As the Weinergate scandal has taken the spotlight off of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the subject of sexting is once again in the limelight. As both Republicans and Democrats wonder when Anthony Weiner will resign, one has to ponder why people will continue to sext. After all, you are creating a permanent digital footprint. Weiner's in rehab, his wife is expecting his child, and the media is in a frenzy waited for him to be interviewed.
Anthony Weiner is not a hero. He cheated. He lied. He got caught. Now there's a doll being manufactured by HeroBuilders.com and for $39.95 - $49.95, where you can have your own version to play around with. It's so much in demand, the company's servers have crashed. Personally, I think it belongs in the trash bin.
When I originally wrote the post, To Sext, or Not to Sext in 2010, it was after viewing an episode on the Tyra Banks show about sexting. It broke my heart to see women sending sexy texts and nude photos to strangers, having casual sex, and then getting their hearts broken as their self-esteem continued to tumble.
The subject of sexting is not new on the radar screen. This year's political embarrassment by Republican Congressman Christopher Lee, who was caught in the Craigslist scandal, resulted in his resignation. Other famous sexting incidents sadly resulted in the demise of the marriages of Tiger Woods, Eva Longorria and Tony Parker, and even the ex-Mayor of Detroit, who is serving time in jail, was the subject of sexting scandal.
For years, technology has always led the adult playing field, whether in the satellite, home-video, or mobile phone markets. Is the thrill of doing something so easily traced really worth losing your family for? When you're in the moment, do you really realize how public your private communication is? As tweets are being indexed by the Library of Congress and everything digital can be forwarded for the world to see, it's time to think before pushing the send button.
To sext, or not to sext. Maybe I'm prudish, but at the end of the day, I'll say next instead of sext, and so should Anthony Weiner, as we wait in anticipation of his resignation notice.
Julie Spira is a dating, relationship, and netiquette expert. She is the bestselling author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating and is writing her second book, The Rules of Netiquette: How to Mind Your Manners on the Web. Visit her at RulesofNetiquette.com. Like her at Facebook.com/rulesofnetiquette