Sexting has become increasingly popular as more and more teenagers have access to camera phones.

“Anytime sexual content goes into a text or photo, it becomes sexting,” Phyllis Hamilton, the head counselor for Flower Mound High School, said.

When people send a sext, they may not stop to think about the consequences of their actions.

“There are many emotional effects of sexting,” Hamilton said. “Most people become overwrought right after they send a sext, and once that message is out there you can’t take it back.”

According to Hamilton, there are multiple ways for students to get caught sexting.

“A teacher could take up the person’s phone and see the text or picture,” Hamilton said.  “A student could tell on themselves or on another student, or their parents might even check their phone.”

Another way to get caught is through the police or cellphone companies who can track pictures sent through their network.  And as the saying goes ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’; both equal amounts of men and women send more pictures than text messages when they sext.

“I once received an inappropriate picture of my friend’s ex-girlfriend and freaked out,” an anonymous student said. “I threw away my memory card, went to the store and bought a new one. I was scared someone could trace the picture back to my phone and I didn’t want to get in trouble.”

Most students have negative opinions when it comes to sexting. However, if they were to hear about another student that sexted, most students would either mock them or sympathize with them.

“I wouldn’t want to tell someone off just because they made a mistake,” said an FMHS student.

According to Hamilton, there are ways to avoid the consequences of sexting.

“Don’t ask for pictures and don’t send them,” Hamilton said. “Students should think before they act on impulse. The consequences are not worth it.