sexting

[swift]

This is my very first contribution to this forum, so please be kind and patient. It took me a while to put my ideas in order.

Term: (A word or expression you have seen in writing)
sexting noun (portmanteau of sex and texting)

Your definition or explanation:
The act of sending and receiving sexually suggestive or explicit text messages, often containing pictures or other audiovisual material.

Example: (An example of the term in use)
Check these two examples (spoken):

ANNOUNCEMENTS JULIE-CHEN: We all know the dangers of sexting where teenagers text provocative photos of themselves. A picture of two Pennsylvania teens in their bras ended up on a classmates cell phone. Now, fifteen-year-old Marissa Miller and her friend face child pornography charges, but they're suing to stop the charges from being filed.

Date: 2009
Title: For March 28, 2009, CBS
Source: CBS_Early

KOTB: And also, I know that some parents are worried about this, their kids are sexting. They are texting and sending pictures kind of, you know, just--what are they called? Evocative pictures of themselves.

Date: 2009
Title: Current events, inauguration discussed
Source: NBC_Today

Davies, Mark. (200 The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA): 400+ million words, 1990-present. Available online at http://www.americancorpus.org.

One or more places you have seen the term: (Please give URLs/links to web pages, or a full description of a print publication.)

In an unusual legal case arising from the increasingly popular practice known as “sexting,” six Pennsylvania high school students are facing child pornography charges after three teenage girls allegedly took nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and shared them with male classmates via their cell phones.

‘Sexting’ surprise: Teens face child porn charges
6 Pa. high school students busted after sharing nude photos via cell phones

By Mike Brunker
Projects Team editor
msnbc.com
updated 7:03 p.m. MT, Thurs., Jan. 15, 2009

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28679588/

Last fall, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy surveyed teens and young adults about sexting — sending sexually charged material via cell phone text messages — or posting such materials online.

​

Her teen committed suicide over ‘sexting’
Cynthia Logan’s daughter was taunted about photo she sent to boyfriend

By Mike Celizic
TODAYshow.com contributor
updated 8:26 a.m. MT, Fri., March. 6, 2009

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29546030/

Have you looked for this term or meaning in dictionaries, and not found it? Yes

P.S. Oh wait! Wikipedia does not count as a dictionary, does it? You can find an explanation about the meaning of sexting here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexting

And there is also a definition in the Urban Dictionary, here: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=sexting

 

[swift]

There's also a verb for this activity. I don't know if it's worth a new thread, so I'll post it here.

Term
sext verb (intransitive or transitive, depending on context)

Definition
To send sexually suggestive or explicit material via text messages.

Intransitive use:

Youth sext for many reasons. They may be pressured by friends or trying to impress a crush. Some are responding to a sexual text message they’ve received and others willingly send nude photos of themselves to a boyfriend or girlfriend.

http://ncmec.vo.llnwd.net/o15/downloads/special/Sexting_Prevention.pdf

Transtive use:

All the high-profile sexting cases have been among heterosexual teens, including the suicide of one young girl who sexted a photo of herself and could not live with the severe embarrassment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-petrow/queeries-beware-of-sextin_b_189994.html

 

[bennymix]

Proposal:
The act of sending and receiving sexually suggestive or explicit text messages, often containing pictures or other audiovisual material.
--

I think the photos are primary:

The act of sending photos or depictions of oneself which are graphic sexually and/or sexually explicit, and possibly accompanied by related, explicit text, to someone via a smart phone or other similar electronic device.

 

[STATSSkipper]

I don't think that sexting does involve people who actually received the actual pornographic text/material if truly doesn't want or has nothing to do with it. Just a though. Should sexting be considered when both parties agreed on the said act?

 

[bennymix]

Should sexting be considered when both parties agreed on the said act?

Yes, it should. The same as "making a sexual advance"; it's a neutral term. "Sexual harassment" or "harassment by sending someone unwanted sex pictures" is another matter; that does depend on the unwelcomeness of the act.

 

[sambullock002]

I agree that "sexting" is between the consent of 2 people. Sexting is an exchange of text messages that contain sexually suggestive or explicit messages. It can only be considered sexually harassment if the receiver doesn't want to participate in the conversation but the sender keeps on doing it.

 

[irinet]

Hi,

I hope that a Netlingo reference would be ok to add here.

Historical perspective: In August 2012, the 114-year-old Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary decided to include "sexting" along with the words "F-bomb" and "flexitarian" (a semi-vegetarian) in their dictionary.
First use: 2007 (> Merriam-Webster's Online)

http://www.netlingo.com/word/sexting.php#sthash.JwHbFmZ3.dpuf

 

[Hathsin]

Proposal:
The act of sending and receiving sexually suggestive or explicit text messages, often containing pictures or other audiovisual material.
--

I think the photos are primary:

The act of sending photos or depictions of oneself which are graphic sexually and/or sexually explicit, and possibly accompanied by related, explicit text, to someone via a smart phone or other similar electronic device.

I don't agree that the images are primary - Sexting was around for a long time before MMS came into the picture.

Also, I don't agree that it has to be two way and consensual