We were hunters and gatherers for 90% of human existence. That means our brains are still wired to prioritize the things that kept us alive when we were living on the land, before the domestication of animals and the construction of cities. One thing that kept us alive was living in a tribe and cooperating. Attracting a tribe and fitting in was a requirement of life. That is why kids and teens are hyper-focused on doing what their friends do and working to be cool and accepted. Online influencers count on this drive to maintain their income streams. One way to attract kids online is to be a kid doing what kids love to do, playing with toys and video games, opening new packages, and hanging out with friends acting goofy. Netflix’s Bad Influencer offers a glimpse of the kid influencer “scene,” and the lengths that some parents will go to attract and keep a following.
What is Bad Influence about?
The limited documentary series has gone viral for good reason. It’s definitely entertaining, but also deeply unsettling. It is a perfect way to raise awareness about how scary a life all about social media can be. Bad Influencer is a documentary that focuses on a tween who becomes an overnight social media star and brings her friends to stardom with her. What started out as a fun hobby quickly turned into a living nightmare. It may seem glamorous to be famous online, until you learn that the child influencers spent the majority of their childhoods working long hours acting out video ideas, risky stunts, and performing pranks that sometimes went too far—all under the pressure of adult producers/parents hungry for views. Check out Intimacy With Minors Encouraged at the Hype House for a similar story of underage exploitation.
SPOILER ALERT: The show takes a chilling turn when the mother of the main character is accused of, and videotaped, sexually exploiting these kids on set by positioning herself as one of the only adults supervising them to control them. Some survived the battle with only a few scars, while the main character is stuck living this nightmare over and over again. It may be funny, exaggerated, and attention-grabbing, but it also paints a dark picture of a digital world where clout matters more than character and children are left to pay the price.
Psychology Behind the Fame Obsession
From a psychological point of view, being an influencer is cool to children because they have a natural need for validation, attention, and social connection.[1] Although the minimum age on most social media platforms is 13, it is reported that children ranging from 8-17 are found scrolling through online platforms soaking up content too mature for their ages.[2] Sadly, unlike real-world relationships, social media platforms offer fast, unfiltered dopamine hits through likes, shares, and views. Without proper guidance, this can make kids tie their self-worth to online numbers, which can result in low self-esteem, fear of missing out (FOMO), performance anxiety, and digital addiction.[3] As a result of social unlimited social media usage, kids can also experience anxiety, depression, and even poor quality of sleep.[4] Counteract this monster and help your child build emotional resilience, red flag awareness, and digital literacy by taking our GKIS Social Media Readiness Training Course. Geared for teens or tweens, it’s the perfect giftbefore that new device or video game.
What You Can Do to Help
Bad Influencer is not just a show; it’s a cautionary tale that shares the pressures kids face online every day. It is easy to get off topic and want to pull the plug on all electronics just to protect your child from their dangers, but that is not always possible. Technology and online platforms are all around us, and it is better to set your child up for success than to try to keep them out of the loop. Connecting with your child over what they find interesting can help create a trusting relationship where you can notice if things start to become a little off. Our free Connected Family Screen Agreement can help you and your child co-create rules around how to safely navigate online platforms. This way your child can thrive in the digital age without losing themselves in it.
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Elaha Qudratulla for researching and co-writing this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe. Onward to More Awesome Parenting,
I am so excited that we are FINALLY seeing progress in holding big tech accountable for giving safer child options online! On July 30th the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the Kids Online Safety Act (KODA) and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0). This has been hard-earned with many parents and professional advocates working tirelessly to protect our kids. Next, this legislation must pass the U.S. House to become law!
The Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act
The Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) is legislation that also aims to strengthen minors’ online protections.[1] It would amend the original 1998 act and strengthen the online collection and disclosure of information of children up to the age of 16.[1]
The Kids Online Safety Act of 2022
The Kids Online Safety Act of 2022 (KOSA) is a kid’s online safety act that aims to empower both parents and children to have control over their online activity.[2] It would provide children and parents with the right tools and safeguards by requiring that social media platforms have protective options regarding algorithms, product features, and information.[2] KOSA would require social media platforms to have a duty to prevent harm to minors in its many forms.[2] The KOSA bill requires that non-profit organizations and academic researchers get access to data from social media platforms to conduct research regarding harm to the well-being and safety of minors.[5] This act applies to social media, social networks, multiplayer online video games, social messaging applications, and video streaming services.
