Facebook to Create New App That Could Encourage Sexting

Sexting among teens and adults may increase in 2013, especially if users respond that way to Facebook’s proposed app that will allow an image or a segment of video to be viewed or shared for a time period of up to ten seconds – and supposedly, disappear from online use.

However, experts in recent articles warn that these images can be downloaded and captured through various technology devices, and that no image or video circulated on the Internet is truly confidential, safe, or fully deleted. The dangers and risks for teens may be even higher with this new app, similar to existing app Snapchat, when it comes to sexting.

Teen girls, especially, are believed to be manipulated into sharing nude images of themselves with boys. Once these images are shared, they can be further distributed indefinitely across multiple platforms. They can also be used as material for bullying, and some teens have been reported to experience serious depression or even display suicidal tendencies over sexted messages.

One Australian counselor commented in an article that she has provided therapy recently for teen girls who have given in to mounting pressure to share sexual images or videos, and have had these images shared with others without their consent. In most cases, the images cannot be removed. Additional studies have indicated that of teens who participate in sexting, at least half are experimenting with real-world sex as well.

While Snapchat has not stated that the app was created for or is used for sexting, it is believed that sexting is among top uses for the app. Facebook’s policies toward sexting images or images with sexual content on the new app have not been released, but the company says it prohibits the sharing of these types of images.

In addition to the psychological and emotional damage linked to sexting, experts believe teens are vulnerable to entering into online sexual relationships with adults unknowingly. They believe keeping child pornography websites and child pornography users away from images shared across the new app may be difficult and could make identifying child porn material online more challenging.