Skip to main content

80 percent of college students ‘sext,’ says survey

texting-in-relationships
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Rhode Island’s horny youth may need to find a new way to get their rocks off because sexting is off the menu. A new survey conduced by the University of Rhode Island has found that 56 percent of RI college students had received sexual images and 78 percent had received sexually suggestive messages on their phone, reports Science Daily. More than two-thirds of students owned up to sending sexts themselves, though in 73 percent of circumstances, it was to a relationship partner. So, what’s the big deal? Well, in Rhode Island it is now illegal for minors to send sexually suggestive texts to one another because of the whole Anthony Weiner sexting scandal. Call it an overreaction, but it’s now law.

According to the new sexting bill, minors who create and send sexually explicit images of themselves could be charged with a “status offense” and sent to family court. Worse, if you’re a minor or adult and you forward a sexually suggestive image of anyone younger than 18, you could be charged with sending child pornography in the state. Some kids are likely in for a rude awakening. The survey shows that 17 percent of students have forwarded a sext to somebody else. Under the new law, this could get them into big trouble, should that person report it.

“It is a delicate situation with the new laws that are in place,” said Tiffani Kisler, an assistant professor at the University of Rhode Island. “While it is important to protect minors and help them recognize the short- and long-term implications of sending sexually explicit images, opening them up to something as serious as potential child pornography charges may not be the most effective course of action.”

Sue K. Adams, another assistant professor at the university added that many kids entering college are right at that 17 to 18 year mark and don’t always pay attention to the age of those they’re flirting or sexting with. They’re going to have to get better.

Sexting is not the only problem phones have brought. The professors’ study also found that 47 percent of juniors and seniors are regularly awakened by texts and 40 percent answer phone calls during sleep. Worse, 93 percent of them are texting while driving and 82 percent have done it since Rhode Island passed a law outlawing it. With that statistic in mind, we’re somewhat doubtful teenagers are going to stop sexting one another. It’s doubtful that there is a law powerful enough to stop college students from sharing their dirty thoughts. Technology seems to only hasten the process.

Jeffrey Van Camp
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…
This iPad just got a rare discount — save $100 at Best Buy
Call of Duty: Mobile on the iPad (2022).

The standard Apple 10.9-inch iPad rarely sees a deep discount but that’s the case over at Best Buy at the moment. Normally priced at $449, you can buy one for just $349 for a limited time. A hefty saving of $100, this is one of the better iPad deals at the moment and worth checking out if you want a new tablet or you’re keen to buy someone a great gift. Here’s what the Apple 10.9-inch iPad has to offer.

Why you should buy the Apple 10.9-inch iPad
The Apple 10.9-inch iPad is a pretty good tablet for anyone who wants something straightforward and useful. It has an attractive 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with True Tone support so it looks great with whatever you’re doing, whether you’re browsing the internet, watching videos, or playing a game. It’s powered by the A14 Bionic chip with a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU which is why the Apple 10.9-inch iPad easily joins the best iPads list for anyone seeking a great mid-range example. It’s easily capable of playing many games through Apple Arcade as well as being snappy when it comes to looking up YouTube videos and similar.

Read more
The 6 biggest announcements we expect from Google I/O 2024
Google I/O 2019

Google will hold its annual developer conference, Google I/O 2024, on May 14 in Mountain View, California. The event is about a month away, and we're expecting a few big announcements.

As with any Google I/O event, this year's conference will start with a big opening keynote presentation from CEO Sundar Pichai. But what actual announcements are we looking forward to? Here are a few of the biggest things that we are likely to see at Google I/O 2024.
Android 15

Read more
This crazy headband uses music and brainwaves to make you a better athlete
A person wearing the Alphabeats headband.

This company wants you to put on a headband and listen to music while the device's sensors in it read your brainwaves to help you focus and to increase your sporting performance. It’s called Alphabeats, and the electroencephalogram (EEG) headband combines with your choice of music and an app on your phone to help train your brain to either stay in its top-focused state or concentrate on its requirements in the moment, whether that’s relaxation, recovery, or sleep.

Aimed at professional ahtletes or highly motivated amateurs, Alphabeats won a CES 2023 Innovation award and is now available for pre-order. It costs $499 at the moment, but the price will increase to $689 after the promotional period ends. You probably won’t be surprised to learn (given the recent growing and  unfortunate trend) that this price includes a year’s subscription to the service, but at the time of writing, there’s no information about how much the subscription will cost after the first year.

Read more