As the world starts breaking the stigma around sex, the term sexting has been coming around through various social media platforms and blog sites. And while sexting is a crucial step in owning your sexuality, it’s important to make sure you are taking certain precautions while doing it.

What Is Sexting:

Sexting is the art of text combined with sex. A life skill, that’s as important as foreplay. While you are not sharing your body or bodily fluid, you are still sharing an intricate part of yourself while sexting. Sexting  can be an explicit text message, provocative audio clips, selfies, or even videos, complete with the consent of both parties involved.

The Importance Of Sexting:

While the term ‘sexting’ is probably a 21^st century invention, explicit love letters, poems and even cave paintings can be traced back to centuries. And with the modern technology combined, the Gen Z invented sexting.

Like mentioned above, sexting is a form of foreplay. A great way to understand your partner’s sexual preferences, to communicate your own desires. And most importantly establishing your boundaries and turn-offs. It’s a mode of communication to share your deepest desires, fantasies and fetishes.  Often times we may have hidden fetishes and kinks that we may not want to enact in real life. Sexting in such cases can give you the scope to fulfil those desires without actually doing it.

Long-distance relationship benefits the most out of sexting. It’s a great way to build trust and keep the desire alive.

How To Practice Safe Sexting:

While sexting is extremely common these days, incidents like Celebrity iCloud hack and revenge porn really gave it a bad reputation. An explicit image can be forwarded, shared, posted or even hacked without your consent. Which can result in blackmail, humiliation, abuse and even rape by coercion. So, to put it lightly, safe sexting is as important as safe sex.

Here’s some tips for safe sexting:

• The cardinal rule of safe sexting is to ensure the person you are sexting with is worthy of your energy and trust. According to a SELF poll, “ 93 percent of sexters are sending suggestive texts not to some near stranger, but to a husband, a boyfriend, someone she’s dating or a friend with benefits.”
• Try not to show your face. Even if you are sexting with someone you know are worthy of your trust, there’s always a chance it can be hacked or accessed without their knowledge.
• Do not include any birthmark, tattoos or any identifying features in the photo/video.
• Always make sure you are using a private internet connection while sexting.
• Use a texting service that is encrypted and allows you to delete texts and pictures after sending the text and images.
• Consider that mishap like sending a photo/video to the wrong person can always happen. To avoid such incidents, open the chat first and send the picture instead of sharing it straight from the gallery.
• Delete the pictures and videos from your own gallery after sending it.
• Make sure the recipient is not in a public gathering before hitting the send button.

What To Do When Someone Shares Your Nudes:

Having someone you trust break it can be immensely traumatic. And it’s important to remember it’s not your fault.

The images and videos can be shared by someone you send the image/video to, or it can be hacked and shared without his knowledge. In either case

• Take a deep breath and contact the website it’s posted on and get it removed. Missing Kids has a complete guide on how to do it.
• Don’t wait to take action. The longer it’s out there, the harder it is to get it under control.
• Sharing someone else’s nudes online without consent is a crime. So don’t wait to file legal actions.
• Talk to a friend or family member who can help you get through the trauma.

When You Are On The Receiving End:

When your partner is sending you explicit texts and videos, they are doing it because they trust you and feel comfortable with you. And when you are on the receiving end, you have a responsibly to keep the images and videos safe.

• Delete the images and videos once you are done …
• If you decide on keeping them, keep them in a password protected folder.
• Never share you phone and laptop with anyone if it contains your partner’s nudes.
• Delete any explicit texts, images and videos before discarding or repairing your phone and computer.
• If you are using IOS, do not store it on the cloud.

Sexting is a way to connect to your partner even when you are physically not together. And taking certain safety measure is a crucial part in doing so. In many countries sexting is illegal if you are not a legal adult. One can be charged as a sex offender for creating, receiving and transmitting an image or video of a minor. And rightfully so, because teens and tweens are more likely to face the risks of being blackmailed, bullied and harassed.  

To sum it up, sexting can beneficial in long term relationships if done with precautions. It can spice up your sex life, and even improve your relationship creating a flirty form of communication.