Let's Talk About Sexting, Lots Of Us Are Doing It

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- One in five American adults who own a cell phone say that they have received a sexually explicit message from somebody they know, according to the latest data from Pew Research Center.

Because just about every American adult owns a mobile device (over 90 percent, according to Pew), that means millions of people have been reading erotic messages (or viewing naked pictures) from somebody.

And here's what is odd.

Only about one in 10 people say they have sent a suggestive text to somebody they know.

Both of those numbers (sending and receiving) are an increase from research done in 2012.

So, does that mean that there are a lot of people "cheating" (sending sexts to multiple people), or are people simply not admitting to sending them (but are more than happy to boast that they got some?)

And if you think more people are forwarding sexts, it appears that practice as flattened out over the past few years. In other words, people are keeping their sexts between themselves.

The research covers other, perhaps more important, issues of intimacy as it relates to mobile usage.

For example, 21 percent of married or partnered adults have felt closer to their spouse or partner because of exchanges they had online (like social media) or via text message. Nine percent say the have resolved arguments that they had resolving in person.

That seems good.

Oddly, 25 percent of couples have texted their partner when they were both home together.

Most of those have to have been sent as a joke, right?

If not, that seems bad.
About 27% of internet users in a marriage or committed relationship have an email account that they share with their partner.

Older adults and those who have been in their relationship for longer than ten years are especially likely to share an email account.

That's because people under the age of 30 don't like email--same for phones that plug into a wall.

That's not in the research, but is based on my many conversations with interns and baby-sitters.