Dr. Xanthe Weston

I'd have them messaging me going, I can't come to tutorial because I can't get out the car.

I'm in the car park.

Yeah.

like serious social anxiety and everything in their world got wrapped up with online likes, rewards for doing things.

And that's what we're seeing here.

These really risky behaviors being rewarded financially or with likes or with kudos, the post and boast issue that we've got.

So that's our big problem.

How do we actually undo that and take that reward system away so that young people no longer want to engage in these activities because they're not seeing the benefit of it?

Yeah, and getting self-gratification is achieved by impressing other people.

They can't just keep themselves happy anymore.

It's always got to be about how do I get adoration or credit

credit or something from someone else.

Yeah, but they are seeking it outwardly.

And I wrote a piece with some colleagues for The Conversation recently, and it was about crime fluences.

And I don't know if you've ever heard about those.

What is that?

But they're basically, it's a disorganized criminal networks online who are actively engaging young people to commit crimes, not for money, so it's a slight sideways, but for actual just sadistic pleasure.

So the things they're getting them to do are self-harm,

hurting animals, hurting their siblings, hurting strangers, and posting the images.

So again, part of this online reward, it's like a game they get these kids to play.