AS A CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONAL, THIS is why we need to educate our society. SO IMPORTANT!

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

Education and access to healthcare are the fundamentals to having a safe thriving society and the US lacks both.

@PROVOCATEURSK

2 ай бұрын

@@LGBTQLegend There is no oil in healthcare. El presidente Capitalist.

@RealJonzuk

2 ай бұрын

if society was educated we wouldn't have people buying stuff thats a rip off and/or garbage every market would be so much better off lol

@fusion9258

2 ай бұрын

I'm very glad I learned basic cyber security at like 12 lmao

@ashtinpeaks9972

2 ай бұрын

This isn't even cyber security it is basic common sense

The sad fact is that the internet is not a safe place for naïve adults, either. It's important to teach people (kids and adults) to be smart, to question things that seem fishy, and to not ever give personal information out just because someone asks for it.

@shamans123

2 ай бұрын

Case and point for elderly adults who aren't familiar with common online scam tactics.

@Tyrvana

2 ай бұрын

Almost need a degree in not getting scammed or hacked or getting a virus or information stoeln.

@jenn8179

2 ай бұрын

My daughter was working on the school computer. She was given login information but when it asked for her date of birth and gender, she stopped. Because she had never signed in with anything like that. She told her teacher and her teacher said "Oh! You were given the wrong sign in instructions". I'm proud her skepticism was triggered

@Tyrvana

2 ай бұрын

@@jenn8179 Sounds like she was registering on smth.

@5amiann

2 ай бұрын

I told my crew long ago that the internet is the only place that lying is fine. Don't give out your info.

There have been teens who have killed themselves over this blackmail, literally. The fact that this isn’t discussed on the news is disgusting.

Open, honest conversation with your child is THE most important thing. Letting your child know that they can come to you with ANYTHING and you’re not going to get mad, they’re not going to get in trouble and YOU are going to HELP them.

@PROVOCATEURSK

2 ай бұрын

Do you think the average person has the knowledge to be a good parent? They don´t but capitalism doesn´t care, it needs more workers to exploit.

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

Respectful relationship with your children will keep them safer. A controlling relationship will not.

@byuftbl

2 ай бұрын

@@PROVOCATEURSK🙄🙄🙄 No, society needs workers to keep going. Who’s gonna run the stores, or build the roads, or provide medical care to people and pets, feed us, etc? Even before “capitalism” there were stores, people building things, etc. most average people yes are smart enough to know how to raise a child, nobody is ever perfect at it but there is plenty of info online they can look up to help them.

@adamjutras7024

2 ай бұрын

​@@PROVOCATEURSKthat's what feminism was really about beyond womens suffrage. Getting women into the workforce. And they bought it hook line and sinker. Now there's nobody watching the kids 24/7 because both parents have to work to support a family. All while the richest companies are making record profits....

@yeetyeet7070

2 ай бұрын

this this this

This happened to one of my HS baseball teammates. He told the extorter that he just wasn’t going to pay, then put out posts just asking people not to open any links or messages they got from random people. It worked perfectly and the criminal never even sent out the pictures.

@MKZ3003

2 ай бұрын

Poor guy, may he hit several grand slams in his time as a player.

@Zoroaster4

2 ай бұрын

Yeah back when I was in highschool about ten years ago I remember a kid in my school sent some photos to someone on Facebook. The police did get involved and the laptop was confiscated by the police. The woman in the video isn't wrong though about peer pressure and how in many cases they use that as manipulation against them. I remember people making jokes behind his back about him sending nudes to an old dude who catfished him. IDK I didn't like the guy much anyway, but I still thought it was pretty messed up.

@777greenice

Ай бұрын

That's horrible. Regardless if a person is like by others much or not, dignity, empathy and integrity ​are important human character traits towards another human.

As a girl who grew up playing games, this stuff definitely happens on gaming systems to an alarming degree. I had multiple instances of unsolicited images sent to me when I was in my young teens, by adult men, who knew my age. I also met my best friend and my partner, though, as an adult in a video game and we're engaged now. I was lucky to have been informed as a kid but not restricted, so I grew up knowing as best as I could know how to deal with these situations and figure out who to trust (though it's never foolproof). You can't protect a kid from the internet anymore than you can from walking down the street, unfortunately, but you can inform them so they're aware and educated and able to spot danger and know manipulation tactics and be aware of predators so they trust their own gut and walk away or block someone when they encounter those people in the wild. Statisticly, we're all going to meet someone like that eventually, and facing that instance with knowledge is always going to give them a better chance than without.

@stevebonk8995

2 ай бұрын

You’re right, it’s so important to have that open and honest conversation about it. Now a days a lot of their interactions and playtime is online and digital now.

@carolinatravaglia

2 ай бұрын

As a gamer girl since my early teens (12 yo, I'm 30 now), I back what you said. Adult men would always want to become close friends, talk every day, send private text and also pictures. Lucky my parents and my older brothers taught me enough.

@HelloDaisy

2 ай бұрын

I agree and I had a similar experience when I was a teenager, I was very into online gaming, and I was informed early on so Id block easily. It's very hard to protect a kid from these situations, I'd say teaching and warning them is the best way. Also giving them a safe space to open up and let someone know is very important.

@inejunta6569

2 ай бұрын

I remember being 15 and it was just so common to go online talk to someone that said they were the same age and see some 40 year old totally exposed live caming you. And you got so desensitized from it that you and your friends would roll your eyes and just say, oh. Theres another one. It's either a conversation between a parent and a kid... a kid and another kid... Or a kid and a stranger.

