Beware of the Sext

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Thinking about sending a naughty picture to your honey's phone, just to have a little fun, maybe to get psyched for a special evening the two of you have planned? Before you hit send, you may want to think twice.

These days, it seems there is new technology out nearly every week. It literally changes the way we live.

Think back to a decade or two ago. Maybe at the time, you were a college student, had just gotten married or were getting your start at a new job. Back then, texting was just barely on the horizon. Now it seems we can't live without it. As we've gotten more used to texting, some of its dangers have surfaced, especially in the last couple of years.

While sexting may seem innocent enough at the time -- maybe you're using it to flirt, prove your commitment to someone or just have fun -- what about those who use sexts to hurt, harass or humiliate? When sext messages get into the wrong hands, the results can be disastrous. Here's a closer look.

What it Is: More than Just a Clever Play on Words

The term "sexting" is a clever play on the words "sex" and "text messaging." It's basically when someone sends a provocative photo, which may include complete or partial nudity. The most popular way to send sexts are via text message, but messages also may be emailed and eventually saved on computers.