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Tuesday, June 14, 2011

"Texting While Male" Ctd

"Texting While Male" Ctd: "

I think I want to add a clarification to this formula: "texting while male and horny." This implies that more younger men would be texting their pecs/biceps/member than older ones because testosterone declines with age; but that no one would be free from temptation or from giving into it. The horned up male mind is not something to be trifled with, and it is not, pace some feminists and prudes, a sickness, although it may be a curse. James Taranto:



The idea that Weiner has a medical problem is ludicrous. Indisputably, his behavior was sleazy and foolish. It turned out to be self-destructive too, but only because it was publicly exposed. Had he been more technically savvy, it's quite possible that he could have covered his tracks and never put his career in jeopardy.


On what basis does one posit that there is "something deeper going on"? To explain what motivated his actions, it is sufficient to observe that he seems to have a healthy male libido--indeed, perhaps a bit too healthy. Of course, "I'm sick" is just the latest in a string of Weiner excuses: "I was hacked," "I take full responsibility," etc. But it is also an example of his feminist hypocrisy. It is as if a family-values conservative were caught in gay sex chats and announced that he was entering therapy to overcome his "sick" homosexual impulses.



Here's some evidence from a big Pew survey that what Weiner was doing is increasingly the norm:





Nearly one-third of 18 - 29 year-olds say they have received sexually suggestive or nude photos of someone they know, and 13 percent say they have sent them, the report said. Even among 30-to-49-year-olds, 17 percent say they have received such photos and 5 percent admit sending them. Similar Pew research finds that the comparable figures among adolescents are 15 percent and 4 percent...


Slight shifts in infidelity rates among young people and women suggest that digital media may be playing a role. Anecdotally, therapists report that electronic contact via Facebook, e-mail and text messages has allowed women in particular to form more intimate relationships.

“There’s no question that the Internet has increased the availability of alternative romantic partners, whether it’s flirtation, reuniting with old lovers or having texting sexual relationships,” Dr. Baym said. “The Internet dramatically expands the scope of potential people that we can meet.”



Of course it does. If it has transformed journalism, stock-picking, porn, and even Arab dictatorships, do we really think our sex lives would remain untouched? In fact, of course, the Internet was partly founded and driven by sexual desire and the anonymity the web fosters. It was pioneered by porn. It has altered gay culture beyond recognition. I think it's worth assuming that these numbers are low estimates, given the private nature of the activity involved, the stigma surrounding it, and the discrepance between giving and receiving sex pics.


The key thing: this may not be appropriate for a congressman, but it isn't a fringe activity, it isn't a crime, and it may often lead to no sex whatever.



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