Did you know that it is estimated that teens send out between 80 to 100 texts a day! Now, that is a lot of texts! Texting has become the dominant way teens communicate with each other. It’s true. Just look around – at the mall, restaurants, schools, anywhere. Nobody is talking to each other. They’re texting. And sometimes the person they are texting is sitting right next to them. It’s crazy!
You know, texting can lead to superficial relationships because it doesn’t require meaningful conversations. You really don’t get to know the person, how they feel or what we believe or think. And then there’s the dangerous problem of sexting.
That’s when you text nude photo of yourself or text sexually explicit language to another person. Studies have shown that teen girls are more likely to send explicit photos to guys than guys to the girls.
It breaks my heart to see teen girls pressured into sexting. Why are they doing it? They’re doing it because of peer pressure, insecurity, low self-esteem, fear of losing a guy, or a romantic gesture.
But girls aren’t thinking before they click send. They don’t realize that their pictures are out there for life. And it can cause long lasting damage to the girl for years to come.
So talk to your daughter or granddaughter about the dangers of texting sexually explicit photos. Let her know that she is worthy! That she is loved. That she is enough. The Lord loves her and wants the very best for her. We all need to be reminded that in Christ, our bodies are to honor Him.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
- Remind your teen daughter that once an image is sent, it can never be retrieved – she will lose control of it.
- Talk about the pressures that come along with sexting. Is it a dare? Is it pressure from a friend or boyfriend? Let her know that the social humiliation will be much worse.
- Ask her how she’d feel if her friends, employers, teachers, potential college administrators, or entire school saw her explicit photo.
- Set boundaries regarding cell phone or tablet usage. No cell phones or computers in the bedroom at bedtime. This decreases the chances of midnight texting.
- Let her know you’ll be occasionally monitoring her activity on her phone and online. Just knowing that there is a possibility of you monitoring her activity will make her think twice about her actions.
Let’s protect our teen girls from exposing their outer beauty for worldly pleasures. They are God’s treasures that need to be guarded.
Terry Squires is a veteran author and creator of many gift products for teens and adults. She is the author/creator of the bestselling TodaysGirls.com series of twelve mysteries and a journal for teen girls. She also authored the Communicate Christ series, God’s Stories-My First Thoughts, Bible Stories for Bedtime and now introduces the ONE Impact Bible Bible published by Zondervan.
In addition to a busy writing schedule, Terry speaks nationally and mentors thousands of teen girls on her online ministry, TodaysGirls.com. She is a BSN graduate of Valparaiso University and is a RN. Terry lives in Nashville, Tennessee and is married to Ted Squires. Together, they have four grown sons, three grandsons, and a boston terrier named, Reagan.
Learn more about the talented author Terry Squires
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