To send or not to send?

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Earlier this week, Teyana Taylor's twitter was allegedly hacked and nude photos of the 21 year old actress and singer quickly surfaced. Taylor released a statement stating how hurt she was that someone would go to such a far extent to damage her image. Unfortunately, Teyana Taylor is not alone, celebrities like Rihanna, Cassie, and Chris Brown have all been the victims of having naked pictures leaked. It doesn't stop at singers and actors, politicians like Anthony Weiner has also been involved with "sexting scandals."

Private images of celebrities being leaked is by no means a new trend. In the 1990's Pamela Anderson and then husband Tommy Lee had their own run in with leaked images as an explicit tape made by the couple FOR the eyes of the couple was stolen and released. Let's not all forget the infamous "R.Kelly Sextape", where the R&B crooner was allegedly seen having sexual relations with an under aged woman. While stealing, hacking, and publishing nude photos of public figures is not relatively new it is however becoming more common. The measures people are going to obtain these images are becoming more extreme and the actions made by the people in these images are becoming more disastrous.

Hope Witsell and Jessica Logan are two teens who took their own lives because the images they "sextexted" were unfortunately leaked. The untimely deaths of these two teens should have been a wake up call to the severity of this issue but three years after their tragic deaths, there are more and more reports of leaked pictures and videos surfacing everyday.

While some people like, Rihanna, who stood by her photos and explained that they were for her boyfriend and she was comfortable with them being for his eyes only, we have to acknowledge the fact that we live in the day of technology, where people can hack your computer, cellphone, and even steal your identity. We should be aware of the possibilities that living in such a technologically advanced society may bring and take every precaution possible to ensure that our personal belongings are not taken without our permission.

If you are brave and daring enough to consider sending a nude picture, be willing to accept the consequences and outrage that may follow if it is put in the wrong hands. With people losing their endorsements and sometimes their careers, and some people even going as far as taking their own lives over leaked images, I have to wonder is it all really worth it? I'm sure in the heat of the moment it is but in the long run? Is the momentary gratitude of sending your boyfriend/girlfriend a risky picture worth the backlash that would occur if your boyfriend/girlfriend's phone came in to contact with the wrong person? Is the pleasure your boyfriend/girlfriend may get from this photo worth losing your career, and in some extreme cases, your life? While I cannot answer this question for you, I can only hope that when placed with the question to send or not to send, you make the choice that has the best long term outcome.