How to Safely Send Nudes with Confidence
The advancement of technology brought about many improvements for day-to-day life. Making plans with friends can be done in a matter of seconds, a wealth of knowledge for any subject rests at your fingertips, and nudes can be sent instantaneously without hassle for those fiery moments.
However, it’s important to recognize the risks that modern technology puts before us. For some, sending a nude is second nature; adjusting the lighting until it’s just perfect, setting up the perfect angle – turning nude taking into an art form. While for others it’s a much more personal thing, something they don’t want to freely share or they fear the possible repercussions that sending private content to the wrong person could carry. Neither approach to taking and sending nudes is wrong. Everyone feels empowerment differently and while for some taking and sending nudes can make them feel attractive and give a positive impression of their body, others might find it more uncomfortable or anxiety inducing than anything else. Regardless of which side you lean more towards, or your overall thoughts on nudes in general, people are sending them. Older, younger, whether you like it or not, nudes have become as much a part of our society as social media and dating apps.
Without meaning to look past the positives of taking and sending nudes, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the stigma and risks attached to it. It feels like common place now for celebrities to have their nudes leaked and posting someone’s nudes to get back at them has become commonplace enough to coin the term Revenge Porn. Restrictions and laws have consistently found themselves falling behind when it comes to technology, which means in certain situations you can find yourself with no other options other than accepting what has happened. This is exactly why, whether it’s your 1st or 100th nude, you should know how to keep yourself safe, so you can remain confidant when you send your body out into the world of the internet.
Don’t Show Your Face
This one is obvious, but the obvious often avoids us. We can’t predict the future (or maybe you can), which means we need to plan for any potential problems. Avoid including your face when taking nudes or make sure to crop it out before sending. This helps to maintain anonymity and at the risk of it ever been spread across social media or sent to others in your life, you can confidently deny that it’s you.
Hide Your Location
To the observant eye the tiniest detail can be a clue, which can open a path to some pretty nefarious intentions for the kind of people who would use your nudes against you. When you’re setting up the angle for the photo don’t forget to consider what is in the background. Ideally, keep only your body or the subject matter in the frame, and if that’s not possible then either blur out the background to obscure it or remove any identifiable furniture/decorations from the picture. Taking it against a non-descript background that could be in anyone’s home is a good way to protect yourself should the worst come to pass.
Birthmarks, Tattoos, and More
Individuality is brilliant and the ways we have created to express our identities is amazing – but can make us easily identifiable. Should your nudes make their way to the masses without your consent, a tattoo, birthmark, or even some piercings are essentially a way of declaring `yep! That’s me!`. It sucks, and sometimes these things can heighten how sexy or desirable we feel or associate ourselves as in the
nudes we take. By all means, if you’re looking to take some nudes just for yourself, bare it all. Taking nudes for personal reasons can be a great way to boost self-esteem and inspire body confidence. But, if you’re planning to send these nudes to someone you perhaps don’t know that well, then make sure to have a back-up supply where they are either covered up or left out of frame.
(And don’t hide them by editing stickers on top – for some tech savvy people these can be removed. Just make sure to something physical covers them or they’re simply not there).
Please, No Online Storage
We have so many different options for backing up our data incase we lose it all. However, when it comes to nudes just accept the loss. Keeping sensitive images of yourself or others in online storage leaves the risk of being hacked or someone accidentally stumbling upon them (family plans can lead to some very awkward conversations). Either turn off auto sync so your images don’t automatically get backed up into any online storage platforms you might use or make sure to immediately remove them. You can also find vault apps that encrypt and hide images, videos, and files from prying eyes through a range of creative methods.
It’s Your Decision
There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking and sending nudes but recognizing the risks and protecting yourself will help to avoid dangerous situations. Be proud of your body and your sexuality and never let anyone shame you. Sending nudes is natural and, especially with modern technology, has become a part of growing up, dating, and sex in general. And while we’ve mainly discussed how to stay safe when taking nudes and protect yourself when sending them, we should take a moment to
acknowledge that being pressured into sending a nude is not okay. If someone you’re talking to asks you to send a nude? No problem! If you’re answer is no (for whatever reason) and they keep pushing? Cease contact.
Everything regarding sex and sexuality should be done at your own pace and without external pressure. There is no reason for saying `no` that is wrong. Whether it’s because you don’t want to or other reasons, `no` should be the start and end of the conversation. If you’re dating someone and for one reason or another you feel like they might leave you or become mad with you for not sending nudes (or performing other forms of sexual actions) then quickly remove yourself from the situation.
Sex is wonderful, masturbation can be mind-blowing, and choosing to do neither may feel liberating. Everyone is different. There is no right way to express yourself as long as no one is harmed in the process. Just make sure to stay safe in all that you do, and never compromise your sense of self for someone else. Send those nudes! Or, keep them to yourself. At the end of the day, the decision is yours and your safety and comfort should always be your top priority.
