You get a SnapChat, open it, and the words are there: Send Nudes.

Almost everyone has been there, no matter their thoughts on the matter. But, how do students truly feel about sexting? For this article I interviewed several students, male and female, who requested anonymity and agreed to get personal and share their experiences with sexting and sending naked photos or “nudes.”

Two juniors girls said that they first sent naked photos around 15 and 16. One said, “I just wanted the experience and I regretted it after.” The other shared that she was pressured into doing it and was made to feel like the boy would not like her if she didn’t send them. The girls also shared that it can be annoying and make them feel embarrassed when they are constantly being asked by boys who “only wanted them for their body.”

They weren’t the only ones who felt that way. One girl said, “It just seems like when guys constantly ask, they only want you for your body and that should never be a thing. Get to know a girl and see if you actually want a thing with a girl.” The same girl was completely open about why she sends photos occasionally. “I do it because I’m proud of my body. It may not be the same for everyone; they might just be looking for attention, but if someone is into me and likes my heart then I’m proud of showing off my body to them.”

It isn’t just girls who are being affected by unsolicited sexting. One boy said that he doesn’t ask for naked photos, but will sometimes see them randomly. He said that it really makes him mad and uncomfortable. “Sometimes I’ll be with my family and not expecting it at all, it’s just weird,” he added.

Surprisingly, boys were less open about their experience. One said that he doesn’t do that type of thing, because he would rather just see a girl in person and thinks that Snapchat and Instagram are not the way to get close with someone.

Another boy said that he only ever asks because he is “bored and horny” and usually he gets to know a girl and see if she would be offended, if he were to ever read a girl wrong and to offend her, he says he would just apologize.

Student opinions aside, there are consequences for sending and receiving nude pictures that everyone should know about.

Dean of Students, Russell Stapleton, says that every case is different. When the deans get a report, they will always have a conversation with the students who are involved and then they will figure out their next step, whether it ends there or if it goes to officer Carver. If the offense affects the school day, the school can take action and choose their involvement based on a case by case basis. It really varies as there are so many factors making each case different.

In January of 2018 the district attorney’s office has made it so that a case between two consenting people in a relationship is a lesser crime, instead of it still being considered spreading and possessing child pornography, and a felony. There will be a tiered approach to sexting and whether it is exchanged, possessed, or posted. Consent also plays a key role.

Consent, meaning both parties want to send and receive photos, and are aware of the potential consequences.

Despite the potential consequences, the trend shows no signs of slowing. Girls who receive requests should feel comfortable rejecting them. Boys should not pressure girls and should not judge them for not sending pictures, or vice versa. Both parties should respect each other, and themselves, and remember to take into account that others may not be as comfortable with sexting as they are, and there are consequences to these choices