Teens Spreading Pics – Moral Panic Over Social Media

A young girl spreads her legs and poses for a photo, with stuffed animals appearing around her.

Even though most people understand that sharing nude images of children on social media is illegal, incidents still arise where this happens. Teenagers in particular may not understand that using apps that enable them to convert clothed pictures of real kids into fake nude images violate child pornography laws and can lead to legal consequences for themselves and the users of such apps.

Another moral crisis among teens involves Snapchat “sexting,” the practice of sending sexually suggestive text or smartphone application messages and images to other individuals via text or smartphone application. Unfortunately, parents cannot control who their teenagers are communicating with or what information is shared amongst peers.

Communication platforms make it easy for predators to gain access to private and personal information from teenagers, which they can then use against them for blackmail or exploit them financially. Sextortion is a serious crime which leaves victims feeling alone, ashamed and powerless.

Social media posts by teenagers can have an adverse effect on their mental health, leading them down the path toward anxiety or depression. Posting inappropriate material due to stress or bad mood could prove costly in the future. They could also become targets of bullying, racism and other forms of discrimination or hate on social media – an experience which may leave them feeling anxious and even suicidal.