WISH THEIR PARENTS HAD TOLD THEM
ABOUT STAYING SAFE ONLINE.
>> I HAD, LIKE, SNAPCHAT SINCE
EIGHTH GRADE, MAYBE, AND IVE
HAD INSTAGRAM SINCE PROBABLY
FIFTH OR SIXTH GRADE.
>> Reporter: MELISSA QUIN, AVERY
SCIENCE, AND PRAISCILLA IN THEIR
LATE TEENS AND EARLY 2000s DONT
KNOW LIFE WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.
IN FACT, ITS THE MAIN WAY THEY
COMMUNICATE.
>> PEOPLE USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS
THEIR SECOND PHONE NUMBER.
IM NOT GIVING YOU MY PHONE
NUMBER IF I JUST MET YOU.
ITS MY INSTAGRAM OR SNAPCHAT.
>> Reporter: CERTAIN FEATURES
MAKE CONNECTING WITH FRIENDS AND
STRANGERS ALMOST EFFORTLESS.
>> SNAPCHAT, THERE IS A FUNCTION
IN THE TOP RIGHT-HAND CORNER OF
THE APP THAT ALLOWS YOU TO
CONNECT WITH EACH USERS OR
FRIENDS YOU ALREADY HAVE ON
SNAPCHAT OR PEOPLE FARTHER OUT.
>> ID SAY IT IS PROBABLY THE
MOST DIRECT WAY YOU CAN GET IN
TOUCH WITH STRANGERS.
I JUST, LIKE, PULLED IT UP TO
DOUBLE-CHECK, AND I HAVE ACCESS
TO WHO ADDED ME, AND MY QUICK
ADD, WHICH IS, LIKE, THIS LONG
LIST OF JUST STRANGERS.
>> Reporter: IT CAN BE THROUGH
THESE CASUAL CONNECTIONS THAT
YOUNG USERS ARE FINDING DRUGS.
EVEN IF THEY WERENT LOOKING FOR
THEM.
>> THE WAY YOU FIND OUT THAT
THEYRE SELLING DRUGS IS USUALLY
THEY POST IT ON THEIR STORY.
SOMETIMES, THEY WILL DM EVERYONE
AND BE LIKE, HEY, I HAVE THIS
DEAL GOING ON.
ITS A SPECIAL DEAL.
HIT ME UP IF YOU WANT IT.
>> THE AREA I LIVE IN NOW, ITS
EASIER TO FIND DRUGS THROUGH
HASHTAGS ON INSTAGRAM.
YOU CAN FIND DEALERS OR PLUGS
THROUGH THERE, AND THEYLL POST
WHAT THEY SELL ONLINE.
>> Reporter: DID YOU HEAR THE
WORD "PLUG,"?
THATS THE EMOJI TO KNOW WHEN IT
COMES TO DRUGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
>> ITS LIKE DRUG DEALER.
ITS LIKE SYNONYMOUS.
ELECTRIC PLUG DOESNT GET
FLAGGED.
IF YOU SAY, IM A PLUG, ITLL
GET FLAKGGED.
>> Reporter: IN THESE SCREEN
RECORDS SENT TO NBC NEWS, YOU
CAN SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO PULL
UP OPTIONS ON INSTAGRAM BY
SEARCHING HASHTAGS, THEN MOVE TO
SNAP, WHERE YOU CAN CORRESPOND
WITH THE DRUG DEALER VIA THE
DISAPPEARING MESSAGES.
>> SOCIAL MEDIA IS PAYING A HUGE
ROLE IN DRUG DISTRIBUTION.
>> Reporter: A 2019 EUROPEAN
REPORT FOUND THREE IN FOUR YOUNG
PEOPLE SURVEYED SAY THEYD SEEN
ILL DEAL DRUGS FOR SALE ON
SOCIAL MEDIA.
THE DEA SEIZED MORE COUNTERFEIT
PILLS IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS
OF 2021 THAN IT DID IN ALL OF
2019.
>> BUYING DRUGS AND USING DRUGS
HAS BECOME SO EASY BECAUSE WE
HAVE REALLY UBERIZED THE DRUG
TRAFFICKING DISTRIBUTION.
>> Reporter: IN A STATEMENT,
INSTAGRAM SAYS IT DOES NOT ALLOW
THE SALE OF ILLICIT DRUGS, AND
THE PLATFORM REMOVES 96% OF
VIOLATING DRUG CONTENT BEFORE
PEOPLE REPORT IT.
