MillionKids.org

The podcast content may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.Parents today grew up with technology. You may remember dial‑up internet, early cell phones, and the first social media platforms. Watching our teens online can feel like it’s just a matter of paying attention, using filters, and checking their phones.But that world is gone.THE WORLD WE KNOW HAS CHANGED completely and most adults have no idea what that means for protecting their child.Today’s teens are living inside the most sophisticated, complex technological environment humanity has ever created. They are navigating global communication, nonstop image sharing, and a digital universe where 5.5 billion people are online including some of the most dangerous criminal networks on earth.And those criminals aren’t just “out there.” They can be inside your child’s phone in seconds.If your teen’s social media isn’t private, anyone across the world can appear as a “friend of a friend,” armed with details about your child’s school, sports achievements, photos, and even your home. This episode of P3 Kids breaks down what families must understand about living online in a globally connected world and how to protect your kids in it. We explore:• What healthy vs. risky online interactions look like• How criminals use AI to build trust and impersonate familiarity• Why teens often don’t recognize exploitation until it’s too late• How families can build their own “online profile” to see what strangers see• The exploding crisis of financial sextortion targeting teens• Role‑playing strategies that help kids respond safely and confidentlyIt is time for families to be educated so they can protect themselves and their families. For more info and to donate to this 501(c)3 charity, you can reach Million Kids at: Website: https://MillionKids.org Email: [email protected] Be sure to follow and like our posts on: Facebook: iemillionkids

The podcast content may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.Shame is not the same as guilt.Guilt says, “I did something wrong — I can fix it.” Shame says, “I am bad — I’m ruined.”For fifteen years, Million Kids has worked with sextortion victims, and one truth stands out: most adults have no idea how devastating the trauma is. Once the incident is discovered, families often report it, have a hard conversation, and assume the crisis is over. But for the young person, it’s only beginning.Victims spiral through fear: Who saw the images? Will everyone find out? Will I lose my phone, my friends, my reputation? But beneath the fear is something far more dangerous: a prism of shame as the victim processes what happened.The belief that “I’m disgusting. I’m broken. No one will ever see me the same again.”That shame can lead to cutting, self‑harm, and in the most tragic cases, suicide attempts. This is why every adult involved, whether it is parents, pastors, teachers, counselors, or law enforcement, must understand the trauma that comes with sextortion. This is why, EVERYONE involved needs to understand the trauma that accompanies the crime of sextortion and assist the victim to get professional help.Victims need compassion, not blame.They need adults who recognize that shame is powerful, isolating, and life‑threatening.Million Kids has supported sextortion intervention cases for years, and we train professionals to understand the emotional, digital, and criminal dynamics at play. After listening to this P3 Kids podcast, the hope is that parents will recognize the urgency: a sextortion victim needs psychological support to break the cycles of fear and the crushing weight of the prism of shame, and to find a path back to safety, hope, and healing.For more info and to donate to this 501(c)3 charity, you can reach Million Kids at: Website: https://MillionKids.org Email: [email protected] Be sure to follow and like our posts on: Facebook: iemillionkids Instagram: millionkidsteen

The podcast content may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.What if one of the greatest dangers to your child online doesn't look dangerous at all?Grooming works because predators, pimps, pedophiles, traffickers, and overseas scammers know how to become something every person wants: a trusted friend. Today's offenders often have access to an incredible amount of information through social media, gaming platforms, public profiles, and even AI-powered tools. They can study interests, fears, insecurities, and dreams long before making contact.They don't start by asking for something. They start by offering something.A listening ear. A compliment. Validation. Attention. A sense of belonging.When predators groom a child or vulnerable person online, they rarely reveal everything at once. Instead, they provide just enough information to spark curiosity and create an emotional connection. They offer pieces of a story and allow the target to fill in the blanks with their own hopes, dreams, and fantasies. The victim begins to imagine the friendship, relationship, or future they desperately want to believe is real.That is the power of grooming. The fantasy becomes their own.In this episode of the P3 Kids Podcast, expert Opal Singleton takes a deep dive into how grooming actually works, why intelligent and well-loved children can still become vulnerable, and how parents can recognize the warning signs before a crisis occurs. Most importantly, the podcast explores how families can help young people unpack the fantasy that a predator has carefully helped them build.Because when parents enter a tug-of-war with a teenage fantasy, they often lose. But when they understand the emotional needs being exploited and learn how to guide their child through those feelings with trust, empathy, and strong relationships, everything changes.Join us as we uncover the hidden psychology of grooming and equip parents with practical tools to help their children make safe, healthy, and empowered decisions online. For more info and to donate to this 501(c)3 charity, you can reach Million Kids at: Website: https://MillionKids.orgEmail: [email protected] sure to follow and like our posts on:Facebook: iemillionkidsInstagram: millionkidsteen