Specifically, social media platforms will be required to:
have the strongest safety settings for children set by default. That means better protection over their information, disabling the most addictive use features, and the ability to opt out of personalized algorithmic recommendations.
Give parents new controls to spot harmful behavior and a dedicated channel to report it. That means parental controls are turned on by default for young children and as an option for teens. To protect minor privacy, platforms must notify them that parental controls are in place.
Act on their duty to protect kids from harmful actors and content like those that can contribute to suicide, sexual exploitation, eating disorders, substance abuse, and ads for illegal products like THC, tobacco, and alcohol.
Participate in independent audits and child and teens online safety research.[2]
Please keep in mind that this act:
Requires social media platforms to avoid intentional nudges and reminders that move kids to harmful content, it does not block or censor internet content. Third parties can still share information that the social media platforms are not liable for and kids can still search for content that may be harmful to them.
Although most social media platforms do ask for the date of birth of new users to profile and comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), this act does not require social media platforms to set up age-gating or age verification.
Does not prevent kids from going online. But it does ask for safeguards and permissions for users under 13 years old in a similar way that COPPA does.
Does not monitor user behavior, which would be a violation of privacy by itself.
Does not impact personal websites or blogs.[2]
Social Media Readiness
Although these legislations are a step in the right direction, they still do not provide the education and problem-solving training that kids need to make safer decisions online. That is still left up to the schools and the parents. If you haven’t yet taken the step to help your kids learn the skills they need to better assure safety, check out our Social Media Readiness Courses. For the tween, we have a short and sweet online lesson (complete with mastery quizzes) that is at a fifth-grade reading level. This gets important family conversations started and teaches kids important skills for recognizing the dangers of digital injury and for implementing important psychological wellness tools. Our teen version goes more in-depth and takes far longer (also complete with mastery quizzes) and is at a tenth-grade reading level.
During the last couple of years, cryptocurrencies and NFTs were one of the biggest trends on social media. They represent a complicated form of financial technology that got the attention of mainstream news media and even had a commercial air during the 2022 Super Bowl. How does it all work? And is it something that I should worry about? We’re going to break down some of the questions you may have about this technology and highlight some of the controversial issues surrounding the social media craze.
What are cryptocurrencies and NFTs?
Cryptocurrencies are a form of digital currency created for use on the Internet. GetKidsInternetSafe previously published the article “What is Bitcoin anyways?” that goes in-depth on the subject, but we’ll cover some of the basics here as well.
Bitcoin and other more recent cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin were created to have a decentralized form of currency that was not tied to banks or other financial institutions following the 2008 housing market crash.[1] Cryptocurrencies are not stocks but they are often traded in a similar way because of how much their value can fluctuate over time. All cryptocurrencies are managed using a type of program called a blockchain, which is a publicly viewable list of all transactions and activity done with a specific cryptocurrency. All transactions made on a blockchain are verified by the other users, which makes it impossible for anyone to make changes to old transactions without that change being corrected immediately.
Non-Fungible Tokens, more commonly referred to as NFTs, are another technology created using blockchains. NFTs function like serial numbers attached to virtual data and are used to show ownership and authenticity of that data similar to a deed or certificate. They cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided, and they’re used to create a unique digital object. The most common form of NFTs is images, but the technology can be used for music, videos, documents, or anything else that can be stored digitally.
How did NFTs become so successful?
NFTs are a technology that has been around since 2014[2], but they were brought into the media spotlight in March 2021 when digital artist Beeple sold an NFT collage of his artwork for 69 million dollars.[3]
The trend exploded in popularity afterward, with the next series of major sales coming from original creators of various early internet viral memes selling their creations as NFTs for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars[1]. In the digital art community, NFTs were also heavily marketed to artists as a solution for online copyright infringement and art theft.[2]
Major investors like Elon Musk[4] and Mark Cuban[5] began to invest in cryptocurrencies, and celebrities like Matt Damon[6] and Larry David[7] have acted in advertisements for the new technology, with one of them playing during the 2022 Superbowl. NFTs had become a lucrative business model in only a couple of months, but this surge in popularity did not last for long.
