Researchers of a new study found that most people indulge in "sexting" in hopes that it would lead to sexual activity or a potential "hook-up."

According to statistics, over 20 percent of adolescents and 44 percent young adults indulge in "sexting", the act of sending nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves over the cell phone or social networking sites.  

Researchers have always been curious to know what drives people to indulge in such an activity and in a recent study found that this reason may differ from person to person. According to the study, conducted by researchers from the Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, it was found that most people indulge in "sexting" in hopes that it might lead to sexual activity or a potential "hook-up."

The reason behind sexting depends on a person's gender, relationship status, sexual identity and what he or she expects from this experience. Researchers of the study also observed significant differences in sexting behaviors and expectations between males and females and between individuals who were single or were in relationships.

The findings of their study were published online in an article titled "Understanding Differences in Sexting Behaviors across Gender, Relationship Status, and Sexual Identity and the Role of Sexting Expectancies in Sexting."

A new report compiled from findings by The National Campaign suggests that parents should be worried if their teenagers are involved in sexting as it's a dangerous craze most adolescents indulge in these days. The biggest worry, the reports suggests, is that most teenagers tend to indulge in sexting with people they don't know in real life but have met online.

Moreover, 51 percent of teen girls reported pressure from a guy as one of the main reasons why they send sexy messages or images. A whopping 66 percent of teen girls and 60 percent of teen boys admitted indulging in sexting just for "fun and to be flirtatious."

The consequences of sexting among teenagers are not restricted to a ruined reputation but can also lead to arrest for distributing child pornography.