Cell phones have revolutionized communication for people in today’s world; they have enabled one to interact with people from across the globe with just a press of a button.
   
    Although fast and convenient, cell phones have also brought the troubling hot issue of “sexting,” the act of sending sexually explicit messages or images through cell phones.
   
    As a result of sexting, an increasing number of teenagers are finding themselves in serious trouble for sending a number of risqué photos.

    "It's absolutely becoming a bigger problem," Michelle Collins of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said.

    Teenagers caught with taking and distributing racy photos can face the charges of creating and distributing child pornography.

    Most teens feel that sexting is a harmless act because they expect that only their intended recipients will view the message.
   
    Unfortunately, this often is not the case. When a pornographic message is shared, the likelihood of the message being discovered by others increases. This is exactly what happened to one Pennsylvania teen after his cell phone was confiscated during class.

    The teacher discovered pornographic images, and after reporting the matter to police, six teens were charged as being in the possession of child porn — labeling them as sex-offenders for 10 years.

    Cases have even escalated to tragic losses, as in the case of Jessie Logan, an 18-year-old from Cincinnati. Logan shared a sexual message with her boyfriend, and following their break up, the boy sent the image to many of her peers. Logan began skipping classes due to taunting, harassment and embarrassment. The spreading of the image ultimately lead to her self-hanging.

    One of the major problems with preventing sexting is that it can be extremely difficult to track. While it can be helpful to talk with teens about the dangers of the practice, it does not guarantee an end to it.

    Legislators in several states argue that although sexting is a serious issue, teens convicted of sexting should not be identified as felons or sex offenders.

    "I think child pornography is pretty harsh," said the mother of a teenager convicted of sexting. "That's just something teenagers do, and I think charging them isn't going to make a difference. They're going to do it no matter what.”