SEXTING+in+the+ARAB+WORLD

**Research Questions.** I am interested in learning more about the use of cell phones and texting among adolescents in the Arab world. I am interested in this topic because I am fascinated about the cultural disconnect between traditional norms for social interaction between men and women and the new tools that are emerging that make it possible to have high-quality social interactions which are not observable to family members -- relationships that are built on secrecy and hidden from view.

**I wonder.** I wonder whether youth in the Arab rule are using text messages to "meet" people. I wonder if there is flirtatious behavior occurring. I wonder whether adolescent behavior crosses the line to include sexting, photo sharing or other "inappropriate" behaviors. I wonder if parents and teachers are aware of the role of cell phone communication in the lives of adolescents. I wonder if there are any stories of family conflict created as a result of inappropriate communication between teen boys and girls. How do parents handle this? I wonder whether there are any books, website or other materials that support Muslim teens making socially responsible choices about their use of digital media for social relationships.


 * My work plan.** This is a project built on online and library research and interviewing. I'm going to do a careful search of Al Jazeera English and various Arab daily newspapers to explore how the Arab press has explored this topic. I'm going to do a broader search for information to help me better understand the cultural and religious perspectives on why male-female communication before marriage is constrained. I'm going to interview colleagues at the AUSACE conference in Beirut about their experience with teen online communication re sexting and texting. They may be able to tell me what websites youth in Arab nations are using. I'll also reach out to my friend Mona Shater to talk about her family's experience with this.


 * My expectations.** What do I expect to learn? I wonder if this topic is mostly just a thing of "media hype" or if it's a real problem among Arab teens. I want to reflect on what happens when the tools of digital media make possible various forms of communication that are culturally taboo. All of this is exploring McLuhan's aphorism, "We shape our tools and then our tools shape us." Is it inevitable that cell phones and online social communication promote transgressive, taboo behavior because they rely on anonymity and asynchronicity?