It wasn't helpful. It didn't make me feel any better about my situation, nor did it make me feel stronger. All it did was make me feel guilty. Guilty that I had given my daughter this man as a father, guilty that I had fallen for his tricks when clearly everybody else knew he was bad news, guilty that I was bad at picking partners.
As a psychological scientist who studies sexting, I've had people ask me for all kinds of sexting advice and facts, from "How can I prevent my images from being used against me?" to "How does sexting affect young people?" to "Am I weird or what?" A quick Google search doesn't always help with these questions, returning sexting tips and tricks from Cosmo ("60 hot sexting ideas for your inspiration") adjacent to headlines like "Can sexting get you arrested?" from Teen Vogue.
A man accused of murdering a 17-year-old social media influencer at her home in Pakistan after she repeatedly rejected his advances has been formally indicted. Sana Yousaf's murder in June this year drew nationwide condemnation and reignited debate over women's safety, after some online comments alongside condolences blamed her for her own death. The 22-year-old accused, Umar Hayat, also a TikTok influencer, pleaded not guilty in a court in the capital Islamabad on Saturday as the trial formally began.
