Confronting the Dangers of Social Media

My son, Levi, and his older brother were both the kind of kids every parent dreams about raising. Levi was following his older brother’s example by being active in sports. He spent hours playing baseball, football, basketball, and golf. His brother was most recently teaching him fly fishing and archery.

I can still see him when I close my eyes: his shades flipped up, scripture on his sleeve, ready to play hard, and support his teammates. He had his favorite Bible verse embroidered into his baseball glove.

Philippians 4:13 –  “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

He was not only a great teammate, but a great example to others. He had a sense of wisdom and respect far beyond his 13 years. He was a straight-A student who excelled in everything he tried, both on and off the field.

Even as far back as kindergarten, his teacher said Levi was a born leader. He proved it throughout his entire life, living boldly yet humbly, being kind to others, and always supporting his family, friends, and teammates above himself.

His midget football coach shared with me that coaching Levi made him feel like a better coach. He had a world of possibilities in front of him.

That all changed in the blink of an eye when Levi lost his life on August 20, 2024. Days later, police officers informed us that Levi was a victim of sextortion. I remember telling the officers I didn’t even know what that word meant.

Levi was a brand-new user of Instagram. We didn’t know it at the time, but the evil lurking on the other side of his phone screen was highly sophisticated and targeted to infect and warp young minds.

I wish with all my heart we knew then what we know now about the dangers online. Social media currently is not safe by design; it is addictive by design.

Levi was deeply loved by a supportive and nurturing family, deeply involved in his community, and had more friends than he could count. He was the last person you’d expect to fall victim to this terrible crime. If it can happen to our family, it truly can happen to anyone.

Our society is undergoing rapid change. Many parents in my age group were raised in households built on playdates, family functions and other healthy, face-to-face interaction. Today, children are being raised in a screen-based environment, made vulnerable to the priorities of an unchecked industry prioritizing engagement over human life – and we all are worse off from it.

The FBI reports that 1 in 7 children has been targeted with unwanted sexual advances online, and the number of reports of these crimes is skyrocketing. There is ample evidence to suggest social media use inhibits brain development and creativity of young minds that are not equipped to handle that world. A recent survey found that 70% of young people feel worse about themselves after using social media. 

These stats aren’t just troubling. They are a call to action.

Resources are available to help spread awareness of the pervasive nature of this problem. The FBI, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Attorney General and many other law enforcement agencies have informational pages and campaigns centered around preventing sextortion, cyberbullying, and other social media harms.

I’ve found Nicki Petrossi’s Scrolling 2 Death podcast especially informative and sobering, as well as Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation. These should be required reading and listening for parents and caretakers before deciding whether to allow their kids to use social media. 

Some of our policymakers are waking up to the dangers, too. Former state Sen. Ryan Aument led efforts to keep cell phones out of schools. Sen. Scott Martin and others are now working to designate a week specifically for social media safety and parental awareness.

I hope we can go even further with steps like ensuring digital literacy curriculum in schools, and someday take the real actions necessary to hold the perpetrators and facilitators of this abuse responsible for the damage they’ve caused through their inaction and willful neglect.

We face a future that is uncertain, but we do know this for sure: evil is here to stay. The only way we fight it is by rebuilding with good.

Even with all these resources available, it’s important to realize this information is only as good as the number of people who have it in their hands. 

Everybody in a child’s life – parents, teachers, school officials, youth counselors, aunts and uncles, grandparents, scout leaders, and more – has a responsibility to be educated, make informed decisions, and give kids the tools they need to stay safe when they do go online.

That’s my challenge to everyone reading this: do something, anything to raise awareness of this problem. The life you save might be one you can’t imagine living without.