Technology risks for children

Is Your Child Falling in Love with a Bot?

October 19, 2023 by Samantha Sanchez

Online entertainment is getting more and more advanced. We’ve come up with just about anything from video games to robots. But the one thing you may not yet know about is the fact that more kids are spending time with online robots instead of their human friends. In today’s GKIS article, we’re doing a deep dive into Character.AI, a popular website that lets subscribers virtually date a robot. We’ll go over how it’s being used, the dangers of it, and our thoughts on the site. Before letting your child use just any new and popular app, we recommend our Screen Safety Essentials Course for info on how to navigate the internet safely for the whole family.

Artificial Intelligence and Bots

Before we dive deep into the world of C.AI, we’ll want to go over some key terms.

Artificial Intelligence refers to the capability of computer systems or algorithms to imitate intelligent human behavior.[1]

A bot is a computer program or character (as in a game) designed to mimic the actions of a person.[2] A bot is a form of artificial intelligence.

NSFW refers to “not safe (or suitable) for work.” NSFW is used to warn someone that a website, image, message, etc., is not suitable for viewing at most places of employment.[3]

What is C.AI?

Character.AI is a website made by Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas that allows users to chat with bots. The C.AI website launched in September 2022, and the app was released in May 2023. In its first week of being launched, the app got 1.7 million downloads. [4]

C.AI uses artificial intelligence to let you create characters and talk to them. You can create original characters, base yours off a character from a TV show or movie, or base your character off a real person.

C.AI became popular when teens started showing their conversations with the C.AI bots on TikTok. Many teens showed romantic and sensual conversations they had with their bots. Week after week, teens all over the world began to fall in love with their new artificial friends.

How Teens Are Using C.AI

Users create a free account, and then choose from a list of characters to talk to or make their own. Users can talk about whatever they want with the bot, and it will reply with human-like responses. Pre-made characters have their own set personality that users cannot change.

To make their own custom bot, users choose a name for their character and then upload an image to give the bot a ‘face.’ Users can talk with the bot about any topic. When the bot responds, users rate the bot’s responses with 1-5 stars. After some time, the bot will use the user’s ratings to figure out what personality they want it to have.

Users can make their bots private only for them or public for anyone to use. However, all chats between a person and a bot are private.

The Dangerous Side of C.AI

Using these bots may seem like a fun idea for kids, but there are a lot of risks that come with them.

Data Storage

A major risk is that C.AI stores the information and texts you share with the character bots.

C.AI claims that no real person reads this information. However, this is still dangerous for privacy reasons. If the website or app were hacked, hackers can do whatever they want with users’ information. This puts all users at major risk when using the site.

No Age Verification and Exposing Minors to NSFW Content

C.AI encourages its users to be 13 years old or older, but there is no age verification within the site or app.[5] This means users can lie about their age to use C.AI.

C.AI claims to not allow sexual conversation between users and bots, but users can bypass this. Users can misspell certain words or add extra spaces to words to bypass the NSFW filter. The bot knows what word you’re trying to say, so it will reply with NSFW responses. Users can have detailed sexual conversations with the bots. The dangerous part of this is that many of C.AI’s users are minors.

Effects on Children’s Relationships

Users can speak romantically with the bots, and the bots will respond with romantic messages. The more kids use these bots, the higher chance they have of becoming dependent on them. Children’s brains are impressionable, and they absorb information quickly. Some kids may prefer to engage in these fake relationships instead of relationships with real people.

Using these bots could also create social anxiety. Users know what to expect when talking with a bot since the bot’s personality is pre-set. However, real people in the outside world are unpredictable. The uncertainty of real conversations could make users shy, anxious, and avoidant, especially if they replace real-life challenging practices with safe and easy online practices.

Other risks include:

Disappointment in real-life relationships with others
Depression
Isolation
Loss of social skills

GKIS Thoughts On C.AI

GKIS rates C.AI as a red-light website. This means it is not recommended for children under the age of 18 to use. We came to this conclusion because it lacks age verification and exposes minors to NSFW content. However, it could be slightly safer if parents monitor their children’s interactions with the bots. If you’re worried about what other dangerous sites your child may be visiting, consider checking out our article on red-light websites.

GKIS encourages parents to talk to their children about what topics are safe to discuss if they use C.AI. Before making a decision to use the site, we recommend checking out the GKIS Social Media Readiness Training course. It helps teens and tweens learn the red flags of social media and teaches them valuable psychological wellness skills.

