Cyberbullying, sextortion, and AI deepfakes are driving an urgent need for regulatory action
The digital age has brought unprecedented opportunities for connection and learning, but it has also exposed young people to devastating new dangers. In her January 22, 2026 State of the Commonwealth address, which I listened to with my 14-year-old daughter, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey made clear that protecting children from social media exploitation is no longer optional — it’s urgent.
“These platforms are built with addictive algorithms and they exploit insecurities, especially in our young people,” Governor Healey said. “So I am proposing strict new requirements to protect kids and teens on social media. We will require parental consent and age verification on all of these platforms. We’re going to prevent social media companies from targeting kids for profit. Parents are trying to protect their kids, and we’re going to help them do it.”
Teachers and medical professionals are witnessing firsthand the psychological damage inflicted by online harassment. Research shows that after one hour of social media use per day, adolescent mental health steeply declines, with decreases in happiness and self-esteem alongside increases in self-harm, depression, and behavioral changes.
Studies indicate that 20% of kids who experience cyberbullying think about suicide, and 1 in 10 attempt it. Girls are particularly vulnerable, with 59.2% reporting lifetime cyberbullying experiences compared to 49.5% of boys.
Governor Healey’s words reflect a growing crisis that parents, educators, and medical professionals witness daily. It’s also one of our own making, and I include myself in that statement. My kids didn’t need phones. They wanted them, and I caved because everyone else had them. Where I tried to stand my ground was on where they could use the phones. They were not permitted to take the devices to school until 8th grade. Unfortunately for my oldest, her school implemented Yondr pouches by that time. It was a blessing in disguise.
The statistics are alarming: according to the Cyberbullying Research Center, lifetime cyberbullying rates among young people nearly doubled from 33.6% in 2016 to 58.2% in 2025.
A Gap in Protection
Massachusetts isn’t alone in its lack of significant social media protections specifically designed for minors. The reality is this legislative vacuum leaves young people vulnerable to platforms that, as Governor Healey noted, deliberately exploit their insecurities for profit through addictive algorithms and targeted content.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell shares the governor’s deep concern and has taken action by introducing “The STUDY Act” (Safe Technology Use and Distraction-free education for Youth), legislation that addresses the crisis from multiple angles. Most notably, the legislation would prohibit students from accessing electronic devices during the school day.
“The STUDY Act puts students and their mental health first,” said AG Campbell. “By restricting cellphones during the school day and raising the bar for social media companies, we are taking bold steps to create learning environments free from distraction and a digital landscape that prioritizes the well-being of our youth. This bill is a commitment to both education and mental health for our young people, ensuring they have the tools to succeed without unnecessary harm.”
When my daughter’s school decided to institute the Yondr pouches, I wrote to the principal applauding the decision. In my note, I recognized that there were likely many student complaints. His reply was somewhat disheartening. He noted that most of the negative feedback was coming from parents. While parents understandably see the cell phone as a way to reach their children in an emergency, the reality is that these devices are launching pads, catapulting kids into a digital world that they don’t always have the ability to navigate responsibly.
The Human Cost of Inaction
Behind every statistic is a child whose life has been forever altered. The rise of sextortion — a crime where predators coerce minors into sending explicit images and then demand money or additional content — has become particularly devastating. The FBI reported that from October 2021 to March 2023, they received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors, involving at least 12,600 victims — primarily boys — and leading to at least 20 suicides.
One heartbreaking case involved 17-year-old Jordan DeMay from Michigan. According to Bloomberg, in March 2022, Jordan received an Instagram message from what appeared to be a teenage girl. Within six hours of that first contact, he had taken his own life after being threatened with the release of explicit images. His story is not unique. In 2024, the FBI observed at least a 20% increase in financially motivated sextortion cases involving minors, and just this month in El Paso, Texas local FBI warned about a rise in sextortion cases, noting an increase in those involving minors between 10 and 17.
The AI Deepfake Nightmare
What I’ve learned through researching this topic and conversations with cybersecurity experts is that technology has unintentionally opened the door for an even more insidious misuse: AI-generated deepfake nudes. Young people, predominantly girls, are having their innocent photos manipulated by artificial intelligence into explicit images that are then shared among classmates.
In Iowa, 44 high school girls were victimized when male classmates used AI to create nude deepfakes from their social media photos. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that AI-generated child sexual abuse image reports to their Cyber Tip Line soared from 4,700 in 2023 to a staggering 440,000 in just the first six months of 2025. The 44 Iowa victims explained, “We are teenage girls who should have been enjoying our last few months of school. Instead, we’ve been forced to take matters into our own hands and put ourselves out there to fight for the most basic protections and support from our school.”
According to the National Education Association, between 40 and 50 percent of students are aware of deepfakes being circulated at their schools. These images humiliate victims and have the potential to destroy reputations, college prospects, and mental health. Some victims have been driven to self-harm.
Protecting and Preserving Innocence
The evidence is overwhelming: our children are in crisis, and the current regulatory environment is inadequate. Social media platforms have proven they will not self-regulate. According to a Pew Research that looked at cyberbullying in 2024, 74% of teenagers rated social media companies’ handling of online harassment as fair or poor.
Governor Healey’s proposed legislation and AG Campbell’s STUDY Act represent crucial first steps, but legislation alone isn’t enough. Our children, my daughters, deserve to grow up in a world where their innocence is protected. No one deserves to have their mistakes become weapons used against them. And peers don’t need to have the temptations technology affords them. Yes, I’m talking about the perpetrators of these crimes. They are often kids too, and they naively explore the devastating path of predator because the tools embedded into social media platforms empower them to despite the fact that they are too young to understand impact and the consequences. They can’t really hide behind screens.
I’ll close with a public service announcement reminding anyone who is experiencing a crisis to call the Suicide Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. If you or someone you know if the victim of cybercrime and sextortion, you can report it to the FBI by visiting ic3.gov, calling 1–800-CALL-FBI for immediate reporting, or submitting information to tips.fbi.gov.