SNAP TELLS NBC NEWS THAT IT
STRICTLY PROHIBITING USING
SNAPCHAT FOR DRUG TRANSACTIONS,
AND HAS BEEN USING MACHINE
LEARNING TO IDENTIFY CERTAIN
DRUG IMAGES OR TERMS TO BLOCK
THEM.
TELLING US ITS INCREASED THE
NUMBER OF TERMS ON THE BLOCK
LIST BY OVER 130% IN THE PAST
MONTH.
DOES IT SEEM LIKE THATS WORKING
BASED ON WHAT YOU SEE ONLINE?
>> DEFINITELY NOT.
>> YOUR GOINGRE GOING TO SEE IT
>> Reporter: WHAT WOULD YOU WISH
YOU PARENTS SAID TO YOU THAT YOU
WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO?
>> DAD IS THE BABY BOOMER AND
MOM IS THE GEM-N-X.
HAVING A CONVERSATION WHERE THE
PARENT CAN ADMIT, I DONT KNOW
WHAT IM DOING.
LETS FIGURE IT OUT TOGETHER.
>> THATS THE REALLY IMPORTANT
THING HERE.
KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING WITH
YOUR KIDS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA.
IF THERES ONE THING THESE KIDS
STRESSED, THE WHOLE INTERNET
SAFETY TALK NEEDS TO GO BEYOND
JUST, "DONT TALK TO STRANGERS."
THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS TO
INTERACT WITH STRANGERS, EVEN IF
EWE NOT ACTUALLY TALKING.
>> SAVANNAH, YOU KNOW, THERES
SOME FOLKS WHO MAY NOT WANT TO
HEAR THIS, PARENTS WHO WANT TO
BAN SOCIAL MEDIA ENTIRELY.
THATS REALLY NOT THE ANSWER.
SO WHAT STEPS CAN PARENTS TAKE
TO START THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT
ONLINE SAFETY?
>> ITS REALLY NOT THE ANSWER,
AL.
THATS RIGHT.
THEY SAID THAT WOULD JUST MAKE
THEM FIND OTHER WAYS.
THEY SAY TAKE YOUR TIME TO TALK
TO YOUR KIDS.
HERES A COUPLE KEY WORDS YOU
CAN USE WITH THEM.
QUICK AD.
THATS
THATS THE FEATURE ON APP OR THE
PEOPLE YOU KNOW ON INSTAGRAM.
DONT ADD ANYONE THEY DONT
KNOW.
IT IS OKAY FOR THEM TO BLOCK
STRANGERS WHO HAVE ADDED THEM.
TELL THEM IT IS NOT MEAN.
ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
AND THEY SHOULD ALSO CHECK THE
SETTINGS ON WHATS CALLED THEIR
SNAP MAP.
THAT CAN ACTUALLY SHOW THEIR
FOLLOWERS THEIR EXACT LOCATION,
MAKING IT EASIER TORRE DRUGFOR D
DEALERS TO TARGET THEM.
SNAPCHAT SAYS IT IS AN OPT-IN
FEATURE.
IF YOUR CHILD TURNED IT ON, MAKE
SURE IT IS RESTRICTED TO JUST
FRIENDS, OR ASK THEM TO SHUT IT
OFF ENTIRELY.
>> SAVANNAH, WHAT ABOUT JUST
ACTUALLY TAKING YOUR KIDS PHONE
AND TAKING A LOOK AT WHATS ON
THERE?
>> THATS A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION.
ONE OF THE BIG THINGS HERE IS A
LOT OF PARENTS CANT REALLY
UNDERSTAND HOW THE APPS WORK.
RATHER THAN IT BEING TAKING IT
AWAY AS A PUNISHMENT, I HAD TO
CHARGE MY PHONE IN THE KITCHEN,
AND THAT WAS OKAY, BUT RATHER
THAN IT FEELING LIKE IT IS
BECAUSE YOU NEED TO BE
RESTRICTED, I THINK IF YOU DO IT
IN A WAY THAT YOURE ACTUALLY
TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE
APPS WORK SO THAT YOU CAN TALK
TO THEM ABOUT IT, THAT CAN GO A
LONG, LONG WAY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
>> GREAT ADVICE.
>> SAVANNAH SELLERS.
>> SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.
>> THANKS SO MUCH.
>> THAT WAS GOOD.
>> GOOD POINT.
ITS LIKE YOURE PLAYING
WHACK-A-MOLE.
YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, YOU
KNOW, HOW TO STOP THEM FROM
DOING IT ONE WAY, AND ALL OF A
SUDDEN, THERES NEW JARGON.
>> YOU DONT WANT TO SCARE THEM.