What happens when teenagers trust strangers online?
Parents often do not understand the important risks that teenagers are taking.
Lennon Torres received her first iPhone at the age of 13, which quickly led her to join the social media platforms used by her friends, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. However, her experience was very different from that of other young people, as she was a contestant on a reality show and frequently appeared on Dance Moms. As she created her online profile, many fans began to reach out to her, generating supportive messages but also death threats. Although her parents accepted her identity as a trans person, the lack of connection with the LGBTQ+ community led her to join gay chat sites, where she falsified her age to gain access.
What followed was a harsh lesson about sexual exploitation. While she sometimes chatted with those who seemed like friends, she often encountered adult men who were friendly and flattering but hid darker intentions. In seeking sexual education and clarification on topics not addressed at school or with her parents, the men began pressuring her to perform sexual acts on camera. When she refused, they threatened to spread captured images. To feel safer, she often gave in to their demands. Reflecting on her experience, Torres mentioned how close she came to the phenomenon of sextortion, which has led many young people to despair and even suicide.
When she started dating at 15, Torres stopped using those sites. She currently works at the Heat Initiative, an organization that challenges tech companies to combat child sexual abuse on their platforms. While her experience is unique due to her notoriety on social media, it is not an isolated case. It is now common for teenagers to build deep relationships with strangers online, a complex reality that their parents may not understand, as they grew up fearing "strangers."
In recent years, grooming and online exploitation have alarmingly increased. Since 1998, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has received over 186,000 reports of this type of abuse, a significant rise compared to the 707 reports received in its founding year. Without social media, these risky connections would not have the same reach. Platforms like Instagram have recently taken steps to protect minors, such as making accounts private by default, but much remains to be done in terms of regulation and safety.
Most teenagers seem to underestimate the dangers of social media, and some share intimate information with online contacts, considering the sharing of explicit images as commonplace. They often feel safer talking to strangers than to their peers in real life, which may seem like a way to escape their loneliness and anxiety.
The social environment has changed significantly, leading young people to seek connections online. However, many times, these relationships can be more harmful than beneficial, leading to situations of exploitation. Despite their longing for meaningful relationships, Torres and experts warn that teenagers must be cautious when taking risks with strangers online and learn to trust their real-life relationships more.
Therefore, it is crucial for parents to maintain an open and frequent dialogue about the risks of the internet, supporting their children during difficult times and reminding them that they will not be judged if they become victims of online exploitation. The key is to guide young people towards healthy relationships, whether with trusted friends or adults who can offer genuine support.