The Technical Problems with NFTs and Cryptocurrency
As NFTs and cryptocurrencies both began to receive mainstream attention and thousands of new users, various technical problems began to hamper their success. Despite the early successes in March, by June 2021 the market had already dropped by 90%.[1]
Slow speeds
Blockchain technology is not a quick or efficient system for handling monetary transactions, and if a user tried to use their cryptocurrency to make a purchase, they would face wait times of 30 minutes to several hours in a queue before their transaction would be approved[8].
Security Problems
Due to unaddressed security risks in their programming, NFTs became notorious for being stolen by hackers.[9][10] Because blockchains cannot have their history changed, and because they’re unregulated by the government, if your NFTs were stolen this way there was no way to recover them.[8] NFTs also don’t have any inherent connection to copyright or trademark law, so your digital ownership only extended to the NFT program itself, not the artwork that it was connected to.[2]
Another problem caused by the lack of regulation was that the artists who had been the target of early NFT marketing were facing more art theft problems than before. There were no protections to prevent somebody from creating NFTs using another person’s art, and many artists found that their art was already being sold on cryptocurrency apps without their approval or knowledge. In some cases, NFTs were created using artworks from deceased artists without consulting the artists’ families.[11]
Environmental Problems
NFTs and cryptocurrency are also horrible for the environment. Because the process of operating and interacting with a blockchain requires hundreds or thousands of computers to be operating all at once, they consume extreme amounts of electricity. Conservative estimates for the total amount of electrical energy consumed and CO2 emissions caused by cryptocurrency rival those of mid-sized European countries.[12]
The Financial Risks of Crypto
The largest problem with cryptocurrency and NFTs, however, is that most projects were intentionally made to scam people out of their money. These digital assets only have value because of the amount of real money that is inserted into them by investors, and unlike banks or the stock market, they don’t generate additional wealth over time.[13] To make a profit with cryptocurrency, it has to be sold to somebody willing to spend more money on it than what you originally purchased it for.
“Pump-and-dump” scams like this are not only common but encouraged in many cryptocurrency communities as a way to make quick profits.[1] Most artists who began selling their art as NFTs were selling at a loss after transaction fees and costs associated with creating the NFTs.[14] The cryptocurrency apps which handle these transactions are aware of these practices, and many of the security problems mentioned earlier were neglected because their creators profited off of the transactional fees.[10]
How to Protect Yourself and Your Family from Cryptocurrency Scams
While the trend of cryptocurrency and NFT projects being advertised has gone on the decline, there are still pushes for the technology to be used in other parts of the web.
Here are some things you can do to help protect your family from cryptocurrency and NFT-related scams:
Keep an eye on new internet products and services that talk about NFTs, Ethereum, Bitcoin, blockchains, and Web3.0. These are all buzzwords that are commonly associated with each other to help sell the idea of cryptocurrency on social media.
Sign up for the FREE GKIS Connected Family Screen Agreement, which covers the basics of preventing digital injuries and opens a forum of discussion for you and your family to discuss internet safety.
Take a look at the How to Spot Marketing and Cybersecurity & Red Flags Supplements for the GKIS Connected Family Screen Agreement, which can help you to stay safe against identity theft, hacking, and scamming strategies common on the internet.
Thanks to CSUCI intern Brandon Bishop for researching the history of cryptocurrency development and authoring this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
People seeking companionship or romantic connections online are falling victim to internet predators. There has been a dramatic increase in recent reports claiming that LGBTQ+ individuals are being purposely targeted for malicious online sextortion crimes. These crimes have led to devastating and long-lasting repercussions for victims and their families. As a result, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a warning in response to complaints about dating sites geared towards LGBTQ+ community members being infiltrated by sextortion perpetrators.[1] To help ensure your family has the tools to safely navigate the online world, check out our Screen Safety Essentials Course.
What is Sextortion?
