In this age of technology, there is not much privacy left. So if you’re going to take a nude photo of yourself, it doesn’t matter if you’re an A-lister or a nobody — it can spread like wildfire.

More than 50 other celebs, including Jessica Alba and Vanessa Hudgens, have had nude photos leaked online to sites like PerezHilton.com and TMZ.com. Scarlett Johansson is the latest celebrity victim and has reached out to the FBI for help, according to a Sept. 14 Fox News online article. Someone allegedly hacked into Johansson’s cellphone and is now circulating naked photos of her for anyone and everyone to see.

However, stars aren’t the only ones getting in trouble for nude pictures. According to a Sept. 7 Arizona Daily Wildcat article at the University of Arizona, one out of five teens and college-aged people are taking semi-nude or nude photos of themselves and transmitting them using mobile phones or the Internet. Just because you send a sexy pic to your boyfriend doesn’t mean his eyes are going to be the only ones to see it. In today’s world where anything and everything can be instantly uploaded to Facebook, it’s an especially bad idea to take or send sordid photos. You never know who will get your pictures.

According to a Sept. 2 CNN online article, in 2010 a man was sentenced to six years in prison for hacking into dozens of computers, stealing personal information and demanding naked images from female victims in exchange for not releasing the stolen information. Now it’s not only possible for your vengeful ex to spread nude photos but for hackers to do it, too.  Yet again affirming that you never know whose eyes will see it.

Nude photos are not only a liability for celebs, but also for everyday people. It doesn’t matter how much you trust your boyfriend or girlfriend not to share a photo of you, it’s still a bad idea. It can easily end up somewhere or with someone you didn’t intend to have it.

As they say, abstinence is key. The only way to guarantee that pictures of your semi or entirely naked body aren’t used as blackmail or seen by any unwanted viewers? Don’t take any in the first place.

Jessica Wiggs is a sophomore English and textual studies major. Her column appears every Monday and she can be reached at jawiggs@syr.edu.

Published on September 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm