Did you know that 61 percent of all teenagers who have sent nude images admit that they were pressured to do it at least once? While we think that our nude images or videos are private, that's not always the case. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy states that 17 percent of people who receive nude images share what they receive and 55 percent of those receivers share the photos with more than one person.
Growing up, my mom always warned me about "stranger danger." Growing up in the online world we live in, I never thought that this "stranger danger" applied to the internet because being online is a part of how we communicate with our friends on a daily basis. 53 percent of people use more than 10 apps a day. While most of the apps are safe, some of them aren't. I never knew the dangers of using some apps until best friend experienced the real dangers of using them.
This is Brianna's story: "The biggest lesson I have learned in my young life is that the internet is a very dangerous place. Even though I had to learn the hard way, I feel like it gave purpose to my life. The internet is way much worse than the things you may see scrolling through your Facebook feeds. When I was an innocent, desperate, curious child, I was so lonely. So, naturally, I decided that since the internet must be reliable so I decided I will find friends online. As soon as I posted I was bored or lonely; not ten, not twenty, but hundreds of men from 15-70 years old started messaging me. They started asking me for obscene pictures of my body. Then men I met online began asking me to meet up with them. So, I took it, I sent those pictures and met up over and over again. And in the end, I ended up feeling worthless and sad. I was taking any and all attention I could, from anywhere and anyone. After not much time, all the pictures started piling up and my innocence was thinning quickly. I was a lost, confused, and such a hateful girl. After six months of being online, I decided everyone hated me, so I ran away. I figured that I couldn’t love myself and that I needed a man. I didn’t know what to do or who to turn to at this point. I was alone. It took me almost two years to pick myself up, and it hurt beyond measure. I had to find and fight my way through it; it was one of the hardest things I have ever went through. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I couldn’t have made it without my God. I finally realized that I needed to get myself together. And with a lot of hard work, I found my way through. I am now happy to say that I know now to love myself, I am capable of being happy single, and I strive for success. My advice to you: be careful of how you use the internet because it can have plenty of consequences. For example, I lost friends, I missed prom, and many more important events and milestones to this day. So, parents and teens, be careful. The internet is not a joke. Bad people are really out there, waiting for someone like you. So it’s OK to be extra careful."
I downloaded Kik Messenger, and I decided to try it out. I'm almost 19 and it wouldn't have been the same as when she did it. So I used a picture of when I was around 13 or 14. I went on an app on the app Kik and simply put, "Im soooo bored. Any1 want 2 talkk?" In less than an hour I received over 175 messages from guys around the world. I have posted the results below:
Because that's obviously what you would ask a 14 year old girl.
The internet is an amazing place if you use it right, don't get hurt.