The podcast content may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.In a globally connected world where teenagers talk to chatbots, build friendships with strangers they’ll never meet, and live inside a digital universe of 5.5 billion people, one truth rises above all others: character matters.Today’s teens are growing up in a reality shaped by advanced technology. This is a world that feels limitless, anonymous, and consequence‑free. But the moment a young person drops their values, the consequences become very real.  Even more critical is that individuals, organizations, criminal enterprises and political groups will use online relationships, apps, videos, and gaming chatrooms, to access, groom and influence their thinking.This episode of P3Kids dives into what it means to build character in a digital age.  We talk about specific projects families can do together to strengthen their character foundation as a family.-     Putting values in writing: Who are you? What do you stand for? What do you believe to be true?-       Understanding your online reputation: What does the internet say about you and your family?-       Making good choices when no one is watching: Because privacy is an illusion online.-       Owning your mistakes: And learning how to recover with integrity.We explore why character matters in every digital interaction, whether it is with friends, with strangers, with romantic interests, and even with chatbots that quietly collect and share personal information. We talk about the risks teens facetoday including deepfakes, hackers and groomers, criminal networks and sextortion.We break down how predators exploit loneliness, how flirting online is often just a trap, and why values are the only real protection a young person has when the digital world tries to pull them in every direction at once.This episode challenges families to sit down together and define what matters in writing. Because in a world where everything is connected, character is the one thing that keepsyou grounded.For more info and to donate to this 501(c)3 charity, you can reach Million Kids at: Website: https://MillionKids.org Email: [email protected] Be sure to follow and like our posts on: Facebook: iemillionkids Instagram: millionkidsteen

The podcast content may contain sensitive topics. Listenerdiscretion is advised.This may be the most important digital‑safetyconversation you may ever have with your teenager.  Artificial intelligence and global internet access havecompletely changed sexting, online relationships, and the risks young people face when sharing images, whether “partial” nudes, full nudes and even fully clothed images. Before parents can guide their teens, they must understandthese changes themselves.A recent research study from the University of Wisconsin–EauClaire revealed a sobering truth: 1 in 4 teens have received a sext, and 1 in 4 have sent one. At the same time, the United States has now seen approximately 44 cases of financial sextortion involving boys ages 13 to 17 who died bysuicide after being targeted by overseas criminal organizations. These criminals, operating from places like Nigeria and Myanmar, pose as a “cute girl,” send a photo, and coax a teen into sharing a nude. It doesn’t takemuch. Once they have even a fragment of an image, blackmail can begin. The threats are relentless. The psychological torture isunimaginable. And our kids are not prepared for it.When you hand your child a phone, you’re not just givingthem a device, you are connecting them to 5.5 billion people, including cartelsand organized crime groups who use AI to look exactly like your teen’s new bestfriend.This P3Kids Podcast episode gives you the tools, language,and confidence to have a healthy, enlightened, and protective conversation with your family. You’ll learn how to explain the new digital risks in a way your teen can understand and be able to act on it.An informed teen is far less likely to fall prey to sextortion but that starts with an informed parent.Your child’s safety begins with your knowledge.This episode helps you start the conversation that couldsave their life.Sign up for the free weekly MillionKids.org eblast with REAL stories, REAL trends, REAL tactics, and REAL ways to protect your family.Website: https://MillionKids.orgEmail: [email protected] sure to follow and like our posts on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IEMillionKidsInstagram: https://instagram.com/MillionKidsTeen

