Thursday, 21st December 2023
Bible Reading: Matthew 5: 27-30
Memory Verse: Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. Psalm 119:37 (ESV)
The term sexting is coined from two words sex and texting. Sexting is the act of sending sexual text messages. It often also involves sending nude or semi-nude photos and explicit videos of yourself. Sexting is often included in cyberbullying legislation. Children of all ages use tablets, phones, computers, and other devices to play games, do homework and watch videos.
According to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP), the average child spends seven hours a day in front of screens. That’s more than twice the amount of screen time recommended by the AAP. What are the different forms of sexting? Sexually explicit text messages, provocative audio clips, suggestive selfies, or videos. It is usually a consensual practice between two or more parties.
Sexting can also happen via messaging on cell phones or via other messaging services and direct messaging on social media sites. According to a 2020 Cybersurvey, young people said sharing nudes is not ‘endemic.’ It is most prevalent among those aged 15 and over, with 17% saying they had shared a nude or sexual photo of themselves. This increases in the mid-teens, from 4% at age 13 to 7% at age 14.
The rate then more than doubles between the 14 and 15+ age groups, when around 1 in 6 have sent an image of themselves to someone else. This is a significant driver of online harm.
In 2021, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) reviewed over 250,000 webpages and found 72% to contain self-generated Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). This is an increase of 163% from the year before. Additionally, they reported a 360% growth in the amount of self-generated CSAM of 7- to 10-year-olds compared to the same period the year before.
When young people were asked why they engage in sexting: 38% said they were in a relationship and wanted to, 31% said they did it for fun, 27% said it was because they looked good and 19% said they wanted to see the other person’s reaction.
Sometimes children might feel pressured to either take pictures of themselves or pass on those taken by others. They may want to please a demanding boyfriend or girlfriend or do what they think everyone else is doing. They may also have even been coerced by an adult or someone they’ve met online. As children have no control over how and where images and messages spread online, sexting leaves them vulnerable to bullying, humiliation and embarrassment, or even to blackmail.
Boys were more likely to feel like it was an expected part of being in a relationship (35%) while girls said they wanted to because they were in a relationship (41%).
Conclusion: Children and teenagers, be warned. Sexting is against the will of God. The Bible encourages us to honour God in our words (online and offline) and with your body. That friendship that requires you sharing your nude pictures is a bait to eternal destruction. Be thou holy as your heavenly father is holy.
Quote: Don’t give the devil or any of your friends an opportunity to blackmail you in this world or the world to come.
Prophetic Decree: Receive grace to live a life addicted to holiness in Jesus name.
Prayer Focus
1. Lord, I am sorry of anyway I have misused my words and body on the Internet.
2. Holy Spirit, correct every abnormality in my heart in Jesus name.
3. O Lord, please help me to present my body as a living sacrifice, in Jesus name.
4. Holy Spirit, help me to be a conveyor of the goodness of Christ on the Internet, in Jesus name.
5. I solemnly declare that I will no longer display any part of my body or use vulgar words on the Internet, in Jesus name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Hebrews 1-6