Secret Lives of Teens Online

How are teens groomed online, even when they have loving, involved parents?

I was groomed online as a teen by multiple adults, even though my parents did many of the things parents are told to do to keep their kids safe.

This episode is different from my usual episodes. It started as a private voice note to my coach about why I became an internet safety expert. But as I started talking, I ended up telling the fuller story of my child...

Should kids be banned from social media until they’re 16?

I think we’re asking the wrong question.

I believe delaying social media can absolutely be part of protecting kids online. But simply keeping your child off Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, or another platform until a certain age doesn’t automatically prepare them for what happens when they eventually get online.

In this episode of Secret Lives of Teens Online, I ...

Online grooming doesn’t always feel scary to a teen. At first, it can feel like friendship, connection, acceptance, and finally finding someone who understands you.

So how does online grooming actually start? And how can parents recognize the warning signs before their teen realizes something is wrong?

In this episode of Secret Lives of Teens Online, I share what being groomed online actually felt like for me as a teen, includi...

Your story matters and I want to hear it.

In this episode, I invite you to share your experiences growing up online, including the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful parts of your digital life.

Maybe you formed a lifelong friendship through an online game. Maybe you lived a double life, experienced online grooming, or faced predatory behavior or exploitation. Whatever your story, you deserve a safe space to be heard.

The Secret Lives of ...

Why am I finally sharing my story of being groomed online as a child?

In this episode, I explain what led me to speak publicly about the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful parts of my secret life online. I reflect on the guilt and shame I carried, the memories I buried, and the safe spaces that helped me understand I was not alone...and that what happened was not my fault.

I also explore why parents need to show up as human beings, share...

At 16, I was preparing to leave home and meet a man I had met through an online game. I had been talking to him for months, and although some of his behavior made me uncomfortable, I didn’t fully understand that I was being groomed.

Then I told my mother.

In this episode, I share the conversation that became the beginning of the end of my double life online. Instead of reacting with anger, punishment, or fear, my mother stayed ...

Why do teens hide parts of their online lives from their parents...even when they are loved, supported, and cared for?

In this first episode, I (CyberFareedah) share my personal story of living a double life online, being groomed as a child, and feeling unable to talk to my parents about what I was experiencing. I explore why traditional internet safety conversations can make teens feel judged, monitored, or misunderstood and how pa...