The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.

Countless kids regularly unwrap their very first phone, tablet, or gaming device and in an instant, they step into a digital world most parents never had to navigate at their age.For many families, this is the first time their child has ever been online. And that moment comes with real risks that most adults don’t see coming.In this podcast, we break down what every parent needs to know before handing a device to a prepubescent child or first‑time user. One of the most misunderstood dangers is something called “Open AI Sourcing.” Parents often assume platforms like Roblox are safe simply because they’re marketed to kids. But here’s the truth: only about 15% of the games on these platforms are built by the company itself. The rest come from outside developers, by people you’ve never met, with motives you can’t verify.Just because you’ve played one safe game with your child doesn’t mean the next one from the same company is safe.Every game, every chat, every “character” interaction needs an adult’s eyes on it.And when kids talk to bots or AI‑driven characters, they need to understand what that really means. It’s not a friend. It’s not a peer. It’s a programmed system and anything they say can be collected, stored, sold, and shared. Parents should vet every character or bot their child interacts with, making sure it aligns with the family’s values and online reputation.We also talk about the behavioral red flags that signal a child is uncomfortable or in over their head online:stress, secrecy, anxiety, hiding devices, borrowing phones, or suddenly needing money.These are moments when your calm presence matters most. Your child needs to know you believe them, you’re on their side, and nothing they tell you will make you love them less.Digital trust isn’t built in a crisis but it’s built in everyday conversations.Ideally, these talks happen before a child goes online, but it’s never too late to start.If you want to understand what’s really happening behind the screen, and how to protect your child in a world that’s changing faster than any generation before them, this is a podcast you won’t want to miss.

The podcast content may contain sensitive topics. Listenerdiscretion is advised.

This holiday season, millions of kids unwrapped their veryfirst phone, tablet, or online device.

And with that gift came something far bigger than mostparents realize: instant access to a world of 5.5 billion people  including strangers, scammers, cartels, andcriminal networks who know exactly how to disguise themselves as the “cuteclassmate” or “new friend” your child thinks they can trust.

Today’s digital world isn’t the one we grew up in.

Artificial intelligence, global money-transfer apps,geolocation tools, and deepfake technology have created a landscape where achild can be manipulated, pressured, or exploited long before they even knowthey’re in danger. And the hardest part? Most kids won’t tell a parent whensomething feels wrong. They’re terrified of being embarrassed… or losing theirphone.

So how do we build trust? How do we teach our kids tonavigate this global digital world with confidence, values, and real-worldsafety skills?

That’s exactly what we’re diving into on this episode. Pleasejoin us to explore how to teach your child values for online relationships and how to recognize when they might be in danger. 

The podcast contains sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.

In just the past few years, more than 40 young people, mostly boys ages 13–17, have taken their own lives after becoming victims of financial sextortion. They were not reckless kids. They were victims.Many were some of the most promising young people in America: smart, faith-based, goal-driven teens. Many had already chosen a college. Some were award-winning athletes, academic standouts, or community leaders.And in case after case, their grieving families said the same thing:“We had never even heard of financial sextortion.”That must change IMMEDIATELY.We can never again lose young lives because society doesn’t want to hear uncomfortable truths. We can never again assume, “My child would never fall for that.” Most teens believe they are too smart to be fooled but tens of thousands of them are wrong.The crime of sextortion has changed and almost no one recognizes it.For more than 15 years, Million Kids has worked on the front lines educating parents, teens, grandparents, educators, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. Yet our hearts break every time another case appears as another family is devastated, another future lost because critical information never reached them in time.Here’s the reality:Every teen we talk to believes they’ll recognize catfishing. They won’t.Most parents, and even pastors, believe their kids would never send a nude.One in six teens already has.Knowledge is power. And in this case, knowledge saves lives.We are urgently asking you to listen and then share this podcast and our videos with everyone you know. Parents. Teens. Coaches. Youth leaders. Educators. Churches. Schools.Please don’t wait until it’s personal.Listen now. Share immediately. A life may depend on it.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)

What if the bad news you don’twant to hear is the very thing that could save a young person’s life?
Would you listen, really listen, during the time it takes to learn?

What if one fact… one warning… one moment of awareness could be the reason your child, grandchild, student, or teen in your life survives a predator’s trap?
Would you stop everything and pay attention?