On this episode of the Protect & Prevent Podcast (P3 Kids), Opal Singleton Hendershot of MillionKids.org, one of the leading voices in keeping kids safe from predators, looks at the most important conversation you can have with your teen and what to say.You are holding one of the most powerful devices in human history. A phone or tablet isn’t just a gadget, it’s a doorway to more than five billion people around the world. No generation before you has ever had this kind of access, influence, or opportunity.And I’m giving it to you because I believe in you.I trust your judgment.I trust your character.I trust the choices you will make when no one is watching. Every click, every comment, every message shapes how the world sees you and how you see yourself. Your digital reputation is your choice. Online, you will meet people who inspire you and people who will try to influence you. Some will tell thetruth. Some will lie. Some will use deepfakes, pressure, or manipulation to get what they want. But you get to choose: what you believe, what you share, what you reject and who you become.When you see someone being bullied, blackmailed, or humiliated online, you have a choice. You can pile on or you can show empathy, knowing that with deepfake technology, anyone could be targeted next. You can delete harmful images… or you can spread them and add to someone’s pain. Empathy or cruelty, you get to choose.Your choices matter. They shape the digital world you live in.At the same time, the most powerful words you will ever hear are the ones you say to yourself. If you believe you are strong, capable, and valuable, you are more likely to act like it. If you believe you are unlovable or alone, you become vulnerable to anyone who offers attention. Never hand your self‑worth to strangers online.You are valuable because you decide you are valuable.As your parent, I will monitor your online world but you’re smart. You know how to get around things. That’s why trust matters more than filters. I trust you to make the right choices. I trust you to come to me if something goes wrong. And I promise to stay calm, listen, and work through it with you.You are the first generation with this kind of power. Never before has a young person had so much opportunity for good or for harm. And the choice is yours.And I believe you will choose well. For more info and to donate tothis 501(c)3 charity, you can reach Million Kids at:Website: https://MillionKids.orgEmail: [email protected] sure to follow and like our posts on:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IEMillionKidsInstagram: https://instagram.com/MillionKidsTeen

