More than 40% of young people admit that they have watched videos on this topic before the age of 18 How to make money on digital platforms that sell sexual content 2.5% stated that they did this in exchange for some type of financial compensation or gifts. In fact, one in three minors consider it a legitimate way to make money.
This is data from the report Self-exposure trap Published on Monday by Save the Children, it analyzes the dynamics of sexual exploitation in the digital environment and the platforms that facilitate it, such as They are called websites Sugar dating u justfans Which provides access to content created by users themselves, allowing content creators to get paid. According to the survey conducted with more than 1,000 young people, 2.5% of the young people interviewed claimed to have received some type of compensation, gift or service for erotic or sexual material in which they appeared, while they were minors. That means it One in 40 young people has had a direct experience of exploitation Digital sex before the age of 18
Furthermore, 14.4% responded that they knew someone who had done so, and more than 45% of boys and 49% of girls surveyed found themselves underage, Advertising on social networks that I talked about Sugar dating As a positive thing. These types of platforms are presented, specifically, as a contractual relationship between an adult, resourceful man, generally over 50 years of age (which is called Sugar daddy), and a little girl (sugar baby)based on the exchange of companionship or sexual relations for money, gifts, or other material benefits. Seven out of 10 did not identify selling sexual content online as a form of exploitation In the case of boys, this percentage exceeds 75%.
As the organization highlighted, the phenomenon of digital hyperexposure in childhood and adolescence is a form of sexual exploitation, Even when it can be considered a practice initiated by children and adolescents themselvesand present themselves under discourses of voluntariness or supposed empowerment. Save the Children also confirms that the Civil Guard and the National Police have identified these platforms as a gateway to prostitution.
The report indicates that nearly 30% of young people surveyed believe that those who sell this content earn “a lot of money” and 32% believe it is a “legitimate means of generating income.” Half of the youth indicated that they had seen Influencers Or creators “promote or speak favorably about OnlyFans or similar platforms” and 40% claim to have received messages from strangers suggesting they sell their intimate content or engage in similar dynamics.
“But the risks are huge, From sexual assault, online harassment, blackmail and cyberbullyingeven recruitment through trafficking networks. “This teaches girls that their value depends on their sexualization, while for boys it reinforces controlling masculinity,” Save the Children’s regional impact and development director, Catalina Perazzo, warned. She added: “We are facing a phenomenon that does not consist of isolated cases, but is spreading, and what is worse is that it is returning to normal.”
Given this scenario, Save the Children has asked the government that the new draft organic law on the protection of minors in digital environments be legislated so that all platforms establish mandatory rules. Age verification and content monitoring systems There is a ban on advertising in these digital spaces. They also ask that it include compulsory education that helps teens identify risks and build healthy, equal relationships.
Social platforms and networks They have a crucial role in dissemination and normalization Of these practices. “It is essential to hold them accountable to ensure a safe digital environment for children and teens.”