Thanks to CSUCI intern Samantha Sanchez for researching Character.AI and preparing this article.

I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.

Onward to More Awesome Parenting,

Dr. Tracy S. Bennett, Ph.D.
Mom, Clinical Psychologist, CSUCI Adjunct Faculty
GetKidsInternetSafe.com

Works Cited

[1] Artificial Intelligence – Merriam Webster

[2] Bot – Merriam Webster

[3] NSFW – Merriam-Webster

[4] Character.AI

[5] C.AI Age Requirement

Photo Credits

Pete Linforth via Pixabay https://pixabay.com/illustrations/connection-love-modern-kiss-human-4848255/

Samantha Sanchez (Image #2)

Adrian Swancar via Unsplash https://unsplash.com/photos/JXXdS4gbCTI

When Young Athletes Look to Twitter to Showcase Talent and Track Sports News: An Inside Look

April 4, 2023 by Keith Ferries

Imagine being a teenager getting ready for the big game, whether it’s soccer, basketball, or football. Your anxiety is buzzing as you try to stay focused. Friends and family are in the stands and your coaches are lasered in on you. Now imagine that, in addition to your friends, family, and coaches watching, there are also the college scouts and your scholarship is on the line. The weight of the world is on your shoulders. One false move and the dream you have been working on for years may be dashed. Now let’s add one more layer and imagine that right before you head onto the field you check your phone one last time. You tweet about being pumped because your social media engagement impacts your future in BIG ways. Then, ping, a stranger tweets about how you suck and that you will never make it in college sports…

How to Play the Game on Twitter

Although athletics are highlighted on many social media platforms, Twitter leads the pack for athletes to showcase their talent. Unfortunately, it’s also a place for people to troll, vent, and attack an athlete’s performance. While the public discusses their opinions of statistics and abilities, those who may impact your future watch the fray silently.

Often college offers are announced and celebrated on Twitter, leaving those who were passed up feeling shocked and demoralized. To better understand what that is like to have your talent showcased on Twitter, I recently interviewed a college quarterback named John*.

John was a 3-star athlete, which translates into being in the top ten percent of high school quarterbacks in the nation.[1] In high school, many college coaches were competing to recruit him. Other quarterbacks were in the same boat, all on Twitter tracking stats and who was tweeting about whom. He told us that a range of emotions was at play, elaborating, “When you see the tweets on how good another quarterback is, how he is ranked higher than you, and how he got his scholarship, those tweets make you more hungry to win.”

How to Make Twitter Work for You

We asked John if, alongside motivation, he often felt despair, But John insisted that, in his case, he didn’t consider Twitter to be all that bad. “It was a great way for me to reach out to schools, to put up my stats, and to get positive feedback from prospective coaches in the off-season. If I had a good game, I made sure to send it to colleges the next day and post it for others to see.” He said that when he wants news, all he has to do is look to the internet. When I asked about what would happen if he had a bad game, he chuckled and said, “When you have a bad game, people will post it for you. No need to worry about that.” Unfortunately, not every child can always take the negative and turn it into a positive. Our Screen Safety Essentials Course is a great way for your teen to learn to help them think before they tweet.

Everyone’s a Critic

When speaking with John about Twitter and college, he said that things change from high school to college. “ There isn’t too much negativity on a high school player when they have a bad game, but that all goes out the window when you get to college. Betters [people gambling on the game] will always have something to say when you don’t perform like they hoped you would.”

According to cbssports.com, in a single sports season up to eight billion dollars are wagered.[2] To give a perspective of what eight billion is, that is what Instacart was valued at in 2019.[3] The college football season is about four months long, with the regular season being 12 games per team.

John elaborated, “If I had a bad game, it wasn’t uncommon for me to delete the Twitter app because I was already beating myself up enough for the loss. I didn’t need to hear it from people that don’t play the game. Breaks off social media are great because you have to kinda get in check with your reality.” I asked about tweets in high school hurting him or anyone he knew at the time. He responded, “Most people are pretty forgiving to high school kids as long as it’s nothing really bad. Your coaches care about you and do help guide you. If you make a mistake and tweet something bad, your high school coach and any coach interested in you at the college level will usually talk to you. These things I have seen have usually been a learning experience. However, when you get to the college level, that all changes. They expect you to be an adult and act accordingly.” For example, in 2015, professional quarterback Josh Allen was projected to be the first draft pick of the NFL until an old Tweet of his from high school days resurfaced. His status dropped to seventh, translating into a lot of money lost. To help prepare your tween or teen on how to handle such situations, GKIS has a great Social Media Readiness Course.