@lokipokey

2 ай бұрын

Y'all we're lucky to have parents or adults in your lives who gave you good advice, but you should also credit yourselves for listening to it ❤

My sister suffered in silence for TWO YEARS from financially motivated blackmail as a teenager. We went to the FBI in Houston and they offered ZERO help. They sent the case back to HPD who we all knew wouldn’t do anything with it. Thanks for asking what help would be offered, Mike, but a more honest response from her would have been nothing. Nothing. At. All. They didn’t even look at the evidence she’d gathered 🙄 Our taxes go to these agencies that don’t even help us when we need it. It’s so pathetic.

@TheCrazydude17

2 ай бұрын

Yeah the HPD are scumbags. I contacted them when I got hit by a truck, and they never made any attempt to investigate who the guy was.

parents apparently don't teach their kids about stranger danger anymore. i grew up in the 2000's and i was taught never to give my age, name, any other personal information, or show my face online. i remember being told even if someone acts like a kid, they could be an adult predator on the other side of the screen. this was drilled into my head over and over again because i spent hours on the computer daily.

@michaelzambito6323

2 ай бұрын

Look up ava majury, a young influencer at 13 years old an adult asked to buy her photos, she asked her parents and they told her it was ok to sell her photos to an adult. Dude stalked her and her father ended up shooting and killing him, After this happened ava stayed online and continued posting. Another stalking Incident happened and they ended up pulling her out of school but never limited her online information or posting. Not only do parents not do enough to limit their children's exposure risks sometimes they actively participate in it.

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

@@michaelzambito6323 No one should have to fear for their safety just cause they post things online. That sounds like a major failing on law enforcement part and the first one probably could have also been remedied by having better restrictions on firearms! There's not only one solution for these things you know.

@ExpensivePizza

2 ай бұрын

@@LGBTQLegend It depends what "things" people are posting online. It's also incredibly difficult to combat these issues through law enforcement. For one, the law often doesn't extend into other countries. Having better restrictions in one country doesn't do anything to stop someone from another country. Besides, what we're talking about here is already illegal. Making something "more" illegal doesn't stop it from happening.

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

@@ExpensivePizza Some countries actually do work together to combat things like this.

@mini-mei

2 ай бұрын

You are absolutely right. It's not simply the parent's fault, though, as we as a society have been almost systematically trained to give our private information online. Firstly, back then the internet was still relatively new to everybody, so people were much more cautious. It is completely normal for people to become complacent when something becomes part of the norm. Secondly, social media has 'taught' us that sharing your lives with your loved ones was fun, but these infos became more and more available outside closed environments. Technology evolves much quicker today, and most grown-ups cannot keep up to keep their children save. We are far more stressed by just everyday life than we were 20 years ago, and don't have the mental capacity to do what we should to keep ourselves and children more safe from predators.

Thank you Dr. Mike for making a video about this. I was a victim of blackmailing online when I was young as well. I was scared, I did not know what to do and the abuse continued for a year. Fortunately, my abuser stopped. I never heard from him again. I wish this type of information and support was available around my age. I'm just glad that this issue is being made more aware and kids can get help. Thank you

@DaisyElf508

2 ай бұрын

I am so sorry you had to go through that. Soul hugs 🫂 for you.

@bababbabababababbababeds

2 ай бұрын

may God be with you. im sorry you had to go through that. ❤

@nancismith7705

2 ай бұрын

He probably got arrested for targeting someone else!

@GrumpyOldFart2

2 ай бұрын

@@nancismith7705I was going to say…these type of people don’t just stop. He probably had multiple victims, and one of them told someone.

@juliahayden4114

2 ай бұрын

I also was a victim and I agree that there needs to be more awareness about these things. Or at least resources that children or parents can go to when this situation happens.

As a young boy this happened to me too. It's not just women who are affected by this predatory behavior. As a 15-16 year old I was pressured into sending explicit images and then blackmailed in an attempt to get me to send money as well. Thank you for speaking out and bringing attention to this issue. I never knew other children suffered the way I did. It's comforting to know that I am not alone but horrifying to see how many people have been in my situation. I hope that social media companies and legislators work together to set up systems where this is no longer as easy to do.

@juliahayden4114

2 ай бұрын

You’re definitely not alone.

@nataly5144

2 ай бұрын

I’m so sorry this happened to you, I hope you can heal from this traumatic experience, unfortunately you are not alone.

Essential conversation that more KZread personalities should be highlighting to their young audiences. Thx Dr Mike

@loply4503

2 ай бұрын

Yes!!!

"I have 12 year old triplets " Me: *faints for her*

@perennialgypsy6491

Ай бұрын

Agreeeeed😭

@Jaw-c

Ай бұрын

I KNOW SEND THIS WOMAN HELPPP

@lauraabeysinghe9321

Ай бұрын

My thoughts exactly 😂

this is what people like me, the ones who grew up with the internet evolving right in front of us, have been saying when i was 14, we had mandatory cybersecurity classes 14 year olds now sometimes don't even know that showing your face and real name online could potentially be extremely dangerous

@njpofficial

2 ай бұрын

I’m only 13 but I have instagram do u say that is a problem

@krystiankowalski7335

2 ай бұрын

How are you gonna have LinkedIn without putting your real name and face online? It’s practically a necessity these days.

