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 teen social life, parents, educators and advocates have grown increasingly worried about the role of cell phones in the sexual lives of teenagers. A fresh survey from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (pewinternet.org/topics/Teens.aspx) found that four percent of cell phone using youths ages twelve to seventeen indicate they have transmitted sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to other people via SMS text messages. This activity is typically referred to “sexting” in the current slang. Additionally, 15% say they have received these kinds of images images of someone they already know by way of SMS.

According to a study from marketing research firm The Nielsen Company (blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/under-aged-texting-usage-and-actual-cost/) American young people transmit an unimaginable average of ten text messages every hour that they are not in school or sleeping – and probably a lot during class too!

By researching over than 40,000 monthly US mobile telecom bills, Nielsen concluded that American teens sent an average of an astounding 3,146 text messages every month during Q3 2009.

SMS Text Monitoring

Their younger counterparts – tweenagers – ages 9-12 years old sent about 1,100 text messages each month. That equates to four per hour they were in school or not sleeping. To put that in perspective, the average number of monthly texts sent by all mobile users combined was a little more than 500. In the fourth quarter 2009, tweenage users ages 9-12 years old increased SMS usage by 8% just about doubling the quantity of text messages.

Monitor SMS Text Messages

Pew Research points out that sending provocative images occurs usually under one of three specific scenarios: The first, involves exchanges of images only between two romantic partners;
the next, lists exchanges between partners that are then shared with other people; followed by, exchanges between people who are not yet in a relationship, but with one person hoping there will be one.

Teenagers were interviewed and gave researchers various explanations surrounding the impulse to participate in 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 these types of pictures. Not surprisingly the report revealed that youths who are more intense users of cell phones are more likely to receive sexually suggestive images. For these teenagers, the phone has become such an important conduit for communication and content of all kinds that doing without it is nearly unthinkable.

Perfect Storm Sexting meets Parental Control

The combination of risk-taking and sexual exploration during the teenage years mixed with regular connection via mobile 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 SMS Market Will Continue to Grow

Despite the indications that per user usage has peaked (they can’t possibly use them more can they?!?) Nielsen predicts that overall text message usage will grow as the avid user population ages and entices the older generations to text with them in order to keep in contact with them. Current SMS users will continue to use texting extensively and as tweenagers age they will increase usage. The average number of text messages per user has increased every year, and there is room for growth.

Mobile SMS Tracking Software

If you’ve got kids then in all likelihood not shocked by the usage numbers. But chances are you’re also either in denial that your teenagers are involved in sexting, or you’re actively seeking solutions to the problem. While parents may fume that all the texts their teens and tweens are sending will land them in the poorhouse, Nielsen analysis indicates the average cost of a single text message is only about one penny. The real issue affecting families is not so much how often teens use their phones but has more to do with how they use their phones, and when they are using them.

Parental Control Software for Smart Phones

A workable technological solution available for parents and guardians to find out what what’s going on with their kids is spyphone software. An excellent source of information on spyphone software for Parental Control is SpyMobi Spy Phone.

SMS Monitoring Software

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and
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These search terms are listed here to let you know that you are not alone looking for solutions to these critical family problems. Visit this website if you would like to read more about reliable small business Mobile Monitoring Software for BlackBerry and Android Smartphones . Or follow this link if you are more interested in Parental Monitoring Software for BlackBerry and Android Smartphones

Posted on February 10, 2010 at 1:21 am by admin · Permalink
In: SMS Intercept