Western Courier

Issue date: 10/23/09 Section: Opinion

Skylar Patridge/cartoonist

As technology has advanced, so has people's use of it to spice up their sex lives. Photography brought the advent of pornographic images, cinema gave rise to the burgeoning stag film industry and the computer and Internet provides easier access to a veritable buffet of Web sites filled with byte after byte of both of these mediums.

Now that cell phones are being crafted with the ability to take pictures and record videos, technology has created a new phenomenon: "sexting."

We've all heard about it. The practice has been in the news quite a lot recently, mainly due to teens being convicted and forced to register as sex offenders for sending nude photos of themselves to potential love interests, or at least possible booty calls. Chances are likely that a good percentage of you have even participated in a little sexting of your own.

I've certainly sent my fair share, though maybe not as often as I have been accused of doing so. In my experience I've learned a lot, but the best thing is to always leave them wanting more, something those unsuspecting sex offender kids should have considered before going for the full monty.

Sexting is just a super-charged and often naughtier version of flirting, and as such should be treated with equal aplomb. When flirting face-to-face, you usually never come out and frankly say "I wanna be on you," unless you're Ron Burgundy. The idea is to maintain interest just The idea is to maintain interest just enough to get his or her engine running, so that when you finally come together there will be no doubt as to how you want to proceed.

There are a few guidelines you should consider to keep from having a messy sexting experience, but as with anything, following them is your own decision. First, always check to make sure you are sending the message strictly to the intended recipient. Nothing is more embarrassing than sending off a sext and getting a reply from your grandma.

You should also refrain from sending compromising photographs. I know the sight of you in the altogether can be titillating to your loved one, but if things go sour you don't want to see yourself plastered all over the Internet.

As with everything else sex-related, you should always be smart about sexting. There is always the possibility of negative repercussions, but that shouldn't stop you from having a good time. Just make sure you have a texting plan that can handle the load when it starts to get hot and heavy.

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