The term sextortion (sexual-extortion) falls under the broader category of sexual exploitation. In many cases, sextortion is a form of blackmail that involves the act of extorting things like money and sexual favors through means of manipulation and coercion. For example, a perpetrator may threaten to reveal or expose personal and sensitive information about the victim to others unless they agree to the perpetrator’s demands.
How are people being victimized?
Despite advancements in societal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ community rights, the world can sadly still be a hostile place. That’s why dating apps geared toward members of the LGBTQ+ community, like Grindr, Feeld, and Her, have become popular.
These sites were designed to provide a safe space for both openly queer and closeted people to meet and make connections with each other without fear of harassment or exposure. Unfortunately, recent reports have indicated that an increasing number of apps and websites marketed toward members of the LGBTQ+ community are being infiltrated by sextortion predators.
Blackmail
A typical sextortion scam begins with a perpetrator creating a fictitious account on a dating app or social media networking site using a fake identity and photos. The perpetrator poses as a potential partner or someone looking to make a connection online and attempts to establish contact with another person under the guise of starting a romantic relationship. This is a process referred to as catfishing.
The perpetrator cultivates the relationship with their target to gain their victim’s trust and make them feel comfortable. The process can last for days, weeks, or even months. After establishing rapport, the perp will send explicit messages, photos, and videos and ask for some in return. Once the target shares their personal images and information, the scammer threatens to release it to the victim’s friends, family, or co-workers, or post it online unless the victim does what they say.
The primary motivations behind these types of romance scams can be financial and sexual. Sextortion predators use various manipulation tactics to not only extort money from victims but also to access sexually explicit photographs and messages, for their own sexual gratification. Recent reports have revealed that minors using the app, despite there being minimum age of use requirements, were targeted specifically by pedophiles hoping to elicit child pornography. In both cases, similar methods of exploitation are used.[2]
The FBI has stated that most victims report that initial interactions with perpetrators are mutual and unsuspicious. However, after a brief period, the extortionist will attempt to transition the interaction away from the app and onto private messaging forums. Without exposing their true identities, these online predators will go to great lengths to convince targets that they are legitimate users of the app.
Scammers often use stolen or fake photographs and may even hire a video model to convince their victims that they are interacting with an authentic person. It is very common for perpetrators to befriend victims on social media to access a list of the victim’s followers which typically include family members, friends, and co-workers.[2]
Why are LGBTQ+ apps being targeted?
Experts suggest that individuals using these dating apps are being specifically targeted by predators for a few different reasons. Given the nature of the apps, which are primarily used to foster romantic connections, online predators have a much greater opportunity to collect private and sexually explicit information from their targets. Additionally, since these apps have been designed for LGBTQ+ community members, predators assume that their targets have an even greater incentive to keep quiet about their victimization and comply with demands.
Because these apps are marketed as a safe space, people who are not openly queer rely on them to make connections with others without fear of exposure. As the thought of public shaming and the potential outing of their sexual orientation or gender identity is so profound, these individuals are more easily subject to victimization.
The Fallout
According to the FBI, the number of these cases has been steadily increasing. Experts speculate that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of hookup-culture has escalated this trend. As the dating world transitioned largely onto virtual platforms, sextortion predators took advantage of this change.
Last year, the federal agency reportedly received over 16,000 sextortion complaints with financial losses totaling over $8 million.[2] In reality, the repercussions of these crimes extend beyond financial ruin. Sadly, the effects of being targeted and exposed by sextortion predators were overwhelmingly devastating for some victims who felt driven to take their own lives.[1] As a result of the seriousness of these crimes, law enforcement officials have significantly increased their efforts to capture and charge perpetrators.
How to Protect Yourself
It is important to be aware of the potential dangers inherent online in order to prevent yourself and your loved ones from becoming victimized. Dr. Bennett believes that providing our kids and teens with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate these pitfalls before they arise, is the key to avoiding digital injury. That is why we created the Social Media Readiness Course which is designed to empower families to promote safe and responsible practices while avoiding harmful outcomes online. The internet can be an exciting and helpful tool when we are equipped with the proper skills to use it.
