Myself being a follower of proper work ethic, I once had an affair with my co-worker. Possessing the typical spine-tingling bravado attributed to all things generally looked down upon, this affair in nearly every way was stereotypical: Secret, awkward, and sexual. However, one basic difference separated this affair from your typical make-out-in-the-backroom-and-behind-closed-doors deal. This was an affair done solely through the phenomenon that is text messaging. Like all liaisons, my flirtation started innocently enough: A playful trading of numbers during a shared lunch break (we both happened to adore Baja Fresh) to see who could text whom faster. We worked in a rather large chain bookstore in Santa Monica, and let me tell you– us booksellers are nerdy and bored, bored people. We found the simplest of things amusing. How was I to know that a simple G-rated text such as “Hi I can text faster than you” would, a week later, lead to the soft-core porn of “I want to bend you over and fuck you hard”? (Imagine getting this message while driving away from an eight-hour work day and you can see that the thrill of a text message liaison can, at times, far out do the thrill of a real affair—danger involved alone.) After all, I only texted the guy. In our era of avoidance, text messaging is the ultimate vehicle for communication and evasion. Hell, it’s even safer than instant messaging online. With the internet being people’s second homes, getting someone’s screen-name involves a near knowledge or trust of the person. Screenname means friendship… or the possibility of one. (You could, after all, block the person or always have an away message up.) And don’t even get me started on Facebook… once you are Facebook friends with someone they might as well be one of your drinking buddies, unless you are really diligent about what particular photos you display. Today, nearly everyone has a cell phone. Giving out your cell number is no biggie. And neither is texting. It’s just another part of our obsession with communication without really communicating.
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Sexting
