GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — More than 95% of teenagers have access to smartphones, and many of them are on social media — and the Drug Enforcement Administration's Detroit Division says drug dealers are using those platforms to target children.
WATCH: DEA warns drug dealers are targeting teens on social media
A local organization called Protect Young Eyes has been educating parents about the dangers their children face online since 2014. I spoke with the group's founder to find out what parents can do to keep their families safe and drug-free this school year.
"When you have that much accessibility and that much ability to hide who you are, and what some of your intention is, the risks go up exponentially," Protect Young Eyes CEO Chris McKenna said.
The DEA says drug traffickers use social media platforms to advertise the sale of drugs through posts and disappearing stories, often accompanied by known code words and emojis. Those posts connect prospective buyers with dealers, where conversations then move to encrypted communication apps. Payment can be made through apps such as Venmo, Zelle, and Cash App, with delivery often as easy as dropping off a package to a front door.
McKenna said many parents he speaks with aren't aware of the features social media apps have or the preventative measures they can take on their child's devices.
"Listen, if we're going to hand our kids insane technology, then we have to do ridiculous intentional things as parents to stay one step ahead of these risks. Otherwise, we're taking a chance, and sometimes kids have paid with their lives," McKenna said.
Officials advise parents to turn on parental controls and to check their child's devices regularly for any unauthorized apps. They also say parents should check their child's app library and be on the lookout for vault apps that can hide messages and photos.
"Parents get in that phone, look at the apps they have, make sure you understand where hidden folders can be created," McKenna said. "This isn't a not trustworthy kid thing. This is a digital world that cannot be trusted that is coming after your kid."
The DEA published a series of videos designed to give parents information and skills they can use to educate themselves and keep their families safe from drugs and other harms on social media. Click here to watch.
Click here to see videos from the DEA designed to give parents information and skills they can use to educate themselves on how connections are made and what they can do.
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