New Apps for Smart Phones Give Kids New Way to Sext

Two apps, now available for download in the iTunes App Store, allow users to picture and video chat.  Users can send pictures back and forth with Snapchat and Facebook's Poke app, that their recipients can only view for a few seconds. The apps give teens a new avenue to sext and send other inappropriate messages.

"Whether you want to insult somebody somehow, or you wanted to send something that is somewhat elicit, but you didn't want it to last, unfortunately it would be really good for a purpose like that," Patrick Allmond a social media consultant said.

Although the Snapchat says the pictures disappear after they are viewed, Allmond says these pictures never go away.  Just like sending a picture online, there is always a way to retrieve a picture once it's sent out, Allmond said.  Phone can also easily screen capture images for users to save in their phone or re-post.

Snapchat markets it's app as a "instantly fun and insanely playful" way to build relationships and chat with friends.   Whether it was mean as a sexting forum, most users seem to be taking it that way.   Reviews for the app in the iTunes Store solicit pictures, one reading "Love to sext" while supplying the username where he can be found.  Another review says "16 year old ripped football player hit me up on snapchat."

"I don't think they understand the complexity of it, because their friends are doing it and they think that its cool.  They don't know the repercussion that goes with that, as far as your reputation and what people think of you," said Tina Phinisee, a woman Fox 25 spoke with who was concerned about these apps.

"Its the parents. The parents have to take responsibility for it because they're giving them access to this information, as far as Facebook, or the internet and they're not monitoring it or putting parental controls on the phone," Phinisee said.

In Oklahoma it is illegal to distribute a sexually explicit photo of someone younger than 18-years-old.  It is also a felony to be in possession of a minor's nude picture.New Apps for Smart Phones Give Kids New Way to Sext

Posted: Friday, January 11 2013, 09:48 PM CST