A Teen in Danger: What Would You Do?
Meet 16-year-old “Maria”. She can’t wait to meet a guy of her age who she’s been chatting to online. But when “Brian” rocks up for their date at a local café, he’s far from how he presented himself, and much older…
This highly sensitive topic is inspired by a video from “What would you do?”, an ABC News series that uses hidden cameras to capture how ordinary people respond to simulated dilemmas.
In the video, we see how other diners in the café react on overhearing the uncomfortable conversation between “Maria” and the older man. It’s an experiment outside of science, but it does raise some essential questions around protecting the young people in our lives from online predators.
We wanted to introduce the topic on the Expat Nest blog to raise awareness. This isn’t an easy discussion, but it’s important – and not just for parents. I believe it’s a must-see for all of us; after all, any young person in our lives could be affected (a younger sibling, niece or nephew, your best friend’s child). It could also be you sitting in that café, feeling uneasy about what’s going down.
How would you react? Would you intervene?
While I was watching the video several thoughts came to mind:
How can we protect our children, at home, at school, in our communities, as they spend more time in online interactions? How do we raise teens’ awareness of the image they are projecting of themselves on the web? And will the video be effective at warning people – both teens and bystanders – about online predators?
What do you think of the video? There’s so much to talk about! Share your thoughts below.
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And do feel free to share this article with someone who has a teen in their close family or network and would appreciate the issues raised here.
Photo: Nastya Gepp / Pixabay
