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I once knew a scrawny, acne-faced 16-year-old boy who was intent on finding a date for his high school prom. He got rejection after rejection, and decided he was done wasting time asking girls singly. He put up a sign in the staircase for all to see asking for a date to the prom.

That sign lasted 10 minutes.

That was in 1992. There was no such thing as a camera phone, videophone or YouTube. I’m glad for that young man that he went through high school without having to record a plea for a date to the prom. The video would have made its debut on the world stage in less time than it took for this kid to be rejected by even one of the 30-plus girls he asked to the prom.

Enough about me.

I’m glad my high school days are gone. I look back and see just how naïve my schoolmates and I were when it came to courting the opposite sex. Today, teens are just as naïve, but with more tools at their disposal.

Earlier this week, I read a story on FoxNews.com about teenagers not only sending each other text messages filled with sexual innuendo, but sending sexually explicit or even nude pictures and video of themselves to woo the boy or girl of their dreams.

That leads me to ask, “Why?” Why do some teens feel it is necessary to market themselves in a demeaning way? Why do some teens feel the need to bare it all for something they think one person will see, when pictures and videos can go viral in a matter of seconds?

Teens, stop and think for a moment. Do you want to be seen as shallow, one-dimensional and risk ruining your reputation? Wouldn’t you rather be known as a person of integrity, character and have a solid reputation?

The choice seems clear to me. That might be because I’m probably not as far removed from high school as your parents, but far enough removed from high school to learn from all the dumb things I did. I know this sounds like a cliché, but the best way to get a date is to just be yourself. Simple advice, but it works.

Parents, here is an opportunity to talk to your sons and daughters about respecting their bodies, about the difference between outward and inward appearances and how the two don’t always mesh.

Talk to your kids about the danger of having their pictures end up on the Internet. As a parent, I don’t want my kids to fall prey to some whacko in cyber-space because they decided to market themselves to a potential boyfriend or girlfriend.

With that said, I’m happy I’m off the market. Dating was much simpler in the ’90s.

Columnist Tim Gray, a West Salem resident, can be reached at tim.gray.matter@gmail.com.