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Submitted by Nicole Ne’Sher, Pediatric Researcher –
According to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Social Media and Youth Mental Health, the average time a child spends on social media is between 3.5 to 4.8 hours a day. 95% of youth ages 13-17 use social media. 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use smart phones.
If a child spends 3 hours or more on social media, they double the risk of anxiety and depression.
Social media use is also associated with altered body image and eating disorders.
A large study in the Journal of Human Development and Capabilities found that for every year a child under the age of 13 acquires a smart phone, there is a corresponding decrease in mental health and well-being. They also have problems with sleep disturbances and negative family relationships. This study was done in 163 countries. The research results were so alarming that they called for global restrictions for children under the age of 13.
Porn exposure: For states that do not have age restrictions, by the time a boy is 11 years of age, 94% and 63% of girls will be exposed to porn. Most porn exposure is accidental. A child does not have to look for it, it will find them! Today’s porn is not your grandfather’s Playboy! Today’s porn is brutal. 88% of porn contains violence against women. Today’s porn depicts actual gang rapes, sadomasochism, gay porn, trans porn, incest and child porn. When a child encounters porn, most will not tell their parents, they will look for more and will show it to their peers.
Sexual Groomers: According to the group, Enough is Enough, 40% of children grades 4th through 8th will have a conversation with a stranger online. 53% will give them their phone number. 21% will speak by phone. 15% will try to meet. 11% did meet, 6% gave their home address.
According to detective Patrick Crough, author of the book, The Serpents Among Us: How to Protect Your Children From Sexual Predators, “1 in 5 children will be sexually solicited, most within 24 hours.
The internet is a predator’s Trojan horse. The use of a smart phone in the hands of an unsupervised child is a grave liability. It greatly increases the risk of connecting with a sexual predator. They infiltrate chat rooms, gaming sites and other social media sites.”
According to one researcher: “Having a smart phone, tablet, laptop, or any other tech device in the bedroom is the strongest predictor of a child being exposed to obscene, violent material but also being exposed to a sexual predator.
Sexting/Sextortion: According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 20% of teens sext, 35% send and receive sexts, 15% forward sexts. Once something is on the internet it is
extremely hard to remove. One mother, her 13 year-old daughter was groomed and sent a sext to a man, it was put on the internet. When she requested for it to be removed, she was told by the particular website, it did not go against their policies! She had to get the federal government involved to have it removed! It is illegal to forward a sext. If a teen forwards a sext, they could be charged and have to register with the sex offender registration. According to a New York Times article, 25% of all sextortion cases leads to suicide.
The rise of Neo-Nazi websites and the occult: According to a recent article on jfeed.com, between 10/23 till mid 2025 there has been a 59% increase in Neo-Nazi/white supremacist clubs in the U.S. These “clubs” which are disguised as “fitness clubs” target vulnerable male youth ages 15-18. Teens are recruited using Tik Tok and Telegram. They use quotes by Hitler and other white supremacist ideologies.
According to USA Today witchcraft and Pagan religion are on the rise. Tik Tok has witchcraft tutorials, there is a site called, “witch Tok with 42 billion views. There are many podcasts dedicated to the occult. Stores such as Barnes and Nobles sell Ouija boards and Tarot cards. Major retailers such as Sephora and Urban Outfitters sell “spell books” and other paraphernalia related to the occult. In 2001 there were 134,000 practicing Wiccans/Pagan religions, now there are approximately 2 million and growing. The growth is mostly among young women.
What is a parent to do?
Here are some resources:
https://kidstoo.org. Great resource to protect your children from sexual predators. 90% which are known and trusted by the victims!
https://www.defendyoungminds.com. Has wonderful resources on keeping kids safe online.
The Book: Good Pictures Bad Pictures, Porn Proofing Today’s Young Kids by Kristen. A. Jenson PhD.
http://enough.org. A wonderful website that has resources, especially Internet 101. Every parent needs this!
https://www.ospray.org. Old School Parents Raising Engaged Youth. A website started by Erin Napier of Home Town fame. She offers resources, support and groups all over the country. To equip parents to raise their children social media free during childhood.
The Beautiful Side of Evil: Johanna Michaelsen, A book and You Tube podcast on the deception and dangers of the occult.
I’d like to end with a quote by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation; How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. “Keeping our kids away from Smart Phones is one of the smartest decisions a parent can make.”
One Response
Thanx.