@WhoEustace

2 ай бұрын

@@krystiankowalski7335 where have you seen minors using LinkedIn

@nightfalldust

2 ай бұрын

I think they've been taught that but don't actually listen or know how bad it is. the schools I've seen have been teaching these sort of things when they're like 10.

@WhoEustace

2 ай бұрын

@@njpofficial having insta in itself isn't a problem. the problem is potentially not knowing how to behave online and how to protect yourself: not using your real name, avoiding posting something related to your identity or home address, avoiding explicit content and/or individuals who spread said explicit content. ideally, your parents would teach you all of that stuff instead of a stranger on the internet, so i'd say the fact that you needed to ask me and not your parents or guardian is pretty much the root of the problem

Imagine that. A place that's nearly impossible to fully regulate isn't safe for kids. Wow. It has always been the responsibility of parents to pay attention to what their children are doing online and in real life.

@kaiser9109

2 ай бұрын

100%

@echezonaobianwa2618

2 ай бұрын

Didn't get online until my late teens. Is it even really a place for kids?

@user-mj8bg3fw8w

2 ай бұрын

You dont do teenagers a favor if you overprotect them and control every part of their life. Sure thing for young kids thats clearly the parents responsibility but they pretty fast reach an age where they want to become independent and want to do things on their own while still being young and naive and thats where I think videos like this give good support

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

@@user-mj8bg3fw8w Being independent doesn't necessarily mean breaking trust or losing communication as well. Having a respecting relationship with your children rather than a controlling one will help keep them safer.

@mikaeljacobsson1437

2 ай бұрын

@@LGBTQLegend A good parent focus on communication and trust. And not so good parent focus on control and punishment.

Full fledged aults get catfished every day. How do we expect children to be able to see the ruse?

A kid in my town killed himself because of financial blackmail. TRULY horrible.

Congratulations to this woman for keeping phones out of her kids hands. I worked at an elementary school until recently and I can’t tell you how many 2nd graders have phones AND IG,FB, TikTok… the list goes on. I didn’t get a phone until sophomore year of highschool and I plan on doing the same with my kids. I’m convinced that in 20 years we will look back at giving kids screens in a similar way we treat smoking.

I’m a teacher. I tell my students not to put anything on the internet that they wouldn’t put on a giant sign in their front yard. It’s worked well to get them to understand without scaring them.

It's not necessarily about keeping phones/tablets/technology away from kids until a certain age. It's teaching kids how to navigate technology safely. Technology is so complicated now, you actually need to guide them through it as opposed to just withholding it until a certain age and handing it over. It's like showing and teaching a kid how to play a violin without actually giving them a violin. Once you hand them a physical violin, they'll have all the theory without the practicality to play it and it's going to be terrible.

@maridaaucamp5133

2 ай бұрын

Yes, but up to a certain age they should still be kept away from phones, tablets, internet completely. Two or three-year olds with phones and tablets is a big no in my opinion.

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

​@@maridaaucamp5133 They make devices for very young kids that don't have access to certain things on them or can only hold certain things to use on them.

@UnwieldilyElephant

2 ай бұрын

The problem is when your child knows more about the technology than you

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

@@UnwieldilyElephant You can easily remedy that by learning. Devices these days aren't complex.

@UnwieldilyElephant

2 ай бұрын

@@LGBTQLegend 💀yeah, they really are for a 40 year old 💀

I love that you did this video. My kid and I have been discussing online safety and of course she thinks I'm being overdramatic. She loves your channel and we watch together often, so we watched this and it hit on everything I've been trying to explain to her! Now she doesn't think I'm so dramatic lol thank you for this video! We paused multiple times to have quality conversations about things and I think we both learned a lot! Thank you!

It’s not even funny how bad the internet can affect children and their development. The psychological trauma alone from being exposed to predators and the need for validation that most kids have is a recipe for disaster and tragedy. Something needs to happen especially with how much internet the next generation is going to use.

@stevebonk8995

2 ай бұрын

I’ve seen a couple news articles about teen boys getting financially blackmailed who took their own life after. We definitely need to do more to try and protect kids from this, and also have tough open and honest conversations so our kids are informed about this and can avoid it, or at the very least know that mistakes happen and we can figure it out so they don’t do anything impulsive and permanent.

@toseltreps1101

2 ай бұрын

Yeah proper education and parenting needs to happen, then we would have way less victims and predators at the same time.

@mariomario1462

2 ай бұрын

Uh no. You are lying and peddling misinformation

@kaelabelle4886

2 ай бұрын

​@@mariomario1462 It's pretty creepy that you're siding with the predators under literally every comment discussing protecting the children. Why is that? 🤢🤢🤢

@anyap1320

2 ай бұрын

@@mariomario1462 🚔

Dr. Mike! Thank you for making this episode. I’m a forensic interviewer who interviews kids about their abuse. FBI handles a lot of the internet crimes, but we see a few of these cases at our local center. So thankful that this is being talked about on such a public platform.

I hope this conversation finds its way into schools and other spaces for youth as a way to start a dialogue about presence and safety in online spaces. Having worked with teens, and adults, who were victims of these types of crimes, I hope that more conversation will reinforce that this could happen to anyone and that being alert, yet not anxious, while in these spheres, and letting someone know if things feel off, is important for overall safety.

As a teacher who works with middle school students thank you for having this conversation. The warning signs she said to look out for like changes in behavior is the same changes teachers are trained to help spot any student and mental distress. For any adult that has children in their lives it is incredibly important to be aware. You never know asking the question are you OK? I have noticed some changes can save a life.

