Sexting is growing in popularity, and with good reason. Sexting is associated with greater levels of sexual satisfaction, especially for those of us in relationships. Physiologically, arousal starts in the brain and sending and receiving sexts releases neurotransmitters associated with pleasure such as dopamine. For women, the attachment hormone, oxytocin, is also released which promotes a sense of closeness. For men, hormones such as vasopressin are released, intensifying their sexual pleasure. If you still haven’t tried it and are curious, we have answers to some of the more common questions.
Are people really sexting?
According to a study by the American Psychological Association 88% of respondents reported ever having sexted, with 82% reporting that they had sexted in the last year. It happens in close, committed relationships as well as in more casual encounters, though much more likely in the former than the latter circumstance. The Kinsey Institute also looked into the use of technology with sexual relationships. They included more people, however there were more women respondents than men or non-binary/genderqueer respondents, and sampled from all over the world, and still they reported that 67% of all respondents reported sexting.
What counts as a sext message?
A lot, really. Sexually explicit or suggestive text-based communication (Facebook, Texting, Grindr, Email etc.), photos or videos. It’s like a choose-your-own romance novel where you can read the text and imagine the scene however you like. Then you can add to it or change the direction. You’re given minimal suggestion and your imagination fills in the rest with whatever is going to work the best for you to turn you on.
What if I’m to busy?
One of the best advantages to sexting is that you can do it just about anywhere and can often multitask while you’re doing it. Need to do laundry? Shopping? Making breakfast? You don’t have to give it all of your attention, but you can usually give it some of your attention. It can be every bit as thrilling receiving a sext in public as actually meeting for sex in a public place. You can even play out your fantasies of public sex virtually, thus satisfying your desire without the risk of actually doing it.
We will see you next week for more tips and tricks to help you master sexting!
