Significant rise in "sexting", that is, sending, receiving and promoting sexy naked or semi-naked photos and videos via mobile, reports a Pew Research Center survey in the US.
According to the survey, 9% of mobile phone owners have sent a provocative image or video, while 20% have received "sext". As noted in the survey, this is a statistically significant increase from 2012 (6% and 15% respectively). As soon as 3% has promoted sext to other users - a percentage that remained the same as 2012.
Age remains a basic criterion for sexting: younger adults are more likely to send, receive and promote sexts. 18-24 mobile people are more likely to say they get sexts (44% - 26% 2012), while those who are between 25 and 35 are more likely (compared to older) to say they send sexts (22%) . However, promotion is not a very popular activity (6% ages 18-24, 5% between 25-34).
The rise of sexting is linked to the spread of smartphones, which make it easier to take and share images and videos: 56% of adult of Americans own a smartphone, while the corresponding percentage in 2012 was 46%. Smartphone owners are much more likely to engage in sexting than "simple" cell phone owners (27% versus 10% for receiving sexts – 12% and 4% respectively for sending).
The technology in the life of couples
More generally, the research indicates that the Internet, mobile phones and Social Networks have become an important part of the daily life of couples in the US. According to its results, 10% of users who are married or in a stable relationship say that the Internet has had a "big effect" on their relationship, and 17% talk about " little effect". 72% claim that the Internet "didn't really have an effect" on their relationship.
The 74% of adult users who speak of an effect on their relationship call it "positive". 20% considered negative, while 4% is good and bad.
Όσον αφορά στον ρόλο της τεχνολογίας ως μέσου supportς και επικοινωνίας, το 25% των ενηλίκων που είναι παντρεμένοι ή βρίσκονται σε σχέση έχουν στείλει γραπτό μήνυμα στον/ στην σύντροφό τους ενώ βρίσκονταν μαζί στο σπίτι. Το 21% έχουν νιώσει «πιο κοντά» εξαιτίας συνομιλιών που είχαν online ή μέσω μηνυμάτων, ενώ το 9% έχουν λύσει διαφωνίες με αυτόν τον τρόπο, τις οποίες αδυνατούσαν να επιλύσουν «face face to face".
However, the use of technology apparently also creates tensions: 25% of mobile phone owners who are married or in a relationship have felt that their partner's attention has been distracted by the mobile phone in moments when they were together, while 8% of mobile phone users Internets who are in a steady relationship have argued about it theme of time that one of the two spends online. In terms of online activity, 4% of Internet users in a permanent relationship have been upset because they discovered something their partner did online. The corresponding percentages increase in the age group of 18-29 years. More broadly, 45% of Internet users between 18 and 29 who are in serious relationships said the Internet has an effect on their relationship, while only one in ten said the same among those aged 65 and over.
Sharing codes and accounts
67% of Internet users who are married or related have shared their code in one or more online accounts with their partner. Also, 27% have an email account they share, a phenomenon that is particularly noticeable for older people and people over 10 years of age. Yet, the 11% of married or adult dating using social networking sites share a social media profile.