Overall, the athlete we spoke to loved playing and everything about it. John said there were times that weren’t as much fun but he took what was given to him and made it work for him. He turned a mean tweet into motivation to work harder than the next guy. When asked what advice he’d give a young athlete, he said, “Don’t waste energy on something that is out of your control. It’s only going to bring you down.”

Other Tips for How to Avoid the Pitfalls

Before you allow your tween or teen to go on social media, require that they take our Social Media Ready Course. This information optimizes the chances that they’ll not fall victim to digital injuries and maintain the best psychological wellness practice.
Review with your teen how to promote themselves and build a positive brand and how to avoid negativity and online conflict. We offer these strategies in our Screen Safety Essentials Course.
Detox from social media on occasion to regroup and gain perspective.
Keep good company with coaches, friends, and family. Accept support from those who support you on and off the field
Reframe negativity online so it motivates you. Don’t let it take a negative hold on your attitude toward the same, your competitors, or yourself.

If you found this blog article interesting, please check out some of our other GKIS articles about Twitter.

The GKIS Sensible Parent’s Guide to Twitter

How to Spot an Internet Troll

Showcasing Child Talent Online Leads to Exploitation and Scams

Thanks to CSUCI intern Keith Ferries for interviewing John, doing the research, and writing this article.

I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.

Onward to More Awesome Parenting,

Tracy S. Bennett, Ph.D.
Mom, Clinical Psychologist, CSUCI Adjunct Faculty
GetKidsInternetSafe.com

*John is a fictional name to allow the athlete interviewed to remain anonymously

Work Cited

[1] Nusser, J. (2018, December 15). Seeing stars: 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN star-rating systems explained. Coug Center. https://www.cougcenter.com/wsu-football-recruiting/2013/2/5/3956800/rivals-scout-espn-247-star-rating-system-national-signing-day

[2] Dodd. D. (2022, November 17). College sports’ overlooked gambling issue: Improprieties being ignored as betting soars nationwide. Cbssports.com. https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-sports-overlooked-gambling-issue-improprieties-being-ignored-as-betting-soars-nationwide/

[3] Gebel, M. (2022, November 17). 30 companies worth at least $1 billion that didn’t exist 10 years ago. Businessinsider.com. Retrieved December 3, 2019, from https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-unicorns-worth-1-billion-didnt-exist-10-years-ago-2019-11

Photo Credits

[1] Photographer unknown

https://www.pexels.com/photo/2-football-player-running-after-person-holding-football-during-daytime-in-shallow-focus-photography-159571/

[2]Photographer Unknown

https://www.pexels.com/photo/red-blue-and-yellow-textile-5417837/

[3] Photographer Unknown

https://www.stockvault.net/photo/119697/usd-bills-close-up#

Showcasing Child Talent Online Leads to Exploitation and Scams

November 11, 2022 by janettejimenez

When children and parents use online platforms to showcase talents, they open themselves up to becoming victims of exploitation and scams. Someone’s hopes and dreams can turn into their worst nightmare. It is easier than ever before to fall victim due to today’s technology. As a psychologist, Dr. Tracy Bennett saw the growing rate of online injuries and the need to educate families about online safety. Our Social Media Readiness Course helps tweens and teens avoid digital injury and optimize psychological wellness. Today’s GKIS article discusses exploitation and scams on online platforms used to showcase kids’ talents.

Parents Use Social Media to Showcase Child Talent

Kids love to be creative and show off their talents, whether it’s sports, art, singing, dancing, acting, or modeling. And for a lucky few, online branding can lead to big profits. Social media can be the perfect platform to build an audience and get the attention of professionals in that industry.

One of the most popular social media apps for showcasing talent is TikTok.[3] TikTok is one of the fastest-growing platforms where users can create a huge following and make income. It’s the most popular medium currently for showcasing talent.