Recently, our team at Million Kids learned of the devastating loss of 15-year-old Bryce Tate from Cross Lanes, WV. During the investigation, law enforcement uncovered the truth: Brycehad become a victim of financial sextortion.

This must never happen again.
Not to another family. Not to another community. Not to another child.

And yet it will… unless we talk about it and people choose to hear what’s uncomfortable, painful, and urgent.

Most adults don’t want to hear about financialsextortion. It feels dark. Negative. Scary.
But we ask you one thing:

If listening to one podcast could save a child’s life… isn’t it worth it?

In this episode, Opal Singleton, author of Digital Warfare (release pending), breaks down how financialsextortion actually works in today’s digital world.Not the version people think they know, but the new, explosive, high-speed version almost no one is prepared for.

The rules changed. The predators changed. The technology changed.
But most families haven’t.

Cartels and criminal networks, equipped withhigh-speed internet, target American teens with ruthless precision. They are blackmailing our kids for money, for power, for psychological control. And the consequences are catastrophic.

In just the past few years, more than 40+ bright, successful, promising young people, most of them boys, have takentheir own lives after falling victim to financial sextortion.

Forty families shattered.
Forty futures stolen.
Forty tragedies that didn’t have to happen.

Please—listen to this podcast.
Educate yourself.
Learn how these crimes unfold in real time.
Learn what signs to look for.
Learn how to prepare the young people in your life before they are targeted.

Silence won’t protect our kids. Awareness will.

This is not “just another podcast.”
This is a warning.
A wake-up call.
A lifeline.

And it could save a life you love.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)

This is a very important podcast and one that every parent, teacher, coach, and faith-based leader should hear.

Yes. It happened again. In November, a West Virginia 15-year old teen boy took his own life after becoming the latest victim of a sextortion scam.

Are we ready to say NEVER AGAIN should we lose a brilliant young person to sextortion because they didn't know. Because their parents didn't know. Because their pastor didn't know. Because their teacher didn't know. Because everyone wants to believe "it would never happen to my child."

THIS IS FOR EVERY PARENT, GRANDPARENT, TEACHER, PASTOR, YOUTH MINISTER, SPORTS COACH, CIVIC LEADER AND ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE.

Education and a conversation can make a difference. We take a look at the devastating impact of sextortion on young people and it is time for us all to say NEVER AGAIN. Are you ready to step up and help us get the message out there to parents, teachers, coaches and the faith-based community?

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)

None of us chose the time, place, or circumstances we were born into and yet we spend our entire lives navigating the ripple effects of those beginnings. And while we rarely control when our story ends, we do have power over the stretch in the middle. That middle span is critically important and for the next generation, it looks nothing like it did for the generations before them. Our kids are growing up connected to 5.5 billion strangers, shaped by technologies that can distort truth, rewrite identity, and blur the lines between reality and deception. We have to ask: How do we parent a generation living in a world most adults don’t fully understand? How do we guide them spiritually and morally? How do we equip them with digital survival skills when the rules keep changing faster than we can learn them?Imagine the teens in your life, their energy, their questions, their potential. Now fast-forward just a few years as they become adults. They’ll be stepping into a world shaped by technologies we can barely predict. The pace of change isn’t slowing down; it’s accelerating.That’s why the conversations we have right now matter more than ever. It is important to raise a young person that can define their values, recognize truth from altered truth, be able to interact with millions of people that may want to access, groom, recruit and influence them in ways that the older generations would have never encountered. These are not small talks. These are deep, uncomfortable, transformative conversations. So where do we begin?Start with history. Help them understand just how extraordinary and unprecedented this moment in time really is. The more they understand the world they’re growing up in, the better prepared they’ll be to thrive, not just survive, in it. Yes, they’ve been handed incredible tools but with that comes a level of exposure, pressure, and vulnerability no generation has ever faced.This episode dives into the urgent responsibility we share to prepare, protect, and empower the young people growing up in this unprecedented digital age.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)For more than fifteen years, I have spent my life combating child sex crimes, especially online exploitation of minors. People say, it is all so negative. Nobody really wants to hear about it, and even more people seem to think that it is the kid’s fault. They should know better than to send a nude on line. Honestly, it is not that simple.

With artificial intelligence, mass audience live streaming, geo location software and the many other technological advancements that we are bombarded with every day, EVERY ONE of us are at risk of being exploited online at some day in the future. But when it happens to a child, a teenager, it can change their life forever.
Recently, several organizations published the latest statistics of cases where minors were exploited. NCMEC the largest organization with a hotline to ask for assistance showed more than a 50% increase in online enticement cases in the first six months of this year. Cases involving Generative Artificial Intelligence (DEEPFAKES) increased from 6,835 to over 440,000.