@cokeiceeeee

2 ай бұрын

the same teachers that are telling their students about their sexual prefrences? Give me a break, more pedophilia happens in public schools then anywhere else.

What I hear frequently is, "Parents, teach your kids the signs to work for," without much indication of what those signs ARE. I do know myself, more or less, but not well enough to teach kids. Aside from telling kids what signs there may be, it seems to me that what is most likely to actually *work* is to raise your kids to recognize the signs with INQUISITIVENESS rather than shame or fear. If you lived in a rural area, you'd want the kids to come and say, "Hey, I just saw an elk with huge antlers!" Similarly, you want the kids to come and say, "Hey, a boy just asked me for a bathing suit picture of me!" No shame; that's where hiding the evidence (of being preyed upon) comes from.

The lesson is: be a parent! Be attentive to your kids, help them where you can and always make sure they know they can come to you with anything. Never ever punish them for speaking up. Make clear that their actions will have consequences but not when they come to you with a problem they have or they got into. Always be there for them, always remember them that you’re their protection in any scenario. Even if it’s 3 am in the morning and they call you because they are at a party and don’t know how to get home. It doesn’t matter, you get your shoes, your jeans and you go drive home that kid. The tough conversations can be made on the next day

Back in the 1980s, my dad and mom were divorced, my dads friend called my mom and step dads house, I answered the phone, he started talking to me and telling me I should meet him at a motel nearby because he was going to be in the area he "wanted company" . I never went and never told my parents.

@DaisyElf508

2 ай бұрын

Oh my gosh 😢 I am sorry you went through that. That is sickening.

@AmethystTheEspeon

2 ай бұрын

That's nasty! People are sick!!!

@ButtercupBusyBee

2 ай бұрын

😔❤️

Im 27 and had so much education in our school program around personal cyber security as a kid. MySpace was particularly bad for this type of crime so I’m shocked to hear this has just become a problem in the last 5 years, it’s been around since the dawn of the internet

@alex-dm3sn

2 ай бұрын

This for sure has been around since the beginning of online chatting. To Catch a Predator is a perfect example of that. I think the recent uptake may have to do with how accessible bots and AI have become. Whereas before one predator/criminal could only deal with a handful of children at a time, with automation one person can now contact hundreds or even thousands of children at once.

I'm so glad he finally made a video about this. I am so glad social media is banned in florida for people under the age of 16. The fact I was a victim of crimes against minors gives me a moment of relief that someone with such a big following on social media that finally spoke out about this. Thank you doctor mike, thank you.

@gamermixy.t3664

2 ай бұрын

That's really nice 🤌🏻 , that they banned media for kids and teens ,

@EstelaC-no6dl

2 ай бұрын

Good to know

@gamermixy.t3664

2 ай бұрын

Good to know 🤠

@magentawool2556

2 ай бұрын

Wtf if wrong with u How are they gonna learn if they don't make mistakes You gotta touch the stove to learn not to.

@sharp52092

2 ай бұрын

That’s wonderful, I hope more states follow.

I remember at 16, my mom sitting down with me and going through my entire Facebook friends list and grilling me on how I knew them all. I was embarrassed and angry about it then, but BOY looking back did I have some inappropriate "friendships" 😬

Thank you for covering this topic Dr Mike. It’s imperative to to talk about it. I have two tweens and it is impossible to see everything that they are doing online. Regulations are a must, social media platforms need to be held accountable.

@Kas-tle

2 ай бұрын

What regulations do you want exactly? Short of having human moderators read every single message before it can be sent on every platform (this is obviously impossible) I don't see what would prevent this. Let's say you required ID verification. That's a pretty common proposal based on the comments. Ok, you can enforce that for the major social media platforms based in the US. What about the ones overseas? And when they don't comply, do you block them in the US? Congrats, you've just created an internet censorship regime! While you're certainly correct in saying that you cannot be aware of everything your kids do online, you certainly can teach them how to be safe, provided you also know how to do so yourself. Part of that is having basic computer literacy in the first place.

@Beautuiful_Happy28

2 ай бұрын

​@@Kas-tle As a self appointed moderator for this comment 😉. 1st your tone seems a little hostile the person just made a comment not an official statement . When you said its ''impossible'' have a little optimism , we got a man on the moon😊. With human determination and hope things are possible (they may take time) . Put yourself in a parent's viewpoint. Its not easy raising kids , I would welcome some good help to protect & care for my child . I would rather have my child safe then ending there life because we couldn't be bothered to do something because it's an inconvenience/ impossible. Yes , it is the parents responsibility, but we as humans also have to look out for one another especially our children. If it comes down to as a society making a choice to have stronger regulations that could help save/ protect children .then yes , I would make the sacrifice to protect kids (there our future). Sometimes it might take extreme measures to solve a problem but , once solved everything comes out better in the end🤗.

@Kas-tle

2 ай бұрын

@@Beautuiful_Happy28 I'd be happy to talk about what regulations you feel would be helpful. I don't think, and did not state, that keeping children safe online is impossible. I just don't believe that any sort of regulation has a chance at addressing this, and is often used as a trojan horse to erode privacy for adults, not kids.

