As young people tend to spend a lot of time online, they are becoming more and more influenced by the digital world and prone to many dangers. Several shocking cases have emerged as many single teenagers fail to draw a line between the virtual sphere and the real world.

Experts recalled cases they had encountered where teenagers faced real danger online, advising parents to be more vigilant and think about the reasons that made their children find solace online.

A child psychiatrist in Dubai has told how he treated a young patient who started living as a character in an online game. “She was so addicted to the game that she started feeling the trauma of that character and acting like that,” said Dr CB Binu, chief psychiatrist and medical director at Al Fasht Medical Centre. “It’s been a few years, but he still hasn’t fully recovered from his illness.”

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According to Dr. Binu, lonely and vulnerable young people often turn to the digital world or online “friends” for comfort and relatedness. His comments come after a Florida mother filed a lawsuit against an artificial intelligence chatbot startup, accusing it of causing her 14-year-old son’s suicide in February. She claims the boy became so addicted and attached to the “frighteningly realistic” chatbot that he didn’t want to live without it.

Dr CB Binu, Chief Psychiatrist and Medical Director at Al Fasht Medical Center

Dr. Binu said the case reminded him of the Blue Whale challenge that swept the online world a few years ago. The challenge, which began as an innocent game, went on to encourage participants to self-harm before eventually asking them to kill themselves. “The most important factor in this challenge was that it targeted people who were already vulnerable,” he said. “Similarly, online fraudsters and things like these chatbots prey on vulnerable people, ultimately pushing them to the brink.”

Digital escape

According to Antony Bainbridge, clinical director at Resicare Alliance, an in-patient service for young people with mental health and behavioral problems, the internet provides a “seemingly easy escape” from real-life problems for many teenagers.

“Children and young people may turn to online platforms where they can meet strangers, looking for validation or connection when they are alone,” he said. “Their isolation may result from factors such as school bullying or family issues such as divorce, busy parents or strained family dynamics, or pandemic-related changes that have disrupted social activities and routines, making children more reliant on digital interactions. Each of these factors may increase the risk of suicidal ideation in this population group.”

Antony Bainbridge, Clinical Director at Resicare Alliance

Teen Coach and neuroscience trainer Madhumita Adhya said that young people often refuse to talk to their friends, parents or teachers, but will open up to strangers. “These students are more likely to open up virtually to AI-generated characters who can offer them friendship than people they know,” she said. “Teenagers’ prefrontal cortex is just developing, so any form of praise works wonders, and I can’t see how their brains can be manipulated by virtual characters. Specifically, receptors for the “happiness hormones” oxytocin and dopamine multiply in a part of the brain called the ventral striatum, making teenagers more sensitive to attention and admiration from others.

Teen Coach and Neuroscience Trainer, Madhumita Adhya

Parents must be vigilant

Dr. Binu said it is essential for parents to remain vigilant about their children’s online activities. “It’s amazing how naive parents can be about fingerprinting their children,” he said. “I often see parents who are at the top of their careers and are extremely smart, but don’t know how to keep their kids safe online. When giving their children access to a device, parents must constantly monitor what they are doing on it. That’s not negotiable.”

He shared the case of a young man who befriended a boy online thinking he was her age, so she started sending him compromising photos. “It wasn’t until the police contacted them that the family realized it,” he said. “However, the ‘boy’ was a gang that operated illegal websites and several of the girl’s photos were posted on them. If the police hadn’t been so vigilant and cracked down on these evil evils, the family probably would never have found out.”

Anthony added that parents are often unaware of the risks their children face online. “Without proper supervision, children and young people can easily access chat rooms, forums or social media platforms where strangers can offer them attention or support. This creates opportunities for manipulation by online predators who can exploit children’s vulnerabilities and unregulated conversations where children can share personal information, compromising their safety.”

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Nasreen Abdulla

Nasreen Abdulla is a special correspondent covering food, technology and human interest stories. When she’s not challenged by deadlines, you’ll find her replaying submissions on the jiu jitsu mats.