Are youngsters indulging in healthy 'sexting'?

A study on the 'sexting behaviour' of college going population has revealed that around half of them in committed relationships had sent a sext photo to their partners and two-thirds had engaged in sext messaging.

According to researchers, sending nude pictures or text messages with a sexual connotation to partners is fast becoming a fad in current day dating. 

And, though they don’t see sexting as inherently "dangerous" as it's often portrayed in the context of adolescent relationships, the study indicates that sexting behaviour does relate to certain types of "red flag" relationship styles among adults.

"Those who are anxiously attached and those who are avoidantly attached were more likely to use texting," Michelle Drouin, Psychology professor at Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, told the Discovery News.

"But when you broke it down, it was actually women who were anxiously attached were more likely to use sexting and were more likely be sending messages. The men who were avoidantly attached, those who dismiss the importance of interactions and relationships, were more likely to be receiving those sexual text messages," she added.

Researchers also concluded that people with healthier relationship styles didn't resort to ‘sext’ as much.

According to them, a major cause of concern is the trust factor while exchanging sext photos. The consequences can get drastic in case these personal pictures get into the wrong hands and are further circulated around.