Here are some methods commonly used to optimize child talent exposure

posting high-quality content regularly on social media
running advertisements
partnering with other influencers
partnering with various brands
contracting with content developers
buying likes and follows
creating custom websites[11]

The Benefits of Showcasing Talent

Showcasing children’s talents can be profitable, lead to amazing opportunities, and may help boost a child’s confidence, self-esteem, and social capital. In fact, Dr. Bennett often presents to high school students how to create a personal brand to help them showcase their strengths and qualifications for college. This webinar is offered as a live webinar for students and parents and is included in our Screen Safety Essentials Course.

The Risks of Showcasing Talent

Anytime we reveal personal information online or allow strangers to have access to us, we must be aware of risks. Big exposure can make one vulnerable to exploitation, scams, cyberbullies, and predators.

Child exploitation refers to using a child to perform or work for the benefit of others at a disservice to the child’s mental or physical health, education, or development.[1]

A scam is popularly known as a deceptive trick or a scheme used to cheat someone out of something valuable, usually money.[2]

Types of scams include:

Talent scouting scams
Charity Scams
Lottery Scams
Government Impersonation Scams
Sweepstakes Scams[12]

For more information on scams and how you can avoid them, we encourage you to read our Scammers Target the Elderly: How to Avoid Being Scammed article.

Harm That Can Occur Due to Online Exposure

Parent Pressure and Excessive Demand

Some argue that supporting your child so they can benefit from their talents and helping them achieve their dreams is the job of a parent. Others believe that kids should be allowed to be kids and that putting them to work creating a “brand” meets the needs of the parents rather than the child. We at GKIS recognize both situations exist out there.

While it can be healthy to have high expectations, applying too much pressure can be harmful. Because kids don’t have the cognitive abilities necessary to calculate the odds of success and risks involved with online exposure, some say online branding should wait until adulthood. Other risks from overdoing it include physical or cognitive injury, mental illness, self-esteem problems, academic delay, and sleep deprivation.[8]

Gaming a System Set Up for Child Protection

Another cause for concern is how many kids on social media do not meet the age requirements specified in the platforms’ terms of agreement. These terms are created for the protection of children. Unfortunately, it is hard to enforce because children easily bypass these by simply creating accounts under a false age.

Interpersonal Exploitation

Another harmful outcome of online showcasing is unsafe peers and predators communicating with your child online. For example, a father was interviewed after discovering that his seven-year-old daughter was being contacted by adults for naked pictures on TikTok.[4] This type of exploitation is a common threat that parents need to be aware of and why monitoring activity regularly is imperative. Setting parental controls can be beneficial and possible with our Screen Safety Toolkit.

Financial Exploitation

Another risk is financial exploitation with identity theft. Scammers have many ways to target children online. Scammers can open lines of credit that can go undetected for several years.[5] To read more about how to protect your family against cybercrime, read our article Child Identity Theft is on the Rise. Protect Your Family Against Cybercrime.

Red Flags to Look Out For

Before interacting with potential producers or partners, vet them online using search engines like Google and LinkedIn, professional organization credentialing, and reviewing testimonials and reviews. Avoid rushing into having your child interact with people claiming to want to work with them
Also, when your child is hired to showcase their talents, do not pay fees upfront.[9]

Also, be wary of talent opportunities where

the other party uses urgent or threatening language
appears to be too good to be true
provides suspicious attachments
makes threats of any kind
requests personal or private information
urges you to click on a link
provides information that you were not expecting[7]

How to Protect Your Family from Online Dangers

Educate Your Child and Initiate Frequent Screen Safety Conversations

To help your kids learn about red flags for online exploitation, use our free Connected Family Screen Agreement. Our Connected Family Screen Agreement is like a screen safety checklist but so much more. It informs you about the risks of digital injury and how to prevent them. Our agreement also aids in empowering your kids to teach you since they are digital natives and you’re the digital immigrant. Use it to clarify your expectations and prevent conflict while practicing critical listening and negotiating skills while having fun. With our screen agreement, you will create a living document that can be changed and renegotiated along the way.

Set Up Your Online Management Toolkit

Children are more prone than ever before to fall victim to online injury. With this in mind, psychologist Dr. Tracy Bennett has dedicated herself to perfecting products for families like yours. To help parents and families prevent digital injury, we created several online courses like the GKIS Screen Safety Toolkit for parents of kids of all ages.

