Dear readers,
Young people have always had to struggle with insecurity, self-consciousness and questions about who they are and where they belong.
And commercial interests have always tried to profit from this angst.
Back in my day, television commercials and glossy magazines pushed facial products, fashion trends and fancy gadgets as the keys to being cool.
These days, the internet does the same - but with a relentless intensity that can swallow youths whole.
Turning online for answers, young people can sometimes find themselves tumbling down dangerous rabbit holes instead.
At the most extreme end, harmful actors exploit algorithms and the visual language of social media memes to sow radical beliefs among young people and incite them to violence.
For this weekend's Big Read, CNA TODAY spoke to young people who experienced firsthand how the internet could exploit their vulnerabilities.
One young woman recalled how, in her teens, her feed kept showing her weight-loss content that led her to an eating disorder.
A polytechnic student spoke about how his peers in lower secondary school were spouting misogynistic views they had picked up from male influencers.
We also spoke to experts to ask what both youths and parents can do in the face of such pervasive forces.
Read on to find out more.
Yours faithfully,
Yasmine Yahya
Deputy Chief Editor, CNA Digital (TODAY, Lifestyle & Luxury)
