Manipulation
Psychological manipulation is a type of social influence that uses indirect, deceptive and unscrupulous tactics to change the behavior or perception of other people. Skilled manipulators play on emotions to control and influence others.
Exploitation
The use of the internet exposes young people to potential encounters with predators who use social media platforms and chat rooms to identify and lure victims.
Victimization
Young people are particularly vulnerable to coercion and are disproportionately targeted by online predators. Aggressive sexual solicitation, exposure to unwanted sexual material and harassment are just a few of the ways that young people are victimized online.
Disinformation
Disinformation is false or misleading information that is spread deliberately to deceive. This includes propaganda spread by foreign governments and non-state actors who use unwitting social media consumers to sow the seeds of distrust and discord.
Misinformation
This differs from disinformation in that it is inaccurate or false information that the originator believes to be true or it is opinion that is disguised as fact. The acceptance and dissemination of misinformation is often fueled by cognitive biases.
Radicalization
Research has shown that radicalization is driven by a desire to be relevant and respected. Social Media platforms are a breeding ground for hate and extremist ideology that give false power to disaffected individuals.
THE BEST DEFENSE IS EDUCATION
Together, we can increase awareness about the motives, methods and risks of manipulation and abuse online. We can empower young people to be smart social media consumers.
These influences are not only a threat to our children; they are also a threat to our democracy. The youth of today are growing up in a digital world where the average person spends more than 6 hours per day consuming online content. By educating young people about these influences, we can mitigate the associated risks and these SMMART young people will grow up to wise adults who are immune to social media manipulation and abuse.