As reported by CBS this past January, “sending nude pictures via text message” defines a popular teenage phenomenon referred to as “sexting.” Roughly 20 percent of teens admit to participating in a thus-defined activity, which has sometimes ended in child pornography and sex offense charges as well as the production of such terms as “safe sexting” and “sextography.”

It’s the target of a hot new American state schooling ban and reaches as far as the Hunan province in China, where people can be jailed and fined for it (well, depending on how many erotic messages were sent). Clearly, “sexting” is a big deal from America all the way to China.

But most college students define “sexting” not as this sordid way of spreading young nudity, but as a way of communicating feelings of intimacy toward a partner when separated. While in class or at a party, the conveyed desire is just a T9-touch away.

As Lee, an undergraduate at Elon University, explains, “My girlfriend and I find that ‘sexting’ is a great way to keep our relationship fresh [while] far apart. Being that we go to different schools, it is an integral part of our relationship.”

“It’s convenient at work,” Boston University undergraduate Max said, “but usually ends in unfulfilled lust.” To many, it’s far from pornography and doesn’t warrant sex-offender status. Rather, “sexting” is a part of everyday life.

Lee adds, “Sexting is nothing new. It’s the same as talking dirty, and people have been talking dirty for hundreds of years.” Perhaps in this way, “sexting” should be thought of as an extension of our sexuality into new channels of technology, like a diary pushed into a blog and cybersex previously pushed into instant message and chat. Oh, and finally, BBMs and SMSs.