Summer is a good time to talk screens with teenagers

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

Kate Templeton
| For the Savannah Morning News

Kate Templeton is the Outreach Coordinator for Tharros Place, which supports juvenile victims of human trafficking in the Coastal Empire.

It's summer, which means kids have plenty of free time to play sports, enjoy the sun and, of course, screens. That means it's also a good time for parents to talk to their kids about using phones and social media smartly.

In 2022, the Pew Research Center surveyed American teenagers and their parents on social media. A whopping 95% of teens say they use social media, and a third of them use it “almost constantly.” First, the good news: A majority believe social media helps teens feel more accepted (58%), connects them to others for support during difficult times (67%), provides a creative outlet (71%) and connect them to what is happening. happening in their friends' lives.

More: Central figure in Operation Blooming Onion trafficking case reaches plea deal with USDOJ

But we know very well that many teenagers can be negatively affected by social media. It can distract from homework and family activities, disrupt sleep, lead to an unrealistic body image, expose some teens to cyberbullying, and even expose some teens to online predators, who may attempt to exploit or abuse them. extort them.

As the outreach coordinator for Tharros Place, a nonprofit organization that supports minor victims of human trafficking in the Coastal Empire, I try to educate the community on how traffickers can use the technology to remotely identify, recruit and abuse victims. Social media is a common place, as traffickers use these platforms to gain insight into a person's life and manipulate them by offering empathy and support, especially to those with poor family relationships or those who are feel alone.

In 2020, the US National Human Trafficking Hotline identified a 125% increase in traffic recruitment reports via Facebook and a 95% increase in Instagram recruitment reports compared to the previous year.

But we are not powerless in the face of these abuses. Encourage your teens not to give out personal information and to never meet up with anyone they meet online. And be on the lookout for risk factors such as low self-esteem, low self-confidence, and low self-esteem.

Behaviors such as withdrawing from family and friends, being too obsessed with being online, hiding device screens from others, or receiving expensive gifts from someone unknown to the family warrant intervention as soon as possible.

The good news is that friends and family are the most likely way a victim can connect for help. Although online trafficking occurs and has increased since the pandemic, the majority of trafficking victims know their trafficker before being victimized and it is rare for it to be “kidnapper” type trafficking. in a white van at the park.”

If parents keep the lines of communication open, follow the rules themselves, and build trust, it will be easier to have the difficult conversations that will inevitably arise. It is up to us all to develop young people in our community into adults brimming with confidence, self-respect and courage.

Lina Portman

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