Sexting tends to get a bad rap and for good reason. Whether you call it sexting or sexy texting, there’s an inherent risk to transmitting your sexiest data through the dense web of connections that make up the internet. You don’t have to look far to find a sexting scandal, especially if it involves teenagers or a congressperson.

At times, it feels like a full-blown moral panic. Like most moral panics, though, the danger is mostly in the headlines. The truth is often less lurid than we’re led to believe, but on the issue of sexting, I believe there’s an intimacy that goes beyond the scandals.

We live in an increasingly connected world. More and more people build their lives around their smartphones. You can have opinions on whether or not that’s a good thing, but like it or not, this is how people are communicating. This is just one of the many ways they exchange intimacy. It doesn’t have to be scandalous. It can be as sincere is giving someone a gift.

If you’re a decent, consenting adult sharing intimate words or images, then sexting isn’t much different from dirty phone calls. For couples who can’t always be close enough to get frisky, it can provide a level of intimacy that wasn’t possible until recently. For this round of my Sexy Sunday Thoughts, I’d like to celebrate the positive side of sexting. It is there. You just have to look beyond the scandal. Enjoy!

“A good partner knows how to earn an orgasm, but a good lover knows how to give one.”

“If a date is basically an oral exam, then quality lovemaking counts as a A-plus.”

“Genital piercings say as much about the people who like them as they do about the people who get them.”

“Being rich and beautiful will give you options in matters of sex, but it cannot give you prowess.”

“There’s a good chance that you exist because one of your ancestors was a slut.”

“Winning isn’t everything, but it’s considerably harder to get laid when you lose.”

“A mistress is a basically a prostitute that someone convinces to work for free.”

Again, and I wish I didn’t have to make this disclaimer, but sexting does carry risks. Doing it with someone you don’t trust is like having unsafe sex. It can have major consequences for you and all your future lovers. When done right, it can convey intimacy at a distance. With that, I urge any one who sends sexy texts to be safe, smart, and loving.