Language Matters: How the Media Discusses Youth Who Engage in Sexting Behavior

• In Event: Roundtable: Media and Technology

Abstract

The digital age allows for instantaneous dissemination of information. Local news outlets carry national and international stories easily and regularly, sharing information with consumers rapidly. This saturation of information has created a media climate that more than ever, sensationalizes and capitalizes on sensitive and controversial issues. The media fuels public outcry and public outcry fuels the media response. Sexting, as a behavior, is regularly featured in news media and the language that is used to discuss the behavior can vary.
As a behavior, sexting is interesting to the media and to the public because it involves nudity, the subject of sex, and for sexting among youth, the underage taboo of youth engaging in sexual exploration. Media reporting on sexting has ranged from factual to hysterical, and descriptive language has varied from children sharing images to youth, young adults, or adolescents. Language matters, as children has a very specific meaning when talking about sexual behavior versus using adolescent sexual behavior to describe the act. This study will examine the language used by the media to discuss sexting by youth under the age of 18. Does language use differ by geographic region, and is it stratified by race or class?

Author

• Casey L. Ryan, Hudson Valley Community College