Sexting – Do Parents Even Know About This?

Texting or Sexting – Do you Know What Your Kids are Doing?

Intercept SMS Text Messages

As sending SMS text messages from cellular phones has become a centerpiece in youth social life, parents, educators and advocates have grown increasingly anxious about the role of cell phones in the sexual lives of young people. A recent research study from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (pewinternet.org/topics/Teens.aspx) found that four percent of mobile phone using teenagers between the ages of twelve and seventeen indicate they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to other people via SMS text messages. This activity is typically known as “sexting” in the current vernacular. Additionally, fifteen percent say they have received such images of someone they already know via SMS.

According to research from marketing research firm The Nielsen Company (blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/under-aged-texting-usage-and-actual-cost/) American young people send an inconceivable average of 10 SMS messages every hour that they are not in school or sleeping – and most likely a lot during their classes too!

By analyzing over than 40,000 monthly US mobile cellular bills, Nielsen found that American teenagers sent an average of an astounding 3,146 texts each month during Q3 2009.

SMS Text Monitoring

Their younger counterparts – tweenagers – ages 9-12 years old sent an average of 1,146 text messages each month. That that averages out to about four every hour they were in school or not sleeping. In comparison, the average number of monthly texts sent by all cell phone users combined was just slightly above 500. In the fourth quarter 2009, tweenage users ages 9-12 years old increased text usage by 8% and almost doubled their text message volume.

Monitor SMS Text Messages

Focus group findings show that sending provocative images occurs usually under one of three typical scenarios: The first, exchanges of images just between two romantic partners; the next, lists exchanges between partners that are then shared outside the relationship; followed by, exchanges between people who are not yet in a relationship, but where often one person hopes to be.

Teens were interviewed and gave researchers a variety of explanations behind the impulse to get involved with sexting. These included the researcher’s interpretation that “…sexually suggestive images had become a form of relationship currency,”; that sexting images “… are shared as a part of or instead of sexual activity,” and that SMS text message sexting is a way of starting or maintaining a relationship. Sensitive images are also passed along to other people “… for their entertainment value, as a joke, or for fun.”

Teens also shared with researchers the pressure they feel to share sexual pictures. Not surprisingly the report revealed that teenagers that are intensive users of cellular phones are more likely to receive sexually suggestive images. For these teenagers, the phone has become such a common means for communication and a variety of content that doing without it is nearly unthinkable.

Perfect Storm Sexting meets Parental Control

The desire for risk-taking and sexual exploration during the teen years mixed with constant connection using cell phones and other mobile devices “…creates a ‘perfect storm’ for sexting,” said Pew’s Amanda Lenhart. “Teenagers have always grappled with issues around sex and relationships, but their coming-of-age mistakes and transgressions have never been so easily transmitted and archived for others to see.”

The Teenager Text Messaging Market Will Continue to Grow

Despite some indications that per user usage has peaked (they can’t possibly use them more can they?!?) Nielsen forecasts that overall text messaging usage will grow as the avid user demographic ages and entices the older generations to text with them in order to keep in contact with them. Current SMS users are expected to continue to text extensively and as tweenagers age they will increase usage. The number of text messages sent per capita has grown every year and should continue.

Mobile SMS Tracking Software

If you’ve got teenagers then in all likelihood not shocked by the usage numbers. But chances are you’re also either in denial that your teens are involved in sexting, or you’re actively seeking solutions to the problem. While parents may be upset that all the texts their teens and tweens are sending are going to break the bank, Nielsen analysis shows the average cost of a single text message is just one cent. The real issue concerning parents is not so much how often teens use their phones but more about how they use their phones, and when they are using them.

Parental Control Software for Cell Phones

A workable technological solution available for parents and guardians to discover what what’s going on with their teens is mobile monitoring technology. An excellent source of information on spyphone software for Parental Control is SpyMobi Spy Phone.

SMS Monitoring Software

The impact of spy phone software is evident in the many keyword searches occurring on the major search engines. Common search terms for finding “How To” information on spy phone software to read SMS text messages, Call Logs and GPS Location include:

How To Listen In On a Phone Call,   How Do I Intercept text messages,   How Do You Trace a Cell Phone Number,   How To Tap a Cellphone,   How To Trace a Cell Phone Location,   How To Listen To Phone Calls,   How To Tap Into a Cell Phone,   How To Intercept Mobile SMS,   How To Spy On SMS,   How To Wire Tap a Cell Phone,   How To Bug a Mobile,   How To Bug a Mobile Phone,  and How To Trace Cell Phone Number,

Comments are closed.