This is a really good video for parents to watch with their kids & have a conversation. Either for first time or the thousandth time…

Children are so impressionable and vulnerable, I can't stress how important this message is. Parents need to understand just how quickly grooming happens. After watching the SOSA series, the fact that really stuck out to me since finishing it was "The average amount of time it takes for a child to be groomed is 2 minutes". TWO MINUTES. That is a quick bathroom trip for a parent to leave their child unattended with the device. It's absolutely wild and I'm so glad the severity of this issue is being more widely talked about and awareness is spreading ten-fold. Thank you Dr. Mike for doing your part in making this happen!!

As a parent I’m so glad you made this video. It’s chilling to hear about it and it’s made me give a second thought to social media and when and how I will give my kids access to it.

I got a phone when I was 10 because I was doing a lot of dance and my parents needed a way to contact me. I’m not allowed to have TikTok but once I turned 13 I was allowed to have Snapchat (location off) and Instagram (private account and not allowed to post anything), and obviously KZread. I can confirm that I have made friends online that I still talk to but I’m not allowed to give my location or any other personal info. I’m glad my parents waited until I was a teen to let me have social media and I was able to grow up not an iPad kid.

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

Not giving personal info is fine to teach kids and should be normally taught but restricting access to things will not work as a good solution. It will just breed a lot of other problems in many cases. Something working for you doesn't mean it's inherently good.

@ulhi7564

2 ай бұрын

​@@LGBTQLegend restricting access may be necessary to some degree, especially with young kids. OP showed how their parents allowed for a progressive entry into the world of social media with clear guidelines and some supervision. It's unlikely that there was no introduction to social media before op got their phone, every adult has one today, but theres a difference to using the parents phone Vs having an own phone. Spending hours on the phone isn't healthy for kids, physically or mentally, and so restriction can have it's place, but it needs to come together with clear communication about how to progress at a later point.

@LGBTQLegend

2 ай бұрын

@@ulhi7564 The world continues advancing whether you want it to or not. You need to learn to embrace change and adapt with it. Attempting to shut it out and act like change isn't happening is not a good solution. And that is what it ultimately boils down to. The reason "adults" don't want kids having access to things is because they're afraid of new technology and refuse to learn how it works and adapt with it. My parents would go out of their way to try to restrict my gaming and internet. It didn't stop me using it, it just made me better at finding out how to hide what I'm doing from them better.

It is very important for someone to talk about this. Especially someone with 11M subscribers. It is nice to see you talking about this, and warning people.

Honestly- I think after a certain age of about 11-12, parents should show this video or videos like this to their children, explaining the actual threats of the internet and how to stay safe. It'll be much easier for kids to hear it from professionals and it'll stick with them so they know how to keep themselves safe. Kids can also probably spread it to other kids talking to them about this. I didn't even know something like this existed until now and I don't think most kids do either.

@MsPeabody1231

2 ай бұрын

It depends on the individual kid's intelligence. However I agree you need to talk to children and explain someone on the internet isn't who they think they are.

@solarissv777

2 ай бұрын

Not just this video, but also documentaries about violent crimes like "real detective", also Discovery used to have some like these. Kids must know that the world is a dangerous place and be vary of people they interact with.

@alex-dm3sn

2 ай бұрын

My advice if you have kids: Normalize having online friends while you teach your kids boundaries. If you are in the online gaming space you will end up making friends with other people. But because of the stigma of having friends you've never met, kids are likely to keep quiet about these relationships and hide them from their parents and friends. That's when it becomes easy for a predator to get to them. You should make it so that your kid is able to talk to you about anyone they meet or befriend whether in person or online. That being said, you should warn your child not to give out any personal information to their online friends. That's what prevents blackmail.

I took a cyber crimes against children class and it was honestly the most depressing semester

Something that always immediately sets off alarm bells for me is when a parent says that they'll simply restrict all internet use from their kids. I'm currently 26; in middle and high school we had school-issued laptops that had an abundance of safety features that were never enough to stop kids from getting into trouble. I had friends with extremely controlling parents and if there's one thing I can tell you about parenting as a non-parent, it's that being strict doesn't teach your child responsibility and respect, it teaches them how to be sneaky. If you think you know what your children are doing online, you could not be more wrong. Your kids are smarter than you when it comes to any technology and in this day and age it's ridiculous to even try to keep everything away from them. Kids will ALWAYS find a way to do what they want so I cannot stress enough how important it is to have boundaries and rules, but also to teach your kids WHY those boundaries and rules exist. Be extremely open with them and don't be afraid to scare them. Tell them exactly what is out there that you're protecting them from. And most importantly, tell them OFTEN that if they're in trouble you won't punish them for coming to you. If your reaction is scarier to your child than being blackmailed by a predator, you have failed as a parent.

My uncle taught me the basic cybersecurity principles. Back then in 2005-2006 when chat rooms were populars. He monitored my activity without compromising my "privacy" or at least showing himself as a CCTV monitoring me. He warned me of the dangers of people online. What to do, and etc... All that I learned is what saved me from when I used to frequent the deep web, and chat rooms in the deep web, since from 2014 onward, started declining in the "clearnet". I was only a teenager. Nowadays I took cybersecurity way more serious, and those basic concepts can and should still be applied. Hasn't changed too much.

@frostykittens

2 ай бұрын

How did he monitor without invading privacy?

Thanks for touching on actionable options instead of just scaremongering

15 years ago when I was a kid on the internet we were scared to tell people even just our first name, something that couldn't possibly identify us. No idea how the culture around this stuff changed so much in that time.