Optimize Healthy Tech Use with Best Home Setup

To help you learn how to achieve screen sanity, we at GKIS have spent time creating a vital course for your entire family. Our Screen Safety Essentials Course includes parent-only videos with the information and tools you need to earn the credibility to be your go-to expert. We also include family videos, workbook pages, and colorful infographic downloads to help do the teaching and discussing with you. You also get exclusive access to Dr. Bennett’s BEST webinars. Need a little expert support? Opt for private coaching with Dr. Bennett.

Encourage Independence and Critical Problem Solving

Our GKIS Social Media Readiness Course is an awesome resource for tweens and teens. Our free GKIS Blog articles offer great ideas for screen safety discussions during a screen-free dinner.

Thanks to CSUCI intern Janette Jimenez for researching the risks of exploitation and scams when using online platforms to showcase kids’ talent and authoring this article.

I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.

Onward to More Awesome Parenting,

Tracy S. Bennett, Ph.D.
Mom, Clinical Psychologist, CSUCI Adjunct Faculty
GetKidsInternetSafe.com

Works Cited

[1] Action for the Rights of Children (ARC) chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.unhcr.org/3bb81aea4.pdf

[2] Scam Definition & Meaning https://www.dictionary.com/browse/scam#:~:text=A%20scam%20is%20a%20deceptive,security%20number%20over%20the%20phone.

[3] How TikTok Predators Are Interacting With Kids https://www.bark.us/blog/predators-use-tiktok-kids/

[4] Father Warns Parents About Popular App After His 7-Year-Old Daughter Is Asked to Send Suggestive Photos https://people.com/human-interest/father-warns-parents-about-popular-app-after-his-7-year-old-daughter-is-asked-to-send-suggestive-photos/

[5] How Scammers Target Kids Online https://www.onpointcu.com/blog/how-scammers-target-kids-online/

[6]Social Media And Mental Health: How To Help Your Child Develop Healthy Social Media Habits https://fairhopepeds.com/blog/social-media-and-mental-health-how-to-help-your-child-develop-healthy-social-media-habits/

[7]How to Teach Kids About Phishing and Online Scams https://www.verywellfamily.com/teach-kids-about-phishing-and-online-scams-5248479

[8]The Dangers of Putting Too Much Pressure on Kids https://www.verywellfamily.com/the-dangers-of-putting-too-much-pressure-on-kids-1094823

[9] The Parent Trap: Entertainment Industry Scams, Scammers and Scumbags. https://vadastudios.com/news/the-parent-trap-entertainment-industry-scams-scammers-and-scumbags/

[10]` TikTok Parents Are Taking Advantage of Their Kids. It Needs to Stop https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/tiktok-parents-are-taking-advantage-of-their-kids-it-needs-to-stop/

[11] 25 Actionable Tips on How to Make Your Child an Instagram Influencer https://www.olesia.co.in/actionable-tips-on-how-to-make-your-child-an-instagram-influencer

[12] https://getkidsinternetsafe.com/scammed/

Photo Credits

Photo by Kelly Huang https://unsplash.com/photos/2bZnaKfM2JA?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Photo by rupixen.com https://unsplash.com/photos/Q59HmzK38eQ?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Photo by Amanda Vick

https://unsplash.com/photos/pPV-kqfs5wA?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Photo by Al Elmes

https://unsplash.com/photos/Ou7I8x-9T_s?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Photo by Natalya Zaritskaya https://unsplash.com/photos/SIOdjcYotms?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink

Is Internet Celebrity, Andrew Tate, Brainwashing Children to be Misogynistic?

November 5, 2022 by Liliana Esquivel

Even with parental oversight, children are often exposed to harmful and dangerous ideas on the internet. It’s too easy for an online influencer to gain a large platform to spread radical ideas and infect highly impressionable kids. Andrew Tate, a person who skyrocketed to internet fame in 2022, is one of these influencers. Tate is well-known for creating violent and sexist online content and has amassed billions of views. Children have unprecedented, unfiltered access to this information everywhere, particularly on social media platforms. But with Dr. Bennett’s Social Media Readiness Course, you can help your tween or teen learn to navigate social media more safely. Even one view is too many. Check out our Social Media Readiness Course today. Today’s GKIS article describes the wildly popular platform of Andrew Tate and details the risks that may be posed to your child online – and how to avoid them!

Who is Andrew Tate?

