It seems almost everyone, including your great grandmother, now has a cell phone. And the phones are increasingly being used for much more than talking on the phone. I'd say talking on the phone is probably the last way most teenagers use it.

Even 12-year-olds are adept "texters". Texting is often a great way to communicate when someone is busy, say at a meeting at work or involved in something else.

But now people are combing texting with sending explicit photos of themselves. Or you send a racy message to your partner. Or you go to a high-end lingerie store like La Perla and photograph several outfits to send to your boyfriend so he can help you choose one he likes.

These are all examples of texting used to enhance a relationship.

Oh, you think, I've been doing things like that for years.

Where it has become an issue is when adolescents start taking explicit photos of themselves and send them to their "love interests."

The issue of this type of texting among teens has blown up and it is hard to say what is accurate and what isn't.

According to Wikipedia, A January 2009 survey of 1,200 teenagers by a Vermont television station showed that one in five had sent explicit photos of themselves. A Colorado College sociologist Colorado College interviewed 80 children and believes this claim is overblown.

And the repercussions of this type of texting can be very serious.

A Florida teen who sent explicit photos of his girlfriend (that she had originally sent to him) to friends and family after the couple had an argument was charged in a court of law for doing so.

News reports show that a handful of Pennsylvania teens are possibly facing charges stemming from three teenage girls sending these types of photos of themselves to teenage boys on their cell phones.

Texting photos should only be used by adults. It is something that can enhance a relationship for adults only. It is not something that teenagers should engage in.

I'm not sure a teenager realizes the implications or far-reaching effects of sending these types of photos. They don't know where that picture is forwarded to or where it may end up.

There are a lot of creepy people out there who may use that photo for monetary gain. I think the key is to remember that when you send it to one person, just assume you are sending it to hundreds. Maybe that will make them think twice about it.

The most horrific example of this type of texting gone bad is the story of an Ohio girl whose mother said she committed suicide as a result of one of these incidents. In that case, the girl had sent pictures to her boyfriend who then sent them to other girls after the couple broke up. The teen was harassed by the other girls and became depressed. Her mother said it led to her suicide.

I think something done in a matter of moments can end up being a horrible mistake.

Even adults need to be responsible in this type of texting, but at least they have the maturity (hopefully) to use it in the right way.