Dr. Mike: You keep knocking them out of the park. I continue to be a total fan. Really appreciate the informative work you do. This particular interview and the ones you do in sex education with your nephews are worth their weight in gold. (And those are only the ones that come immediately to mind.) Can't thank you enough.

This is so important!!! Thank you for doing this work, Agent Born. It absolutely takes a toll on a person in so many ways. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

As someone who has a job relating to social media, thank you for making this video. Thank you for using your platform to get this information out there. Not a work day goes by where I don't find myself thinking 'Where the heck are your parents?' The number of parents who don't seem to know what their kids are up to online, and basically treat technology as a babysitter is heartbreaking. Hopefully this video will help open some of their eyes and get them involved with their children's social media use. They need to not just pay attention to who their children are talking to online, but who they might also be trying to emulate. Talk to them about what is and is not appropriate for them to be looking at or posting.

Thank you for asking about the mental wellness of the professionals taking care of kids and working in child protection. I work with first responders with PTSD from their jobs. It's such a hard job to be witness to such trauma and not be affected. Thanks Dr. Mike :)

In Australia, We have cyber safety as a requirement in the primary and highschool curriculums, to help students(children and teens) use the internet as a tool with confidence in a safe manner… In my opinion it’s unrealistic to expect “all” parents to be on top of such things…or know how to handle such a situation…

I have an 11yo son that entered latency early, is responsible, and trusts me with his questions. I’m a former NICU nurse who has “vetted” you as a safe internet content creator to follow. I really appreciate everything you bring to the conversation.

My parents kept restrictions on my internet access when I was a kid. I'm so glad they did, and I never had to go through this thanks to their stern yet loving parenting. I'm glad Dr. Mike talked about this, and it's just another way he gives advice to keep us happy and healthy, mentally and physically.

This honestly happened to me as a teenager. It was sent to everyone in my school and posted on social media. I was bullied to the point I stopped attending school and tried ending my life. I tried getting help nothing was done. The police shamed me and told me I must’ve done it on purpose. They didn’t care I wish this help was known to me when it happened I doubt I can do anything about it now. I’m 23 this happened when I was 17. Some kids probably do report it to the cops and have had the same experience I had cause I really don’t want to believe it was something only I experienced. Some people just don’t care.

@solarissv777

2 ай бұрын

The whole thing of "we don't prosecute minors" from this video was shocking. Bullies must be held accountable!

@NeuroJ12

Ай бұрын

Oh my goodness I’m so sorry that happened to you. That’s terrible. I hope you have been able to recover. I can’t imagine the PTSD that could cause. I think having people who have experienced this speaking in schools or some kind of setting to kids needs to happen because hearing it from their parents isn’t powerful enough because mom and dad just don’t know ya know.

Will watch it tomorrow during commute, even for adults these warning hold true.

A most important conversation to be had and to listen to. This type of cyber stalking and bullying hurts so many children and young adults. And parents cannot monitor their children 24/365 unless they have them chained to their side. Thank you so much for doing this podcast as well as educating us all about the dangers our kids face 👏👏👏

My in-laws wanted to get my daughter an iPad for xmas. She was 14 months old. My husband and I said absolutely not. We were actually shocked they even wanted to buy her one at this age. Not only does she have absolutely no need for one, I don't want to even remotely get her started going online. The thought of her using the internet like that as a child terrifies me, and she's only a year old. I also worry that because we plan on limiting her access until age-appropriate milestones/maturity are met, she will have kids at school pick on her for not having as much free reign as others. I'm going to protect my child because it's a scary world, especially online.

@MsPeabody1231

2 ай бұрын

Oh hell!

@AmethystTheEspeon

2 ай бұрын

That's good! That's what I plan to do when I have kids. People are all like, "oh, just put kid stuff on there!" I tell them, "sweetie, not even KZread Kids is safe!"

@maridaaucamp5133

2 ай бұрын

My 10 year old doesn't have a phone or tablet and won't get one for many years still. You are doing the right thing keeping your daughter away from it.

@zoeg26

2 ай бұрын

The only sort of device a 1 year old should be getting is those tablets specifically made for kids with reading and colour games on them and no other features

This was happening even before 2010 without social media, iPads, or smartphones. I had a dollar store flip phone with a 1MP camera and was blackmailed by someone pretending to work for Homeland Security, threatening to send photos to my parents if I didn’t continue to send them photos. We communicated through text messaging and email. I never told ANYONE about this, because I felt so ashamed that I was dumb enough to fall for it. I think I got grounded for something unrelated and didn’t have my phone/access to email for an extended period of time… my parents never got sent any of those photos and he never spoke to me again.

As a chronically online gamer, there are some WEIRD people in EVERY lobby. No amount of game rank is worth letting a weirdo talk in depth with a kid-- yelling at someone/calling them out blatantly to save another is worth it.

Thank you for covering this Dr. Mike! The reach you have will hopefully make a difference in bringing this to people’s attention!!

Appreciate the quick heads up, Dr. Mike. Looking forward to diving into the video.

Mike, Australian criminology student here. Thank you so much for taking the moment to bring this to light it's so important and sadly so prevalent!! For some reason parents aren't educating their kids about online safety like they used to so this is a super important conversation to be having now. Keep up the great work and thanks Special Agent for taking the time to talk about this!

Thank you for your work, Agent Born! I love the compassion you show for the victims of these cases and how dedicated you are to keeping children safe. May you and your team be blessed with emotional strength and enduring compassion as you do this difficult and so impactful work. Blessings to you and your family. Thanks for the awesome interview, Dr. Mike and Agent Born.

