Sexting may be the new normal for many teens, researchers say

LA Times | October 6, 2014

Sexting may be part of the new normal for teenagers who are on the verge of becoming sexually active, new research shows.

Teens who told researchers they had sent naked pictures of themselves to someone in 2011 were nearly one-third more likely to be sexually active in 2012 than teens who had sent no such messages the year before, according to a study published Monday by the journal Pediatrics.

However, teens who sent explicit photos of themselves in email or text messages were no more likely than other teens to report having had many sexual partners in the previous year; to have had sex without a condom; or to have used drugs or alcohol before having sex.

“That we did not find any link between sexting and risky sexual behavior over time may suggest that sexting is a new ‘normal’ part of adolescent sexual development and not strictly limited to at-risk adolescents,” wrote the researchers, who are from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

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