Sexting: The impact of a cultural phenomenon on psychiatric practice

摘要

Sexting is a cultural phenomenon that has garnered significant public attention within the last few years. The topic has received media attention from a variety of sources-talk shows, evening news segments, and even situation comedies (sitcoms) (1-4). The Macmillan Dictionary (5) defines sexting as the practice of sending sexual images or messages to a person's cell phone. A more narrow definition is provided by the Pew Research Foundation in their report on teen sexting. They define sexting as "the creating, sharing, and forwarding of sexually suggestive, nude or nearly-nude images by minor teens" (6). Sexting is a relatively recent phenomenon that has only come to public awareness within the past few years, but which has triggered concern among parents, educators, and law enforcement officials.