I love you are putting this on your platform. There is NOT ENOUGH tread in this area which is just heartbreaking!

not the same thing but similar and i had no idea this was happening on a wide scale. about a year ago during the summer this guy was talking to me and had been talking to an old friend of mine and got images out of me and her and pretended to love us and made us happy and then blocked us. after reaching out to ppl that knew him, figured out he was selling our images for money :/ this is terrible that sm people are going thru this. i felt so used and worthless. i feel so bad that so many people are going thru this too (edit: also i couldnt report the crime cuz i was a minor and i think minors reporting crimes have to have their parents told so me and my friend just tried our best to comfort eachother but we are still angry about it)

@Blackflyer1

2 ай бұрын

Minors can report crimes too.

@Jombozeus

2 ай бұрын

Sorry to hear that this happened to you. But I think you are downplaying your experience. It sounds like what happened to you is exactly what was described in the video.

@JanetKohl

2 ай бұрын

Report this immediately. It’s not too late. You may prevent this criminal from harming someone else. I suspect your parents would help you, if you choose to tell them. If not, another safe adult could help, like a school counselor, therapist or aunt/uncle you trust. I’m sorry this happened to you.

@donneverae3050

2 ай бұрын

Such a violation never should have happened, of course, but since it did, I'm so happy you and your friend could support each other through this hoorific experience.

@juniper4921

2 ай бұрын

@@JanetKohl he lives in another country so im not sure how :(

Very important and eye opening. 😢😮😢Dr. Mike, thank you for this conversation. Keep doing what you are doing. We need you!

This is terrifying! Thank you for doing this interview, Dr. Mike. I have to talk to my children now.

The education for this for kids needs to be updated and accurate. Applicable for kids on websites running right now, the way that they do right now. It’s so important to inform people- parents and kids- in a way that speaks to kids/teenagers online experience right now

Thank you for spreading such important information, Dr. Mike. I already sent a link to my teen, and plan on sharing it with their friends too.

THANK YOU MIKE FOR THIS EPISODE!!!! We need our teenagers to know they can and absolutely should come to us when something like this happens because we can help them!!!

Such an important topic, especially for the more vulnerable population. Thank you for using your platform to bring awareness to this topic!

As someone who, as a tween and teen in the aughts, experienced the "traditionally motivated" scenario and survived childhood SA and trafficking, I am not at all surprised this is still happening - especially with technology being so ever present in life. Luckily for me, my experience was back in the MySpace days so the idea of infiltrating my circle of friends and using my peers against me wasn't really a thing. Based on my own experience, I would advise making sure children are not only aware of the threats, but also getting the love, support, and attention they need at home. Not a level you think they need, but what they actually need. I needed more support than I got and the emotional neglect and maltreatment I experienced were the biggest reasons for my own vulnerability because there was a void of love and attention to fill.

Thank you for this interview!! This is a very important subject that needs to be talked about more! There are a lot of kids looking for attention and these predators know exactly how to talk to these kids. There have been predators who have had children meet up with them for more nefarious reasons. Thanks again, Dr Mike for all you do ❤❤

Great episode Dr. Mike! I’m so happy to have grown up as a millennial and didn’t have to deal with this as a child. Even still I (and others in their late 20s) are not immune to being a victim of this. You’re truly making major change in our youth’s knowledge around this topic which WILL prevent it from happening to some 🔥

Huge respect for all of those people who work to protect kids from this stuff. Thank you for your service.

I think about this all the time. Thank you.. Much love from Alabama.

Almost everyone knows someone who’s been through an instance of grooming or attempted grooming online if they’re roughly my age (mid 40s) or younger. We as adults need to talk about the things that happened to us, ‘mistakes’ that we made, and how adults took advantage of situations to prey or attempt to prey on us. So many adults act like they never had anything happen to them out of shame and fear. Even before us, boomers should own up to the abuse that they or people they knew suffered. It happened to them too, just in person. In church groups and at school. At home. Our multigenerational silence has let this fester and bad people go unchecked.

I personally have been a victim in those situations that went on for years as a child, honestly just some support and education from my family or school could have saved me. I am so grateful that you are sharing this information. I’m scared for all children.

Thank you Dr. Mike for the high quality entertainment and information. Love you 🫶

This happened to someone very close to me and as an adult they struggle with mental health issues. This is so important for people to know. I’ve always known my children would never receive a phone or be able to access the internet/computers in private places because of what I know. So glad to see this finally seeping into the mainstream. The more adults and children are aware of this threat the less power it will have.

@MrZoomah

2 ай бұрын

I thought the same thing until 13. Then he started taking the bus and I was like, "if you need me just use a pay ph.... Oh." No pay phones any more. Tried to give him a Nokia but due to coverage being able to hook up to WiFi was a requirement. So yeah... They've taken away the ability to NOT have a phone. Gave him a phone and I'm weighing it up. Is he safer now he can contact me when he gets stuck somewhere? Or less safe due to all the open wifi and how much tech companies prevent effective parental controls?

@noodleMoodle253

2 ай бұрын

@@MrZoomah I’ve considered that issue myself. If I had to get them a phone it would be a flip phone without internet capability and I’d be sewing and airtag into their backpacks .

Kids are often the most susceptible to exploitation online and it's horrific. So glad these conversations are being more widely had. It's so important to be aware.

