So by now, most people have heard about “sexting,” right?  There have been news stories ranging from child pornography charges to a student, Jesse Logan, committing suicide after a picture she “sexted” her boyfriend was sent around her high school.

According to urbandictionary.com, teens don’t even call it “sexting.”  Apparently that particular term was coined by the media in response to a school principal finding explicit texts/pictures on his students’ phones.  There were dozens of definitions on urbandictionary.com ranging from sexting as a type of phone sex, to sending nude pictures, to putting out a “booty call” via text message.

One in five teens have used their cell phones or computers to send nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves to someone, usually a girlfriend or boyfriend, and 40 percent of teen girls and boys have sent or posted sexually suggestive messages, according to a new study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and CosmoGirl.com.

So, is sexting a problem?  Is it some evil thing that adults should attempt to stop?

Well, it’s definitely a problem if you’re caught with nude photos of your boyfriend or girlfriend and they’re under 18.  It’s also a problem if your picture is passed around the entire high school by an ex-boy or girlfriend looking for revenge.

But aside from these obvious issues associated with this risqué pastime, I have to ask another question:

When did sex become so public?

Sex, and anything associated with it, used to be kept inside the bedroom, between a husband and wife.  Private.  Special, you might even say.

Now, it’s anything-goes.  I don’t have to wonder why the divorce rate continues to stay as high as it does.  When people let something that was meant to be private and cherished between two spouses become something public and lewd, any sense of monogamy or honor is out the window.

And now that we’re raising teens to make sport of their sexuality, I believe that not only are we going to see another spike in the divorce rate, I believe we’re also going to see a dip in the marriage rate.

Why should a young adult get married if they’re used to spreading their sexuality around casually?  What’s going to be exciting and special about sex with a spouse, when they’ve basically doing it in their front lawn for years?

Ask a teen if they go next door and watch their neighbors having sex through the bedroom window.  You’re going to get hoots and howls, because why would anyone want to watch their neighbors having sex!!??

But what’s the difference if you go peeking through their windows, or if your friends and classmates are watching you via their cell phone or Facebook?

So, is sexting a problem?  Well, yes, but it’s really more of a symptom.  It’s a symptom of a culture’s sexuality gone awry.  People say we should be able to have sex with whomever we want, whenever we want.  But look what it’s gotten us….high divorce rates, high out-of-wedlock pregnancy rates, high teen pregnancy rates, high rates of STI’s.  Who suffers?  Everybody.

In past generations, the ability to delay gratification brought about the rise of a great nation of leaders, entrepreneurs, and responsible citizens.  What has happened to honor, fidelity, fortitude and privacy?

By Heather Bjur for Make a Sound Choice

FirstChoice Clinic and Make a Sound Choice received an unexpected gift today (Thursday 11-26-08).  A local teenager decided that she wanted to celebrate her 17th birthday in an unusual way.  Instead of spending money on a party and gifts, she invited a group of nine friends to join her for a couple of volunteer hours in the FirstChoice Clinic and Make a Sound Choice offices! For several hours, the ten of them worked around a table in the conference room compiling packets and working on an upcoming mailing for the clinic. Thank you, to this generous group of young women!