On the Radar: Teens’ Adulting Worries, ‘Cigfluencers’ and AI Scammers

What Areas of ‘Adulting’ Scare Teens the Most?

What? In recent focus groups conducted by the SheKnows Teen Council, teens shared the aspects of adulthood (i.e., “adulting”) that most intimidate them. Frequently cited concerns centered around financial literacy and personal independence, with some teens feeling unprepared to handle these challenges.

So What? A 2023 study revealed that financial worry is the primary driver of anxiety for Gen Z, and that fear isn’t limited to those who have already entered the working world. Teens worry about money management, as well as other “adult” tasks they they’ll be expected to take on in the next few years.

Now What? Parents who want to help assuage their teens’ fears in this area might consider looping them into their own “adulting” undertakings. Familiarity with those responsibilities can help remove some of the mystery (and trepidation) that your teen might be feeling, setting them up for a more confident launch into their own adulthood.

‘Cigfluencers’ Surge in Popularity on Social Media

What? Smoking is making a comeback—at least, on social media. Pictures of celebrities smoking are being proliferated online by so-called “cigfluencers,” making the damaging habit appear stylish and fun to a young audience.

So What? Despite the smoking rate in the United States dropping by 73% since 1965, cigfluencers are growing in popularity across social media. And certain anti-tobacco initiatives, credited for helping decrease cigarette smoking, are no longer running to counter this trend.

Now What? Whether or not the CDC is currently running anti-tobacco ads, parents can help protect their teens from the dangers of smoking by being actively involved in their teen’s life, communicating the risks of smoking (and second-hand smoke) and even limiting their teen’s involvement with peers who smoke or vape.  

AI Scammers Better at Building ‘Exploitable Trust’

What? Researchers conducting a recent study on the scam industry found that AI chatbots were superior to human scammers when it came to developing long-term trust with victims—trust that could then be exploited to defraud those individuals.

So What? Most AI large-language models (LLMs) have built-in safeguards to prevent scamming, but it seems certain bad actors have found a way around those precautions. AI is first used to build “exploitable trust” in potential victims. Then, once that trust is established, a human agent takes control of the final stages of the scam, allowing the scammer to leverage an AI model without triggering any internal safeguards.

Now What? Unfortunately, AI scams have not gone away. If anything, they seem to be getting sneakier, so we should expect to see more unethical uses of this technology as it continues to progress. In the meantime, parents should stay informed about the common methods and red flags of today’s scams—including the use of family members’ voices—and communicate those dangers to their kids as well.