Our world has changed. Our kids futures, their lives, their safety is at stake and it is critical that every parent, grandparent, pastor, educator, civic leader and anyone who just cares about kids, MUST stop and educate themselves about this issue. We cannot afford to lose an entire generation of kids because “it is hard to hear”. Online exploitation, for adults and kids is life changing, but it is especially life altering when you are a hormonal, competitive teenager, who believes their life is ruined.

Online exploitation of minors is NOT necessary. It is a conversation; it is understanding the new universe you live in. It is about preparing this generation of young people to live in a globally connected world with 5.5 billion other people and understand that a significant percentage of those individuals could cause you harm. It is about teaching kids to define what is a good relationship and what is a harmful relationship BEFORE they are ever allowed online. It is a call to leadership to prepare this generation of young people to live in a globally connected community using technology with respect and responsibility.

The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.Part 2 - Many times parents find it difficult to talk with their teen about the risks of online communication. The teen is often defensive (fearing they may lose access to their device). Or they may meet you with "Oh Mom/Dad, I will know if I am being catfished". Or even worse, "you just don't understand". Parents often say it is like they are talking to a brick wall. They are concerned for their child and yet know they are a good young person who means well (most of the time), but with all the changes taking place in technology, how can the parent be sure they won't be exploited? For those of you who follow Million Kids weekly "In the News" articles we are all acutely aware that the risks of being exploited online whether you are a teen or an adult, has never been greater. During this podcast we will explore some of the ways to have productive and eye opening dialogue with your family to help them understand the world they live in. We will discuss some of the new technologies and what to look out for and how to share it in a positive and thought provoking way with the young people in your life.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)

Many times parents find it difficult to talk with their teen about the risks of online communication. The teen is often defensive (fearing they may lose access to their device). Or they may meet you with "Oh Mom/Dad, I will know if I am being catfished". Or even worse, "you just don't understand". Parents often say it is like they are talking to a brick wall. They are concerned for their child and yet know they are a good young person who means well (most of the time), but with all the changes taking place in technology, how can the parent be sure they won't be exploited?

For those of you who follow Million Kids weekly "In the News" articles we are all acutely aware that the risks of being exploited online whether you are a teen or an adult, has never been greater. During this podcast we will explore some of the ways to have productive and eye opening dialogue with your family to help them understand the world they live in. We will discuss some of the new technologies and what to look out for and how to share it in a positive and thought provoking way with the young people in your life.

(The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.)

**IF YOU KNOW A TEENAGER WHO IS USING CHARACTER AI OR OTHER CHARACTER BASED CHAT BOT AND YOU HAVE NOT USED IT – YOU MUST HEAR THIS PODCAST**

Multiple research reports indicate that more than HALF of U.S. teenagers use Character AI or other character based chatbot daily, most often on their cell phone. Most adults are completely oblivious about how character chatbots work. Besides Character.AI, there are apps like Chai/AI, Anima/AI, TavernAI and Replika. Users create personas like celebrities, historical characters or design their own characters. Character AI is different from ChatGPT and other AI applications. Character AI can detect emotions from your input and respond, adjusting their tone based on what you say.Many young users interviewed indicated they use the chat bot because they are lonely or have social issues and turned to chatbots because they felt it was safer. In our opinion, nothing could be further from the truth. The Million Kids team has spent hundreds of hours researching the impact of interactive character bots once they saw that these app companies are being sued by parents of teens who took their own lives after interacting with these bots. We have very grave concerns about anyone under the age of 18 using these apps. As our research team interacted with the top ten characters on Character AI we found the most popular are related to sorcery or character attitudes degrading the user. Language used often included “bow down to me you fool”, with over 393 Million interactions, Alice the Bully, or lets consult our crystal ball. Parents, teachers, pastors, this is an important educational discussion. Please find out if a child you might influence is using Character AI as a means of escaping reality. Ask them to share the app with you and then get involved in a meaningful discussion related to self-worth, defining values, and how we are influenced by outsiders. Our suggestion is that working together, finding alternative activities that are much more wholesome, and builds self esteem and REAL character. This app is dangerous to kids who are easily influenced or do not have the maturity to delineate bot relationships from reality.