youth

I have strong feelings against abuse. And when I see young people falling for simple tricks and ending up as victims, I have to speak up.

Internet has revolutionized the way we communicate and how we network between people. I should know, I use tools like LinkedIn, Xing and Facebook actively. In a market there will always be companies that pushes the line. In Norway, one such site is Camfight / Penest.no, which I have covered in the past.

Last week, a girl was featured on national TV. Her story is as follows:

When she was 14, she met a guy on Internet. The boy was a couple of years older, and convinced her to strip for him on webcam. The girl was in love, and believe him to be too. She obeyed his request.

As soon as the stripping was done, the boy ended all contact. Some time later, the video with the girl stripping shows up on Internet. Without her consent.

Her friend turned their back to her, and she ended up having to relocate and change her name.

As tragic as this is, this kind of stories are only starting to surface. When you are young, you do not have the experience, knowledge and understanding necessary to safely use the technology. He*k, many adults lack the very same requirements.

To add to experience, "Line" got no support from her school nor from the police.

I believe that this serves to show how vulnerable young people are, and how wrong things can end up. It never pays to be naive. And when in doubt, say NO!