Sexting

Introduction

An array of technologies and hardware, as well as various social networks perpetuated by mobile technologies, make mobile networking possible. Several types of social, cultural, and economic practices and exchanges are enabled and maintained through cell phones, smart phones, laptops, mobile gaming consoles, mobile multimedia players, e-readers, global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), and networked mp3 players. Mobile networks connect users with people they know, people they have yet to meet, and people they may never actually encounter face to face. In recent years, the element of location has been mapped onto social networks through mobile technologies and practices. This trend in technological development and social network engagement has further provoked scholarly debates concerning the relationships between the virtual space of the mobile network, and the physical space in which the network is utilized. Additionally, the desire for improved broadband connection has resulted in policy changes and increases in mobile network service provision in both developed and developing countries. The increased advancement in technology of mobile networks has its negative impacts on society too one of them is the sharing of explicit content via cell phones commonly known as sexting (Humphreys, Pp, 13-56). This paper discusses the contemporary issue of the society “sexting” in a holistic context.

Thesis Statement:

The increased advancement in technology of mobile networks has its negative impacts on society too one of them is the sharing of explicit content via cell phones.

Discussion and Analysis

Related research on mobile networks has set out to analyze the relationships between engagement with mobile media and engagement with public space. Arguments have been generated about the transformation of a user's relationship with physical space through the use of mobile media. The social space created through mobile network use has been described by Michael Bull as a “private bubble;” Mimi Ito and colleagues as a “cocoon,” “encampment,” or “footprint;” and Lee Humphreys as dynamic “third places.” These understandings of mobile technology use interrogate the categories of private, public, and personal and suggest that mobile practices create a virtual layer to physical space, allowing the user to experience physical conditions in a personalized manner.

Popular Web-based social networking sites allow users to update profiles, photographs, and online content from their mobile phones. These Web-based sites typically provide users with a mobile version of the networking service, which has become a common practice among online newspapers and magazines as well. Mobile networks allow users to travel through physical space and daily routines with their established online social networks in tow. Recent trends in mobile application design include projects that allow users to map physical location onto pre-existing social networks. These mobile, location-based (or locative media) technologies and practices require the participant to report their physical location, which is then announced to a selected social network. Some applications award users with points or virtual “loot” for exploring their city, or discounts for maintaining their status as a bar or restaurant regular. At present, industry professionals and trade publications are reporting that the combination of location and social networking is the ...