Episode 10: AI and Latest Research - Deepfakes Sharenting and the Psychology of Scams

This podcast episode translates critical research on children’s online safety into an accessible conversation for nonprofit leaders, educators, policymakers, and advocates working to protect children in an increasingly digital world. Drawing on multiple peer-reviewed studies, the episode explores the growing risks associated with internet use—including digital kidnapping, deepfakes, online grooming, cyberbullying, phishing, and the long-term consequences of “sharenting,” where parents and caregivers share children’s images and personal information online. Based on the Journal of Nonprofit Innovation (JoNI), September 2023 issue, which focuses on Online Protection Laws for Children, this episode synthesizes research examining how emerging technologies and social media practices can compromise children’s privacy, safety, and well-being. The studies highlight how children’s digital footprints are formed early, how manipulated images and videos can be weaponized through deepfake technology, and how gaps in policy enforcement leave children vulnerable across regions and platforms. Importantly, this episode also highlights research-based recommendations and protective strategies to combat these risks. The research points to actionable solutions such as stronger online protection laws, improved enforcement mechanisms, parental education on privacy settings and responsible sharing, school-based digital safety education, cross-sector collaboration, and clear reporting and intervention pathways. By translating these findings into an audio format, this podcast helps nonprofit leaders move from awareness to action—using evidence to inform prevention, advocacy, and safer digital environments for children. Based on Artile: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/joni/vol3/iss3/2/