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)Many times parents find it difficult to talk with their teen about the risks of online communication. The teen is often defensive (fearing they may lose access to their device). Or they may meet you with "Oh Mom/Dad, I will know if I am being catfished". Or even worse, "you just don't understand". Parents often say it is like they are talking to a brick wall. They are concerned for their child and yet know they are a good young person who means well (most of the time), but with all the changes taking place in technology, how can the parent be sure they won't be exploited? For those of you who follow Million Kids weekly "In the News" articles we are all acutely aware that the risks of being exploited online whether you are a teen or an adult, has never been greater. During this podcast we will explore some of the ways to have productive and eye opening dialogue with your family to help them understand the world they live in. We will discuss some of the new technologies and what to look out for and how to share it in a positive and thought provoking way with the young people in your life.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)**IF YOU KNOW A TEENAGER WHO IS USING CHARACTER AI OR OTHER CHARACTER BASED CHAT BOT AND YOU HAVE NOT USED IT – YOU MUST HEAR THIS PODCAST**Multiple research reports indicate that more than HALF of U.S. teenagers use Character AI or other character based chatbot daily, most often on their cell phone. Most adults are completely oblivious about how character chatbots work. Besides Character.AI, there are apps like Chai/AI, Anima/AI, TavernAI and Replika. Users create personas like celebrities, historical characters or design their own characters. Character AI is different from ChatGPT and other AI applications. Character AI can detect emotions from your input and respond, adjusting their tone based on what you say.Many young users interviewed indicated they use the chat bot because they are lonely or have social issues and turned to chatbots because they felt it was safer. In our opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. The Million Kids team has spent hundreds of hours researching the impact of interactive character bots once they saw that these app companies are being sued by parents of teens who took their own lives after interacting with these bots. We have very grave concerns about anyone under the age of 18 using these apps. As our research team interacted with the top ten characters on Character AI we found the most popular are related to sorcery or character attitudes degrading the user. Language used often included “bow down to me you fool”, with over 393 Million interactions, Alice the Bully, or lets consult our crystal ball. Parents, teachers, pastors, this is an important educational discussion. Please find out if a child you might influence is using Character AI as a means of escaping reality. Ask them to share the app with you and then get involved in a meaningful discussion related to self-worth, defining values, and how we are influenced by outsiders. Our suggestion is that working together, finding alternative activities that are much more wholesome, and builds self esteem and REAL character. This app is dangerous to kids who are easily influenced or do not have the maturity to delineate bot relationships from reality.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.) Character AI and other character based interactive chat bots are now a way of life for many teenagers. Yet, few adults have any working knowledge of these technologies and even more concerning the negative impact they can have on young people. This is a major concern as there have been multiple situations where a teen becomes so engaged with a character they develop hostile, and abusive attitudes and in a couple of cases have taken their own lives. It is critical that parents and youth influencers of all types immediately make the time to try this technology and learn about the impact on the young people in their lives. Research indicates that over 70% of teens have used Character AI and more than 50% use it every day. Those teens that are using it often spend one to two hours a day interacting with an online fictitious character. Many teens are emotionally involved with their character and will share their most personal secrets. Multiple interviews with teens who are regularly interacting with an AI character say they are doing so because they are lonely, a real life social misfit or are bored. 41% of users interact with ai characters for emotional support or companionship. Users are 3.2 times more likely to disclose personal information to an AI character than to a human stranger online. During this podcast we will explore some of the characters and the type of dialogue that is exchanged between the chat bot and young people. Researchers at Million Kids were stunned by the constant negative dialogue between many of the most popular characters and young impressable users. We implore parents, teachers, pastors and anyone interacting with teens and preteens, to listen to the podcast and get engaged so they are informed and can discuss character ai usage with teens.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)This is the first installment in a critical new series exploring the rise of AI chatbots among teens — with a spotlight on a recent research study conducted by Heat Initiative and ParentsTogether Action. We are deeply grateful for their investment in uncovering how young people are interacting with AI-powered characters, and the alarming risks that can result — including psychological harm, manipulation, and in some tragic cases, real-life consequences.Read the research summary (via Mashable) at https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/characterai-unsafe-for-teens-experts-say/ar-AA1LQw5z**Key stats:**72% of teens have used AI chatbotsOver half use them multiple times a monthCharacter.AI boasts over 28 million monthly users, with more than 18 million unique chatbots created.Many parents aren't aware this is not a passing trend. It’s a digital revolution unfolding in the pockets of our kids and often unsupervised. Character.AI is one of the world’s most popular AI chatbot platforms. It allows users to engage in deep, ongoing conversations with AI personas — including celebrities, fictional characters, or completely original bots designed to feel like digital friends or companions. It’s open to anyone aged 13 and up and verification is weak and easily bypassed.For many teens, these bots become more than a game. They become confidants. Advisors. Romantic interests. And while some interactions are harmless, others escalate often quickly and dangerously. When a child forms an emotional bond with a chatbot that simulates affection, validation, or intimacy, it creates an altered psychological reality. The child may become dependent, manipulated, or traumatized when the bot “ghosts,” behaves inappropriately, or feeds unhealthy beliefs. In some tragic cases, these interactions have contributed to real psychological distress and even self-harm.If you’re a parent, teacher, pastor, or first responder, anyone who works with youth in any capacity, and you haven't explored platforms like Character.AI, we strongly urge you to learn about them now. These apps are not fringe or niche. They are everywhere, and your child, student, or congregant may already be engaging with them. Educate yourself, talk to your teens, and follow this series as we unpack this growing phenomenon.We’re not here to spread fear. We’re here to educate and spark urgency, awareness, and action. Artificial Intelligence isn’t going away. But we can prepare our children to navigate it with wisdom, guidance, and boundaries.