Thanks to CSUCI interns, Mackenzie Morrow and Michael Watson for researching the targeting of LGBTQ+ community members in sextortion scams on popular dating apps and co-authoring this article.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
Microdosing magic mushrooms is the new trippy trend for adults with anxiety, depression, PTSD, and addiction disorders who seek to improve their wellbeing and mental health without relying on antidepressants. Today’s GKIS article is for those who are curious about microdosing on psychedelic mushrooms. We discuss potential therapeutic uses, safety, and the current trend toward legalization and decriminalization of psilocybin. Check out Dr. Bennett’s new Screen Safety Essentials Course for comprehensive help when it comes to maintaining psychological wellness, avoiding digital injury, and keeping your family safe and connected.
What is micro-dosing?
Microdosing is the phenomenon of taking very small doses of a psychedelic drug like magic mushrooms to improve well-being, emotional, and mental health. The active chemical in medicinal mushrooms is called psilocybin. When psilocybin is metabolized, the brain responds by releasing serotonin in the prefrontal cortex region of the brain that is responsible for regulating mood, cognition, and perception.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, or ‘feel good’ chemical, that contributes to positive moods.[1] While microdosing, one can expect to feel the subtle effects of the drug while still remaining in control of the senses. “When you take psychedelics, you loosen up and reduce the egoic experiences of identity and self, and it allows people to feel more connected, not only to themselves but to people and to the environment.”[2]
Those who microdose usually don’t report experiencing an altered state of reality or mystical awakening. However, some do report small changes in perception, like colors appearing a little brighter. Most of all, these minor effects can contribute to new connections and mental shifts that help people think or behave in more open and creative ways. Micro-dosing also helps people become more reflective and responsive to positive suggestions by embracing the effects that the drug has on their neurotransmitters. Studies suggest a mechanism through which psychedelics might improve mental health: feeling greater self-compassion and less obsession with negative thoughts, anxiety, depression, addiction, eating disorders, and PTSD.[1]
Micro-Magic
The effects of psilocybin are similar to the effects of LSD. But instead of a long-lasting and intense hallucinatory experience or a deep spiritual awakening, the effects of microdosing ensure a safer and more subtle mind expansion that allows for an entirely encompassing holistic understanding of the internal self and external world.
The positive effects of psychedelics, particularly psilocybin include:
Feelings of euphoria
Peacefulness
Creativity
Openness
Stress and anxiety relief
Improved moods
Increased energy
Better concentration and focus
Greater personal awareness
Less self-doubt
Increased sensitivity to light and sound
Micro-Mistakes
Regardless of safe and proper dosages, many people refuse and reject microdosing due to the common and rational fear of experiencing a bad trip.
A bad trip may occur due to many factors such as:
Derealization, or the feeling that surroundings are not real
Depersonalization, or a dream-like state of being separated from reality
Distorted thinking and behavior
Slight visual and auditory impairment
Unusual bodily sensations
Paranoia and confusion
Nausea and vomiting
To ensure a safe and positive experience, one should feel comfortable with the concept of surrendering to their psychedelic experience and feel safe in their environment. We call this set and setting. This relaxed mindset allows for feelings and ideas to naturally arise and process without reacting to fear and judgment. By channeling this calm and comfortable mindset, many can benefit from the medicinal effects of microdosing.[1]
Also, some psychedelic mushrooms are better for microdosing. As it is impossible for the average person to accurately determine how much psilocybin is in a mushroom, mushrooms with lower psilocybin content are preferable for microdosing. Weaker strains of psilocybe cubensis mushrooms are more commonly utilized for this purpose.
Microdosing Effects on Depression and Anxiety
Psilocybin still remains illegal in the country, so it is rare to find doctors and psychiatrists that recommend microdosing as a legitimate treatment for depression and anxiety. However, with FDA trials underway with psilocybin as a treatment for mood and trauma disorders, more and more professionals are endorsing the idea that microdosing may have positive clinical applications. In a 2021 survey, respondents reported that microdosing led to significant improvements in both anxiety and depression.[3] Further, those who have higher expectations of microdosing tend to respond more positively (also called the placebo effect).[4]
Microdosing Effects on Addiction
In a 2014 study at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, researchers tested whether psilocybin could help people quit smoking. It was an open-label study, which meant the participants knew they were getting the drug and not a placebo. The drug was administered in three sessions – one on the target quit date, another two weeks later, and a third eight weeks afterward. The subjects returned to the lab for the next 10 weeks to have their breath and urine tested for evidence of smoking and came back for follow-up meetings 6 and 12 months after their target quit date.
