Sexting – Do Parents Even Know About This?

Texting or Sexting – Do you Know What Your Kids are Doing?

Intercept SMS Text Messages

As sending SMS text messages from cellular phones has become a focus in teenager social life, parents, educators and advocates have grown increasingly concerned about the role of mobile phones in the sexual lives of young adults. A recent research study from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (pewinternet.org/topics/Teens.aspx) concluded that four percent of cell phone using young people ages 12-17 say they have sent sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude images or videos of themselves to other people via text messaging. This activity is typically known as “sexting” in the current slang. Additionally, fifteen percent say they have received these kinds of images images of someone they actually know by way of text message.

According to research from market researchers The Nielsen Company (blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/under-aged-texting-usage-and-actual-cost/) American teenagers transmit an undreamed of average of 10 SMS messages per hour that they are not in school or sleeping – and probably a lot during school too!

By researching over than forty thousand monthly US mobile mobile bills, Nielsen determined that American teens sent an average of an incredible 3,146 texts every month during Q3 2009.

SMS Text Monitoring

Their younger counterparts – tweenagers – from age 9 to 12 sent about 1,100 texts each month. That that averages out to about four per hour they were in school or not sleeping. In comparison, the average number of monthly texts sent by all cell phone users combined was just slightly above 500. In the fourth quarter 2009, tweenage users ages 9-12 years old increased SMS usage by 8% and almost doubled their text message volume.

Monitor SMS Text Messages

Pew Research points out that sending provocative images occurs most often under one of three specific scenarios: The first, exchanges of images only between two romantic partners;
the next, lists exchanges between partners that are then shared with other people; followed by, exchanges between people who are not yet in a relationship, but where often one person hopes to be.

Teenagers were interviewed and gave researchers a variety of reasons surrounding the impulse to participate in sexting. These included the researcher’s interpretation that “…sexually suggestive images had become a form of relationship currency,”; that sexting images “… are shared as a part of or instead of sexual activity,” and that SMS text message sexting is a way of starting or maintaining a relationship. Sensitive images are also passed along to other people “… for their entertainment value, as a joke, or for fun.”

Teens also described to researchers the peer pressure to share these types of images. Not surprisingly the report revealed that teenagers that are intensive users of cell phones are more likely to to be sent sexually suggestive images. For these teenagers, the phone has become such a common means for communication and content of all kinds that turning it off is unlikely.

Perfect Storm Sexting meets Parental Control

The combination of risk-taking and sexual exploration during the teen years mixed with regular connection via mobile phones and other mobile devices “…creates a ‘perfect storm’ for sexting,” said Pew’s Amanda Lenhart. “Teenagers have always grappled with issues around sex and relationships, but their coming-of-age mistakes and transgressions have never been so easily transmitted and archived for others to see.”

The Teen Text Messaging Market Will Continue to Expand

Despite some indications that per user usage has peaked (they can’t possibly use them more can they?!?) Nielsen estimates that overall SMS usage will increase as the avid user population ages and entices the older generations to text with them in order to stay in contact with them. Current SMS users are expected to continue to text extensively and as tweenagers age they will increase usage. The number of text messages sent per capita has grown every year and should continue.

Mobile SMS Tracking Software

If you’ve got teenagers then you’re probably not shocked by the usage numbers. But chances are you’re also either in denial that your kids are involved in sexting, or you’re actively seeking solutions to the problem. While parents may be upset that all the texts their teens and tweens are sending are going to break the bank, Nielsen research indicates the average cost of a single text message is just one cent. The real issue concerning parents is not so much how often teens use their phones but more about how they use their phones, and when they are using them.

Parental Control Software for Cell Phones

A workable technological solution available for parents and guardians to find out what their teens are doing is spy phone technology. An excellent source of information on spyphone software for Parental Control is SpyMobi Spy Phone.

SMS Monitoring Software

The significance of spy phone software, and the interest in it is demonstrated by the millions of searches on Google, Yahoo and Bing taking place every month. People often use these keywords for finding “How To” information on spyphone software to read SMS text messages, Call Logs and GPS Location include:

How To Track a BlackBerry Phone,
 
How Do I Trace a Cell Phone,
 
How To Listen In On Phone Calls,
 

How To Tap a Mobile,
 
How To Tap a Mobile Phone,
 
How To Intercept text messages,
 

How To Tap Into Cell Phone,
 
How To Intercept a Phone Call,
 
How To Trace Cell Phone Number,
 
How To Trace Someones Cell Phone,
 
How To Intercept SMS Text,
 

How To Trace Cell Phone Location
and
How To Bug a Cell Phone.

These search terms are listed here to to assure people that you are not the only parents or guardians looking for solutions to these critical family problems. Visit this website if you would like to read more about reliable small business Mobile Monitoring Software for BlackBerry and Android Smartphones . Or follow this link if you are more interested in Parental Monitoring Software for BlackBerry and Android Smartphones

Posted on February 9, 2010 at 12:20 pm by admin · Permalink
In: Parental Control