ACMA's school of sext - and its perils

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 18 July 2011 13:44

Your IT - Home IT

Sext is popular, but sext is not good, if 'everybody' does it, doesn't mean you should'¦

If sex sells, so too does sext, or sexting, the practice of teenagers sending sexually suggestive text, photo or video messages of themselves to others, be it through a mobile phone, PC or other computing device. 

Unfortunately, however, sexting often sells the wrong things to the wrong people, leading not only to regret, but to social and legal consequences that young people are clearly not thinking about when engaging in unsafe sext.

Riding to the rescue is ACMA, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which has its Cybersmart initiative along with 'new comprehensive lesson plans on 'sexting'' at Cybersmart, with those plans proving popular with 'an increasing number of schools Australia-wide'.

And why not? The problem is, after all, very real, and schools are an ideal place to teach students of the dangers.

ACMA quotes research conducted by the Pew Research Centre which 'shows that 'sexting' has garnered increased attention in recent years'”18 per cent of 14-17 year olds who own a mobile phone said they have received a 'sext' from someone they know'.

ACMA notes that 'the same study showed that 47 per cent of teenagers regretted sending some of the messages they had sent.'

Greg Gebhart, the Senior Education Trainer for ACMA, said 'the plans provide students with realistic scenarios and educate them about the social and legal consequences of 'sexting''”the sending of sexual messages, photos or videos, online or using a mobile phone.'

Mr Gerhart specifically stated that: 'Over the last month more than 63,000 'sexting' brochures have been distributed, and over three hundred copies of the ACMA's Cybersmart 'sexting' lesson plans have been downloaded.'

Mr Gebhart's comments continue on page two, please read on!