not.

Here you go with your slander. It makes you seem terribly low-brow, just so you know. Keep in mind, again (darn it if I hate repeating myself) that this is all my opinion and you're here to give yours, which I'm accepting and debating like an adult. If you'd like to do the same, then act like you're at least trying.

It's an understandable comparison even if you don't agree that they're comparably severe, is my point. The fact is: thanks to the subjectivity inherent in individual values, one person may find their sexual identity far more valuable then their financial one. Or vice-versa. And as such, you can't really say they can't be compared except that you don't think they should be because of YOUR feelings on the two subjects.

This whole thing is about my feelings and your feelings. Not law, Evark. Come on, I expected more from you, really? Tisk tisk.

[Evark]

At 1/28/10 11:25 PM, Kitala wrote: I'm going to stop YOU right here, sir. Calling someone ignorant without reason is beyond childish. If you wish to have an adult debate on it then so be it, but if you're going to keep calling me ignorant (as you do several times in your retort) for the beliefs that I have based on the information and judgements that I have gathered and formed then you are really a waste of my time.

I'm not saying I'm above ignorance. Chill out. I'm calling your stance ignorant because, well: it is. You've never been involved or affected by sexting in any way. You're 19 according to your profile, the issue's really only about a year old since first I heard of it. Sexting didn't exist when I could have been affected by it, and I certainly don't have children to worry about engaging in it. Neither do you. No need to take offense, I'm not calling you all sorts of ridiculous names here, just how it is like I see it.

No, sexting doesn't typically include nude pictures. Sexting is by term the act of sex through text, not pictures. And no, I'm not talking about nude pictures, as that is a concievable problem however again, in my book, it doesn't own up to identity theft. Just like I had a bad snow storm in December--it was bad but it wasn't near comparison to the earthquake in Haiti.

I can't abide that analogy... because if a bad snowstorm hit Haiti they would be in equally horrible condition and if a bad earthquake hit us here in America we would be in comparably good condition.

Anyway, here's why I'm not above ignorance: I've been under the impression that sexting was coined during the revelation of texting nude photos between underaged peers. I haven't kept up with the issue since then, but that's when I first heard it coined.

I don't believe my perception is distorted, however if you feel this way then you need to back your opinion up with further explanation rather than slander. I never said, mind you, that sexting isn't frivolous. In fact, I believe I said quite a few times (if you had read) that I believe it's an issue. I will again repeat myself so that you can understnad--I believe it's lower on the scale of worry to ME in my honest and educated opinion.

It's libel 'cause we're writing, but NBD. : b I back my opinion up throughout the majority of my post as I respond to your contention point-by-point. But here it is:
- Identity theft is reparable. Thanks to bank guarantees, CC policy, federal law, etc. Many affected by identity theft can regain their good standing with only a few weeks' effort.
- Money is not necessarily as important to people as their sexual identity. While I can grant that the sort of person modest enough to be more horrified about sexting and it's effects over identity theft probably wouldn't engage in it in the first place; I also think that the pressure of a sexual relationship before emotional maturity can temporarily strain or break those inhibitions.
- Someone's financial record has almost no bearing in their immediate social circle. [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35020704] Bullying, however, can continue to affect one's health and well-being far into adulthood. Sexting provides a special leverage for bullies.

Here you go with your slander. It makes you seem terribly low-brow, just so you know. Keep in mind, again (darn it if I hate repeating myself) that this is all my opinion and you're here to give yours, which I'm accepting and debating like an adult. If you'd like to do the same, then act like you're at least trying.

It's at this point that I realize you're not really responding to the points I'm making, just taking offense at something kinda silly. Everyone is ignorant, I'm merely trying to explain to you that sexting is actually a bigger deal than you think and that identity theft might not necessarily be as big a deal as you think. I'm sorry you've taken offense, I typically avoid engaging someone in any sort of name-calling whatsoever. But if you're going to claim that sexting is no big deal... I'm going to have to call you out on that. And the only way to say what comes to mind when I hear the argument that sexting is not a big deal is that it SEEMS TO ME to be an ignorant view on the matter.

This whole thing is about my feelings and your feelings. Not law, Evark. Come on, I expected more from you, really? Tisk tisk.

Well, no. My feelings on identity theft and sexting are that neither have personally affected myself or anyone close to me and so I'm not even remotely unsettled by either. I thought this discussion wasn't wrapped closely and tightly in personal feelings, but I guess not.