At the 6-month mark, 80% of smokers in the pilot study (12 out of 15) had abstained from cigarettes for at least a week. The study concluded that there is evidence that the sense of unity and mystical significance many people experience on psilocybin is associated with greater success and motivation towards quitting, and those who take the drug may be better able to deal with cravings. At the biological level, scientists have hypothesized that psilocybin may alter communication in brain networks, kind of like a reboot that leaves the brain more receptive to new ideas, feelings, and pathways.[5] We call this new state of openness and opportunity for brain growth neuroplasticity.
Microdosing’s Effects on Eating Disorders
The mystical and psychedelic experiences a person has with psychedelic therapy may also shift body image away from fixed and repetitive unhealthy thoughts, potentially easing symptoms of eating disorders. A 2020 systematic review concluded that several of the participants who microdosed to treat their eating disorder said their experience offered them new insights that encouraged them to embrace healthier habits.[6]
How safe is psilocybin?
A drug’s therapeutic index is a number determined by a ratio comparing the amount of a drug needed for a lethal dose to the amount of the drug needed to get the wanted effects. The higher the therapeutic index, the safer the drug. Psilocybin has a therapeutic index of 641, which is pretty high.[7] This means you are more than three times as likely to overdose on aspirin (which has a therapeutic index of around 200) than psilocybin. Also, psilocybin is considered to be non-addictive and no overdose deaths have ever occurred from psilocybin use.[8]
Legalization of Psilocybin
There is a current movement to decriminalize and legalize magic mushrooms for both therapeutic and recreational use. While several cities had already decriminalized psilocybin, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize and legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin in 2020.[9] This year (2022) the citizens of Washington will be voting on the legislation of psychedelic mushrooms. It should not be long until they are legal throughout California. See you then, space cowboy.
Thanks to CSUCI intern Haley Begun and Michael Watson for researching co-authoring this article. Please note that GKIS does not offer an opinion on the use of psilocybin for microdosing. This is an informational piece that does not offer a GKIS-endorsed opinion.
If you are interested in learning more about the interconnection of curing addiction, anxiety, and depression, Dr. Bennett’s book, Screen Time in the Mean Time includes information and research about how parents, teachers, and adults can pinpoint the underlying causes of their own or loved ones’ addictions and mental disorders based upon biological, genetic, and environmental factors.
Breeksema, Joost J., et al. “Psychedelic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Patient Experiences in Qualitative Studies – CNS Drugs.” SpringerLink, Springer International Publishing, 17 Aug. 2020, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40263-020-00748-y.
Kaertner, L. S., et al. “Positive Expectations Predict Improved Mental-Health Outcomes Linked to Psychedelic Microdosing.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 21 Jan. 2021, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81446-7.
Did you know that brothels filled with sex robots exist in the real world – not just in cheesy science fiction b-movies? These are not your granddad’s blow-up dolls. They are extremely life-like with medical-grade artificial skin that warms and lubricates, have pupils that dilate, and they can even hold a conversation. Sex robots are a growing industry with a market valuation estimated to be in the $30 billion range! In today’s GKIS article, we discuss arguments made for and against the use of sex robots as well as the ethical issues associated with them.
What is a sex robot?
A sex robot is anything that combines technology and sex for the purpose of pleasure. For this article, the term will be applied to anatomically correct, life-like androids. These androids can speak and come in all kinds of shapes, sizes, age ranges, and species, and can be made to look like whoever or whatever you want them to look like. Not only can they hold a conversation with you, but they can be programmed to simulate specific scenarios and make specific responses to actions and phrases.
If stories like these have you freaking out, imagine what your kids are reading! Start a critically-important family dialogue about screen safety and help them learn the risks of digital injury with our Social Media Readiness Course for tweens and teens. We give you the answers you are looking for and help you to avoid the quicksand in the electronic jungle!
