"sexting" is "sending nude pictures via text message." And, apparently, it is a behavior that is quite common among the nation's teenagers. A nationwide survey shows that about 20% of teenagers admit that they have indulged in sexting.

There is a new phenomenon that is occurring, especially in the young community, due to the proliferation of text messaging. It is called sexting.

Kids and adults alike are sending lewd and inappropriate pictures via text message. The problem is that these sext messages are being passed on to just about everyone else who has a cell phone as well! Sexting has gotten a lot of media attention recently due to a few high profile news stories, including the one about the cheerleaders who were dropped from the team when their nude photos were leaked all over the place.

In my opinion the increased use of text messaging was bound to create some type of negative atmosphere around the concept. Thus, sext messaging! No surprises here.

Porn Spreads Like Wildfire

What the young ladies and men who subject themselves to sexting don't understand is that with just a few clicks, their images can spread like wildfire. When you consider the fact that the average person has about 50 phone contacts, the idea of sending a nude photo to even just one person is a scary thought.

In the case of the cheerleaders who were dropped from the team, apparently they underestimated the ignorance of the boys they were sending these naked photos to. And they get a half pass because they are very young. When you're 15, you're not thinking about the long term effects of an action. It was really up to the parents to instill values within these teens. Values that tell them instinctively that posing topless and then having the gaul to send it on to someone on their contact list isn't such a great idea.

These sext messages are basically porn, and you see how quickly porn spreads. There are plenty of porn stars who regret their actions on film, but regardless of what they do there will always be someone who has a copy of their online videos. No matter what they do.

The Best Advice About Cell Text Messaging : Take a Deep Breath

The best advice you'll ever get about text messaging is to take a deep breath and think about the iffy message you are about to send. Consider the person you are sending a message to --- how well do you know them? Are they credible? Can you count on them to keep your photo or message private? If you have even a shadow of a doubt about this, then you should absolutely not send that text message. Making the wrong decision here could equal a lifetime of pain and embarrassment.

Whenever you send any message, it's important to remember that sext messages are easily duplicated. All it takes is a few keystrokes for 50 or more people to receive your message. And you can't take it back. Ever.