Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Secret Lives of Teens Online

Online grooming doesn’t always feel scary to a teen. At first, it can feel like friendship, connection, acceptance, and finally finding someone who understands you.

So how does online grooming actually start? And how can parents recognize the warning signs before their teen realizes something is wrong?

In this episode of Secret Lives of Teens Online, I share what being groomed online actually felt like for me as a teen, including the early warning signs I didn’t recognize at the time.

I talk about how online predators can slowly test a teen’s boundaries by moving conversations from public games into private chats, asking for secrecy, sending unexpected photos, offering gifts, trying to get personal information like an address, or telling a teen things like, “You’re so mature for your age.”

I also break down one of the most important things parents can do if they discover their teen is talking to someone unsafe online: meet them where they are before trying to convince them that the person is dangerous.

Because if your teen feels connected to someone online, immediately calling that person a predator or “bad person” may make your teen feel judged for liking them and cause them to stop talking to you.

Instead, we’ll talk about how parents can create the kind of safe, nonjudgmental relationship that makes it easier for teens to recognize when an online relationship starts making them uncomfortable and come to you when something doesn’t feel right.

We also explore the SAFE Method, including how Safe Spaces and Accountability can help parents build trust, navigate mistakes, and have more open conversations with their teens about online grooming, gaming, social media, online relationships, and internet safety.

Want to share your story? If you want to share your experience growing up online (the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful), you can email me at: slotopodcast@gmail.com. You can share your story anonymously in writing or ask about participating in a video interview.

Want to connect? Follow me on Instagram: @CyberFareedah and send me a message with your thoughts on the podcast! You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or wherever else you spend your time online! I’m CyberFareedah everywhere ♥ 

Want to work with me? If you’re interested in a workshop, speaking engagement, partnership, or other project, email me at support@sekuva.com or submit a booking request here: https://www.cyberfareedah.com/projects 

Need support protecting your teen online? Join my Protect Kids Online Membership and get your first 7 days free here: https://www.skool.com/protect-kids-online-membership-4029/about

Major kudos to you for joining the moms staying ahead of the game!

Your story matters and I want to hear it.

In this episode, I invite you to share your experiences growing up online, including the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful parts of your digital life.

Maybe you formed a lifelong friendship through an online game. Maybe you lived a double life, experienced online grooming, or faced predatory behavior or exploitation. Whatever your story, you deserve a safe space to be heard.

The Secret Lives of Teens Online podcast begins with my story (a teeny tiny piece...more to come later lol), but it does not end there. Protecting teens online requires all of us(parents, teens, educators, technology companies, lawmakers, and communities) to listen, learn, and take responsibility for what is within our control.

If you want to share your experience growing up online (the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful), you can email me at: slotopodcast@gmail.com. You can share your story anonymously in writing or ask about participating in a video interview.

Want to connect? Follow me on Instagram: @CyberFareedah and send me a message with your thoughts on the podcast! You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or wherever else you spend your time online! I’m CyberFareedah everywhere ♥ 

Want to work with me? If you’re interested in a workshop, speaking engagement, partnership, or other project, email me at support@sekuva.com or submit a booking request here: https://www.cyberfareedah.com/projects 

Need support protecting your teen online? Join my Protect Kids Online Membership and get your first 7 days free here: https://www.skool.com/protect-kids-online-membership-4029/about

Major kudos to you for joining the moms staying ahead of the game!

Why am I finally sharing my story of being groomed online as a child?

In this episode, I explain what led me to speak publicly about the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful parts of my secret life online. I reflect on the guilt and shame I carried, the memories I buried, and the safe spaces that helped me understand I was not alone...and that what happened was not my fault.

I also explore why parents need to show up as human beings, share age-appropriate stories with their children, and create honest conversations about online grooming, social media, gaming, and digital safety. Through my SAFE Method (Safe Spaces, Accountability, Fun, and Empathy) I talk about how openness, self-compassion, and connection can help teens and parents feel safer sharing what often goes unsaid.

Want to share your story? If you want to share your experience growing up online (the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful), you can email me at: slotopodcast@gmail.com. You can share your story anonymously in writing or ask about participating in a video interview.

Want to connect? Follow me on Instagram: @CyberFareedah and send me a message with your thoughts on the podcast! You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or wherever else you spend your time online! I’m CyberFareedah everywhere ♥ 

Want to work with me? If you’re interested in a workshop, speaking engagement, partnership, or other project, email me at support@sekuva.com or submit a booking request here: https://www.cyberfareedah.com/projects 

Need support protecting your teen online? Join my Protect Kids Online Membership and get your first 7 days free here: https://www.skool.com/protect-kids-online-membership-4029/about

Major kudos to you for joining the moms staying ahead of the game!

At 16, I was preparing to leave home and meet a man I had met through an online game. I had been talking to him for months, and although some of his behavior made me uncomfortable, I didn’t fully understand that I was being groomed.

Then I told my mother.

In this episode, I share the conversation that became the beginning of the end of my double life online. Instead of reacting with anger, punishment, or fear, my mother stayed calm, asked thoughtful questions, and made me feel safe enough to keep talking. That conversation helped me recognize the manipulation I had been experiencing and ultimately kept me from meeting an online predator.

I also explore how this moment shaped my approach to online grooming prevention, parent-teen communication, and the SAFE Method: Safe Spaces, Accountability, Fun, and Empathy.

Want to share your story? If you want to share your experience growing up online (the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful), you can email me at: slotopodcast@gmail.com. You can share your story anonymously in writing or ask about participating in a video interview.

Want to connect? Follow me on Instagram: @CyberFareedah and send me a message with your thoughts on the podcast! You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or wherever else you spend your time online! I’m CyberFareedah everywhere ♥ 

Want to work with me? If you’re interested in a workshop, speaking engagement, partnership, or other project, email me at support@sekuva.com or submit a booking request here: https://www.cyberfareedah.com/projects 

Need support protecting your teen online? Join my Protect Kids Online Membership and get your first 7 days free here: https://www.skool.com/protect-kids-online-membership-4029/about

Major kudos to you for joining the moms staying ahead of the game!

Why do teens hide parts of their online lives from their parents...even when they are loved, supported, and cared for?

In this first episode, I (CyberFareedah) share my personal story of living a double life online, being groomed as a child, and feeling unable to talk to my parents about what I was experiencing. I explore why traditional internet safety conversations can make teens feel judged, monitored, or misunderstood and how parents can create more honest, connected conversations about social media, gaming, online relationships, and digital safety.

This episode is an invitation for teens, preteens, and parents to listen together and begin talking about what often goes unsaid.

Want to share your story? If you want to share your experience growing up online (the good, bad, ugly, and beautiful), you can email me at: slotopodcast@gmail.com. You can share your story anonymously in writing or ask about participating in a video interview.

Want to connect? Follow me on Instagram: @CyberFareedah and send me a message with your thoughts on the podcast! You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or wherever else you spend your time online! I’m CyberFareedah everywhere ♥ 

Want to work with me? If you’re interested in a workshop, speaking engagement, partnership, or other project, email me at support@sekuva.com or submit a booking request here: https://www.cyberfareedah.com/projects 

Need support protecting your teen online? Join my Protect Kids Online Membership and get your first 7 days free here: https://www.skool.com/protect-kids-online-membership-4029/about

Major kudos to you for joining the moms staying ahead of the game!