Andrew Tate is a hugely popular American-British social media personality who gives men and young boys dating, financial, and life advice. He was a four-time world champion kickboxer that appeared on the TV show Big Brother in 2016. This was short-lived as Tate was fired from the show due to a video that surfaced on the internet of him beating a woman with a belt.

Tate then founded a website called Hustler’s University where he offers online courses about how to make money from online business. You also get access to his private Discord server, where there is more information about making money through crypto, E-commerce, and stocks. Various reviews about Hustler’s University allege much of the information being sold can be found on other websites for free. Many people have also described it as a multi-level marketing scam.

Tate claims his financial success is from his webcam business and crypto. However, the ethics of how he gained his wealth is questionable. In April 2022, Tate and his brother Tristan were raided by the Romanian police due to a tip from the US embassy that a young American woman was being held hostage in their home in Romania. Authorities have stated that there is an ongoing investigation into human trafficking and rape allegations.

His Meteoric Rise (and Downfall) to Internet Fame

It is almost impossible to be on social media without seeing a clip of Andrew Tate voicing his controversial opinions. He started gaining popularity during the early summer of 2022. His popularity skyrocketed on various social media platforms such as Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter. He has appeared on multiple popular podcasts and Twitch streams. He also has his own YouTube channel called Tate Speech.

Involuntary Celibates

The statements Tate has shared on social media follow the ideology of the involuntary celibate (incel) movement, an online subculture of self-identified involuntarily celibate men who express hateful attitudes towards other men who are successful with women and hold misogynistic beliefs. In the article, Could Your Son be an Incel in the Making?, we deep dive into the incel movement and explain how to protect your children from online hate groups.

In a clip discussing the #MeToo movement, Tate said, “If you put yourself in a position to be r***d, you must bear some responsibility.” In another viral TikTok video, he says, “It’s bang out the machete, boom in her face, and grip her by the neck. Shut up bitch” if a woman were to accuse him of cheating. He has gained 4.3 million Instagram followers with many of these videos reaching billions of views.

Rightfully so, Tate’s rhetoric has sparked enormous public outcry. Yet many people post support for his outrageous statements. Unfortunately, even bad attention is good attention on social media. Too often the loudest and most controversial influencers attract the biggest followings. Many social media platforms such as Tiktok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube banned him.

Potential Risks Children May Face

Sadly, kids don’t have the cognitive skills or experience to successfully maneuver through the complex moral dilemmas posed on social media. Sometimes they emulate influencers because they see that it attracts attention. Teachers have been sharing their experiences of hearing young students repeating things Andrew Tate has said to other students and are alarmed about his influence.

Potential risks children may face when exposed to inappropriate online hate speech include:

a sense of inferiority and shame
hateful attitudes and beliefs about women that can have long-term impacts on the ability to develop healthy relationships
low self-esteem
desensitization to immoral ideas
exposure to scammers and those intending to exploit kids
mental health problems

Here’s What You Can Do

Andrew Tate is not the first and won’t be the last to spread dangerous rhetoric on the internet. Get equipped with the proper tools to help you and your children stay safe while surfing the wild web. Check out our most comprehensive parent and family course, our Screen Safety Essentials Course. This course provides you with parenting and family coaching videos, support, and other valuable information to help you build a safer screen home environment.

Thanks to CSUCI intern, Liliana Esquivel, for discussing the popular platform of Andrew Tate and detailing the risks that may be posed to children online.

I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.

Onward to More Awesome Parenting,

Tracy S. Bennett, Ph.D.
Mom, Clinical Psychologist, CSUCI Adjunct Faculty
GetKidsInternetSafe.com

Works Cited

Das, S. (2022). Inside the violent, misogynistic world of TikTok’s new star, Andrew Tate. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/aug/06/andrew-tate-violent-misogynistic-world-of-tiktok-new-star
Floate, C. (2022). Is Hustler’s University a Scam? An Opinion Review by a Digital Millionaire. CharlesFloate.com. https://www.charlesfloate.com/hustlers-university#:~:text=Is%20Hustlers%20University%20Legit%3F,University%202.0%20to%20other%20members.