Dr. Mike, thank you for showcasing such important issues on your channel!

when i was a kid, i was in fandom spaces a lot because the internet was an easy way for my parents to keep me "entertained" in a way where they could keep ignoring me and not feel bad, and my main safety issue was never "50 year old men pretending to be young girls"- it was the young girls. it was the 13 year olds that were just as mentally ill as i was enmeshing their lives with mine because neither of us knew any better, it was the 17 year olds inappropriately coming to 10 year old me to be their crisis counselor late at night, it was the 20 year old convincing me that i could "see auras of characters who have reverse-shifted", it was the 26 year old guitarists on omegle who 14 year old me really thought was interested in my ukulele playing. the internet is a dangerous place and parents should never use it to replace play time with their kids.

At 35:15 - WTF?! Those kids are criminals, too. As a society, we consistently turn a blind eye to kids abusing other kids. We need to stop. It's not any less serious because a kid does it.

@aspidoscelistigris

2 ай бұрын

We've got the FBI, on video, saying they condone child sexual abuse when kids do it. That isn't OK.

As a mother, as well as a survivor of SA, I am glad for the hands on approach to this issue, but it scares me that, not only do we need it, but we need MORE people to help.

Thank you for doing this. As a mom, this is one of my biggest worries. I talk to my child about internet safety all the time. Making sure he only speaks with people he knows personally, and can put a face to the name. It scares me to no end and knowing I do many of the things law enforcement encourages, short of banning the phone, makes me feel a little better. It's a scary world out there.😢

Years ago I was part of such an discord group where we just looked for streamers with a handful of viewers and then doxxed them, threatened them, sent mentally unstable persons or other dangerous individuals to their address and these people orchestrating this seriously would just enjoy when they see others suffer. They had people dedicated to building trust, people dedicated to do maximum harm and dedicated people who where good in terrorizing mentally. That taught me there are many very evil persons out there you wouldnt think they could do any harm

A staggering video. I am so glad you broadcast this incredibly important interview. You are both heroes for doing this. 🥰

@Your_fav_brunette_bestie

2 ай бұрын

Yeah! 100%!

Thank you so much, Doctor Mike for bringing on someone to raise awareness!!

It's incredibly scary to think about how fast and sophisticated online predators have become. The internet, along with its numerous benefits, is also a lurking space for these horrific abuse tactics.

So scary subject to talk about and I am glad you shares this information with us

someone tried to blackmail me with nude photos of myself lol I said post it, they didn't have a response lol

@GachaWolf81900

2 ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

@asaiya705

2 ай бұрын

@@GachaWolf81900 They really didn't know what to do with that response

@brandenp.richmond2238

2 ай бұрын

Same thing happened to me but with people I went to school with eventually some of my stuff actually went around I just shrugged it off it’s hard for a lot of people but even if u can just show a brave face it goes away pretty quickly

@solarissv777

2 ай бұрын

Yeah, IMHO, if bodies were not sexualized as much, it would be much less of an issue. This seems to be an American problem. In Europe people are usually much more lenient with that. IE Americans are often shocked when people go around changing rooms (same sex) naked. Photos and videos of course are totally different thing. But still, the agent brings an example of a "hockey team", I believe they would not even care here - they already saw everything multiple times. Danger of being "exposed" is newer worth a life.

Dr. Mike, I know this video is outside of your normal content. That said, as a parent, I thank you and the agent you interviewed. I listened all the way through. This was terrifying and eye opening. Thank you for sharing this.

Thank you so much for using your platform to bring awareness to this issue.

This was a good video overall. I don’t think many understand how pernicious and dangerous online engagement can be. Not only harassment and extortion from adults, but youth selling images and videos of themselves (and others) to other youth and adults, drug deals, scams, self-harm/suicide pacts, etc. Many of these are between youth, not even including adult predators. Monitor, communicate with, and support youth throughout development and you’re already miles ahead in terms of online safety than many other parents/caregivers. It’s not always easy, but it goes a long way in supporting prevention.

❤❤❤❤❤ *PARENTS NEED TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS MORE COMMON THAN THEY THINK. AND NOT DISMISS IT WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR KIDS. SAME AS CHILD ABUSE. COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE*

Thank you for discussing this and bringing awareness to it

It’s good to see people speaking out about this. In about 2014-2016 I fell victim to online blackmail. I was around 15 or 16 and someone posed as a young woman coerced me into doing an explicit video chat. They recorded it and threatened to send it out to my friends and family (even listing them by name) unless I sent them like $5000. I immediately blocked them and hoped I was calling their bluff. They never ended up sending it to anyone I know, which I figured was because they likely knew that they were in possession of CP and couldn’t risk flaunting it around. Unfortunately, I never reported it. Being a scared teen who didn’t want people knowing that they were doing this on the internet, I just tried to ignore it and hope it won’t get out. The negative impact of that is that now my image, with my face in it, is likely floating around the dark web somewhere and I have no clue who may have it.

Thank you for talking about this incredibly important topic, Dr. Mike.

Her eyes tells a lot of how much she has seen. Its really sad.

THANK YOU! Important & MUCH Needed Topic!! 💯❣️

Thank you for taking the time to use your platform for this important message! ❤

Great messaging! However, from a former child of a strict parent who didn’t get their phone until 12 and constantly had it taken away as punishment. Unless her kids are not allowed to do any activities outside of the house, it was more dangerous for me not to have a phone because I’d have to ask strangers for phones when I needed a ride or was lost or anything happened.

We have to educate our children in school and at home on online safety. So frustrating