« Sociobiology claims another victim | Main | Brand Management »

O what does it all MEAN?

By Michael J. Smith on Wednesday June 22, 2011 09:43 AM

The Times has been pondering the sexting epidemic with a great deal of concern. A dangerous business, sexting, it seems:

Sexting has its own allure because as one starts to sext the messages are traded back and forth at a quick rate. The excitement builds rapidly, impulsiveness increases, and, as in most online communications, one's inhibitions are already reduced. ... There is no feedback or reminder that sexting can be dangerous to one's reputation. Sexting relationships can be emotional relationships which compete with marriage and commitment....

Perhaps digital devices need a pop-up screen. Before a photo is sent, the message would ask: Are you sure you want to send this picture? Send now? Send later? Delete? The addition of a question, and an imposed pause, reduces impulsive behavior and should help curb some harmful sexting.

So Motorola and Nokia and Apple and so on need to be persuaded to protect us from ourselves. Is it any wonder most people don't like liberals?

Comments (13)

This:

"Sexting has its own allure because as one starts to sext the messages are traded back and forth at a quick rate. The excitement builds rapidly, impulsiveness increases, and, as in most online communications, one's inhibitions are already reduced..."

...reads like the self-policing of a person who knows, just has an absolute faith, that he'd cheat on his wife with his daughter's best friend the moment he was alone in the room with her.

He's mistaken her batted eyes for flirtation, when it's really just her designer contacts giving her the itches.

(The author's a woman, but whatever.)

Brian M:

Oh come on, Michael. As if "conservatives" (whatever that means) are all in favor of unlimited porn and all.

The chattering classes, no matter what political flavor they claim, are always worried about the unseemly behavior of the peasants. Even as they themselves dress in fetish wear and perform a-la Eyes Wide Shut. LOL

chomskyzinn:

The nagging pop-up screen (if you will) would only add to the illicitness.

What It All Means -- according to the NYT -- is that if it weren't for all those teenage brats sending flirtatious text messages to each other's mobile phones the economy wouldn't be in the toilet. Anything to avoid reporting on how the banks are robbing us, now that the Weinergate scandal is played out.

I still can't see how this is any different from when I was in school, and crushes passed flirtatious notes to each other in class behind the teacher's back. Seriously, man, c'mon.

Also... while the conservative types might not exactly be for pr0n without end, the Liberals are more irksome because they're the ones who make a big deal about how anti-puritanical and "liberated" they are. And yes, you're right; it's no goddamn' wonder that even leftists hate the Liberals these days.

MJS:

"Conservatives" so-called think that sexting is wrong and you shouldn't do it. Liberals think it might be imprudent, and you should calculate the possible consequences before you do it, and that Nokia should be required to noodge you to think twice. Leviticus versus instrumental rationality. I don't have much use for old Leviticus myself but I prefer him to Bentham.

Peter:

Whatever happened to Diogenes beating off in his bathtub? Pop-ups indeed.

Peter Ward:

I've already installed the app off the Android market. (It's comforting Google developers are on top of these things.)

There's also a feature that flags photos taken with the phone that are detected having an excess of skin tone.

Sean:

"Conservatives" so-called think that sexting is wrong and you shouldn't do it.

Conservatives think sexting is wrong and you should be punished for it, along with every other deviation from celestial perfection you may be guilty of. Liberals don't think it's wrong or you need to be punished for it, but that it carries risks to your reputation, which it does. I'd rather the noodge than a kick in the teeth, myself. Better yet, neither.

Liberals think you need to be protected from yourself. Conservatives think they need to be protected from you. The common denominator? "You" can't be trusted to control yourself, especially if you're from a lower socioeconomic strata than your minders.

"Is it any wonder most people don't like liberals?"

I dunno, I love liberals... roasted on a spit with some salt and a few seasonings they're quite tasty.

(sorry for the play on a very old joke, I couldn't help myself)

How bout a cooling-off period? Like a Brady Boner Bill.

Hahahaha! I really like Davidly's suggestion. I think you got it a little wrong Sean. Liberals want to forcefully protect you from yourself, as well as use force to ensure racial and gender equality, which all entail the use of police and the penal system. You punched someone? 2 years! Did you punch them because you think they're a fag? 8 years!

miguelito:

Welcome Paul Alexander!

And I thought this joint couldn't get any classier.

You'll fit right in here, baby.

Lemme guess -- white, straight dude? You poor put-upon little creature. As everyone knows, the state and penal system are all set up to persecute you and nobody else but you.

You don't know the half of it Mr. miguelito!

Post a comment

Note also that comments with three or more links may be held for "moderation" -- a strange term to apply to the ghost in this blog's machine. Seems to be a hard-coded limitation of the blog software, unfortunately.

About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on Wednesday June 22, 2011 09:43 AM.

The previous post in this blog was Sociobiology claims another victim.

The next post in this blog is Brand Management.

Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Creative Commons License

This weblog is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Powered by
Movable Type 3.31