Arguments Being Made for Sex Robots
If your mind is blown by what this might mean for the future of human society, you are not alone. Here are some arguments made that you may not have thought of yet.
The Capitalist Argument
There appears to be a niche market for sex robots. In simple terms, this means that the need for robot manufacturing would result in the creation of new jobs for people.
The Compassionate Argument
Some people have trouble finding a partner. For these people, it could be considered cruel to keep them from getting their physical and emotional needs met. Rather than leave them lonely, a robot partner may result in better life satisfaction and reduced mental illness rates.
The It’s Better than the Alternative Argument
One of the biggest arguments being made for the use of sex robots is that it could calm the urges of those who have socially abhorrent proclivities. They argue that sex robots may prevent pedophiles and rapists from harming other people or animals. There is also the argument that it could lead to less human trafficking and prostitution, thus less human suffering.
The Practice Makes Perfect Argument
With practice comes improvement in performance and increased confidence. For those filled with self-doubt or anxiety about pursuing healthy relationships, sex robots could fulfill a therapeutic need. Robot sensors and vocal feedback can provide much-need performance improvement instruction.
The All the Eggs in One Sex Robot Argument
There appears to be a population of people who are not keen on the idea of pursuing sexual relationships with other human beings. For these individuals, sex robots float their boat. If they don’t harm others, wouldn’t their private behaviors be acceptable? Some people like pepperoni on their pizza, while others like anchovies. In this case, it is just a matter of taste.
Arguments Being Made Against Sex Robots
The Operant Reinforcement Argument
The most concerning argument being made against sex robots is that providing people with androids that look like children and that have “rape settings” could increase the chance of sexual predators acting out their fantasies in real life. Sexual assault is often more about exerting dominance and power over another person than it is about sexual gratification. For these people, sex robots could reward pathological behavior and potentially increase the likelihood that people with androids harm others.
The Stereotypes and Objectification are Bad Argument
Another concerning argument of significance is that sex robots could lead to the further objectification of women and children. If one treats a robot object like a human, it’s not a far leap to then treat a human-like a robot.
The Population Decimation Argument
Some people say that this will lead to a sharp decrease in the human population due to a decline in pregnancy rates caused by a wide acceptance of sex robots.
The Social Isolation Argument
There is a valid argument that more time spent alone with technology could socially isolate people and further harm those who are suffering from psychological issues, such as depression, stemming from a lack of human contact.
The Use It or Lose It Argument
Some people argue that people will stop having sex with other people if sex robots become socially acceptable. After all, true intimacy is not about subservience and always being ready to be acted upon without having to give consent. Once we quit practicing relationship behaviors that lead to a mutual sharing and vulnerability that help us grow as emotional human beings, we may forget how to do it. Human beings are adaptable. By not having to do the hard things like express emotion, tolerate inconvenience and distress, and get consent for sexual advance, those skills may erode and leave us deficient in our very humanness. Not only may we treat others like robots, but we may become more robotic ourselves.
Ethics
Taking into account the arguments above, what do you think? Is interacting with sex robots right or wrong?
Because it is unlikely that legislators will be able to outlaw sex robots in favor of American civil rights, perhaps we should consider how robot manufacture, purchase, and use should be regulated. The UK already implemented a law forbidding child sex robots. By becoming informed and forming well-thought-out opinions and evidenced arguments, we are all best equipped to protect our families and ourselves. As our world becomes more and more technologically integrated, we will need to ask hard questions and adapt.
How to Stay Informed
Dr. B is in a unique position to help you to learn more about the potential dangers that your family could face when engaging with technology. She can help you to navigate safely throughout your journey as a practicing psychologist, university professor, and mother. You can download the free GKIS Connected Family Agreement simply by creating a GKIS account on our website home page. In Dr. B’s book, Screen Time in the Mean Time, she discusses and attacks the issue of raising a family while safely integrating technology rather than fearing it. Also, our Screen Safety Essentials Course provides useful tips about how to make the internet a safer place for your family, parenting and family coaching information, support, and other valuable information. It is our one-stop shop with fun teaching materials for parents and the whole family!
Thanks to CSUCI intern, Michael Watson for researching the ethical and economic arguments for and against sex robots.
I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.