Photo Credits

Photo by Jacobfg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/jacobfg/5656312591/)
Photo by (https://www.pond5.com/search?kw=views-counter&media=footage)
Photo by Antonio Guillem (https://www.istockphoto.com/photos/low-self-esteem)

Popular Tiktok Trend “Reality Shifting” May Impact Teen Mental Health

November 4, 2022 by Liliana Esquivel

Tiktok is a massively popular app that has been downloaded over three billion times with 60% of those users between the ages of 16-24.[1] Because teens make up the majority of users, they are susceptible to exposure to harmful trends on the platform. Reality shifting is one of these trends. The hashtag #shifting on TikTok has received 9.1 billion views. This trend may seem harmless at first glance. But if you take a second look, it turns out to be a double-edged sword. Today’s GKIS article explains reality shifting and breaks down how popular internet trends can affect your child’s mental health. You can help educate your teen on how to use social media in a safe and positive way with our Social Media Readiness Course. With a steeply discounted price, it’s worth every penny.

What is reality shifting?

Reality shifting, or shifting, is a process of allowing your consciousness to move from one reality to another. Many allege that the realities they are shifting to are real. But the majority of people in the shifting community admit that it’s similar to lucid dreaming but more vivid and realistic.

There are several ways people claim to shift, but they all essentially include meditation and the need for the individual to be in a peaceful environment where they can focus.

One well-known technique is called the raven method. This method has you lie down in a starfish position and count to 100 while picturing your desired reality. A second common way to shift is named the Alice in Wonderland method where you imagine yourself chasing after someone from your desired reality and jumping down a rabbit hole with them.

The authoring or scripting of a dream or desired reality, often referred to as DRs on TikTok, is a crucial component of shifting. Shifters write their lives within DRs. Hogwarts is an example of a very common DR in the shifting community. Scripting includes how the individual looks, who they interact with, and how they behave.

From Coping Strategy to Unhealthy Obsession

Many shifters say they are seeking a way to escape a world that is getting more hectic, suggesting that building the perfect world and living there helps one avoid real-life and mental health problems.

In an interview with Insider Mallory Grimste, an adolescent therapist, stated, “The idea of imagining or visualizing yourself in a different reality can be a very healthy coping strategy for many.” and that “many therapists will often help their clients create their own ‘calm, safe space’ to visualize when they need to re-regulate difficult emotional responses and experiences.”

However, some teens have made numerous Tiktok videos detailing how they shift for 15 hours at a time and wish they could exist only in their desired reality. They have also admitted that shifting had a negative impact on their mental health. One teen stated that she stopped shifting because it became an obsession. She claimed that, because she was continually focused on her dream reality, she “stopped liking things” in day-to-day existence.

In an interview with Insider, Professor of psychology Phillip Reid of Cardiff University in Wales claims that reality shifting can cause people to become disconnected from reality. He said that this could be a “predictor of psychosis.” He also explains how younger people without a strong sense of self may be in danger of adopting numerous new identities because they can become estranged from reality.

How You Can Help

As long as teens are on the internet, they will be subject to popular online trends that may be harmful to their health and well-being. But with Dr. B’s Screen Safety Essentials Course, you can strengthen family bonds and create healthy screen time. This course offers beneficial parenting information in the form of short videos and colorful downloads. Learn how to connect closer as a family so you can be well-prepared to prevent and handle the risks that come with being online!

Thanks to CSUCI intern, Liliana Esquivel, for explaining the popular Tiktok trend, “reality shifting” and discussing how viral internet trends can affect your teen’s mental health.

I’m the mom psychologist who will help you GetKidsInternetSafe.

Onward to More Awesome Parenting,

Tracy S. Bennett, Ph.D. Mom, Clinical Psychologist,
CSUCI Adjunct Faculty
GetKidsInternetSafe.com

Works Cited

[1] Doyle, B. (2022). TikTok Statistics – Updated Oct 2022. Wallaroomedia. https://wallaroomedia.com/blog/social-media/tiktok-statistics/#:~:text=U.S.%20Audience%20%E2%80%93%20As%20we%20mentioned,between%20the%20ages%2025%2D44.

Photo Credits

Pawel szvmanski (https://unsplash.com/photos/BPxS6IZkqHE )

Steije Hillewaert (https://unsplash.com/photos/CAv2AmCwMAw )

Uday Mittal (https://unsplash.com/photos/bwKtz4YVtmA )

Sextortion Scammers Targeting the LGBTQ+ Community

May 21, 2022 by Mackenzie Morrow

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.

T hanks 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.