Youth at Risk

Children and adolescents are spending more and more time in front of their screens. But are they aware of the dangers of these virtual worlds? 

To look like the stars of social networks, many young girls turn to cosmetic surgery, sometimes to the point of obsession. Elena, 21, has already hada breast augmentation and liposuction and is about to have her eighth lip filler injection. She sees it as something completely normal as surgery is constantly promoted by the online influencers she follows. 

At 14  Louna started an online relationship with another teenager. But when she decided to leave him a few years later, he took revenge by sharing nude photos of her on the social networks. “My photos were absolutely everywhere, even on porn sites, until I ended up trending number one on a porn site.” Louna filed a complaint almost a year ago, but these photos continue to circulate on the internet. 

Cases of cyberbullying have soared and social networks have also become the hunting ground for dealers, who sell their drugs directly on their customers’ mobile phones. And for some, video games are a drug. Nearly one in 10 young players are addicted to screens. Augustin, 13, spends nearly ten hours a day on his video games. He no longer goes out and his father doesn’t know how to help him.