Sexting: the spectacularization of sexuality

Abstract

Sexting is a term that was created in the United States and refers to the act of sending messages of sexual content. Sexting consists in the use of different digital technologies (cell phones, internet, etc.) present in our society, in order to expose the sexuality. In this article, it was analyzed some reports, news, blogs, comments, posted on the Internet in order to investigate the statements about the spectacularization of sexuality. Thus, it was used the internet as a tool for data producing. While performing the analysis of the empirical data, it was noticed some loosening in boundaries between what is considered the public and private scope, which can be understood as a condition of possibility for the emergence of the sexting. Adolescents are using digital technology to make the spectacularization of the self, i.e. to gain visibility and become the outcoming personality. Along with this comes a growing number of individuals who are concerned to examine and scrutinize the lives of others. It was considered to be important to focus on the studies of sexting, once it was understood as a recent practice, that was installed in our society and is bringing some reconfigurations in the understanding of sexuality.