Director, Commonwealth Policy Center

Being a teenager these days is tough. In fact, they face many challenges that previous generations didn't have to face. One such challenge is digital technology. For all the good and valuable things it does, there is a dark side as well. The latest study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that one in four teenagers reported that they'd received a sext message. This is a sexually explicit image or video that is sent electronically. Some of these images end up on social media networks which end up bringing greater repercussions. So what's a parent to do? JAMA recommends that parents talk to their children about sexting and remind them about the consequences. It may be an uncomfortable conversation, but it could save teens a whole lot of heartache and shame in the long run.