Reference photo courtesy of Depositphotos

 

Online sexual content exposes one in three Thai teens aged 14-17, according to a recent study. The pressure for social media acclaim, including likes and followers, serves as a significant motivator. This exposure raises concerns about digital safety and young people's behaviour.

 

Conducted by research group Evident, the HUG Project, and supported by the World Childhood Foundation, the report is titled "Leaked: Understanding and Addressing Self-Generated Sexual Content Involving Young People in Thailand". The study surveyed nearly 2,000 young people, ages 9–17, in seven northern provinces between August 2024 and March 2025. It also involved consultations with youth and interviews with law enforcement and frontline workers.

 

Findings indicate that a significant proportion of participants are aware of peers sharing or receiving sexual content. This includes nude images, adult pornography, and AI-generated deepfakes. Approximately 46% of respondents identified social media engagement as a motivator, while financial incentives and validation followed closely.

 

Despite increasing awareness, 56% highlighted the ease of sharing intimate images via technology without considering the consequences. This presents a stark contrast to the perceived dangers of online scams and drugs, which young people view as more threatening. The study highlights a gap in understanding between parents and their children regarding online dangers.

 

Wirawan Mosby, the director and founder of the HUG Project, emphasised the need for guidance rather than shame. "Young people are growing up in a world where their digital lives are inseparable from their offline ones," Mosby remarked, advocating for careful engagement in online and offline relationships.

 

Looking forward, this study underscores the necessity for continued dialogue and intervention strategies to address the growing intersection between youth and digital exposure. Engaging with young people about online safety may prove crucial in fostering healthier digital habits. Experts suggest promoting awareness and educating both parents and teens about the realities and risks associated with digital content.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• One in three Thai teens has encountered sexual content online.
• Gaining likes and followers is a major motivator for sharing content.
• Experts call for guiding youths rather than shaming them.

 

Related Stories:

 

More Thailand news here

 

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-09-11

 

 

I've seen Thai teens using short time rooms after school, long before smart phones became a thing. Is this the beginning of the push for digital ID?  It's going over very well in the UK. 

It's about time that something be done about it. Just look at the the numbers:

 

1. 0 (zero) female teens got pregnant from watching "online sexual content"

 

2. 0 (zero) teenagers contracted and spread sexually-transmitted diseases from watching "online sexual content"

 

Drastic regulations must be put in place to reduce these numbers rapidly.

 

 

8 hours ago, flaming dragon said:

Is this the beginning of the push for digital ID?

Probably...anything to protect the "children" right.

Big brother must step in,  the parents and the kids themself are just pathetic weak minded imbeciles...Big Brother knows best.

On 9/11/2025 at 6:38 AM, webfact said:

Online sexual content exposes one in three Thai teens aged 14-17,

More like 99%... most of whom search for it

I've said it before and I'll probably say it frequently until I die. I consider social media to be the most destructive force in contemporary culture today. Children are growing up now in a world where they expect immediate response, gratification and notification. Their brains no longer have time to evolve; they must adapt to change in an instant, and the results are distressing. The difficulties of growing up have never been so public. Social technology provides a platform where things can run wild. Imagine the stress of high school – the competition for popularity, the pressure to fit in, the judgmental nature of social activities – at an accelerated pace. We try to protect our children from wandering off into the darkness on their own, and it turns out they are doing exactly that – online. When they get older and “ready,” we send them off to college, where they face more pressures. But social media has an infamous dark side and the more people share, the more serious this side becomes. As it turns out, living your life online has serious consequences for your self-esteem, your relationships, and your career prospects. 

 

And it is a strong indication of just how bent, warped and misguided contemporary culture and society is, that someone can be considered an idol or celebrity just because they have alot of followers on Tik tok, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

 

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter addiction is real and it is dangerous. Not only does it prevent you from living in the present, it can also leave you with crippling anxiety and insecurities. But few people talk about the real danger of social media addictions. These addictions make you boring. Nobody wants to hear about what he said on Facebook, what she said on Instagram or what you said on Twitter. If they wanted to know, they would have already seen it, liked it, and moved on.

 

The real danger of social media is not that you might say the wrong thing to the wrong person. The real danger is the fact that one determined person with nothing else to do can find your name, your phone number, your address, your parents’ address, your third-cousin’s Twitter, your boss, your co-worker, your ex-lover, the ex-lover you briefly forgot about and use all this information to systematically tear your life apart piece by piece. But why would someone go through so much trouble to do that? Because it was probably not that hard. There’s a good chance your own web presence coupled with some inventive searches led them straight down the trail to destroying your social life, your relationships and your career all in one fell swoop.

 

I think good judgment and discrimination in regard to one's actions has gone out the window. Social media is at least partly to blame. When one considers the tiny amount of good and interesting information found on it, compared to the amount of poison, negativity, revenge culture, bragging, nonsense, and hate, it is fairly easy to conclude that Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok are highly destructive forces within popular contemporary culture. They are extremely toxic.

 

Facebook to some extent too, but it does seem to have some value in connecting people. Just my rather strong opinion!

 

 

30 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I've said it before and I'll probably say it frequently until I die. I consider social media to be the most destructive force in contemporary culture today. Children are growing up now in a world where they expect immediate response, gratification and notification. Their brains no longer have time to evolve; they must adapt to change in an instant, and the results are distressing. The difficulties of growing up have never been so public. Social technology provides a platform where things can run wild. Imagine the stress of high school – the competition for popularity, the pressure to fit in, the judgmental nature of social activities – at an accelerated pace. We try to protect our children from wandering off into the darkness on their own, and it turns out they are doing exactly that – online. When they get older and “ready,” we send them off to college, where they face more pressures. But social media has an infamous dark side and the more people share, the more serious this side becomes. As it turns out, living your life online has serious consequences for your self-esteem, your relationships, and your career prospects. 

 

And it is a strong indication of just how bent, warped and misguided contemporary culture and society is, that someone can be considered an idol or celebrity just because they have alot of followers on Tik tok, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. 

 

Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter addiction is real and it is dangerous. Not only does it prevent you from living in the present, it can also leave you with crippling anxiety and insecurities. But few people talk about the real danger of social media addictions. These addictions make you boring. Nobody wants to hear about what he said on Facebook, what she said on Instagram or what you said on Twitter. If they wanted to know, they would have already seen it, liked it, and moved on.

 

The real danger of social media is not that you might say the wrong thing to the wrong person. The real danger is the fact that one determined person with nothing else to do can find your name, your phone number, your address, your parents’ address, your third-cousin’s Twitter, your boss, your co-worker, your ex-lover, the ex-lover you briefly forgot about and use all this information to systematically tear your life apart piece by piece. But why would someone go through so much trouble to do that? Because it was probably not that hard. There’s a good chance your own web presence coupled with some inventive searches led them straight down the trail to destroying your social life, your relationships and your career all in one fell swoop.

 

I think good judgment and discrimination in regard to one's actions has gone out the window. Social media is at least partly to blame. When one considers the tiny amount of good and interesting information found on it, compared to the amount of poison, negativity, revenge culture, bragging, nonsense, and hate, it is fairly easy to conclude that Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok are highly destructive forces within popular contemporary culture. They are extremely toxic.

 

Facebook to some extent too, but it does seem to have some value in connecting people. Just my rather strong opinion!

 

 

Some truth in it.

Some days ago I watched a tv report about social media. A 12 year old young girl admitted to be using the media for more than 23 hrs the last days: chatting with friends at night and falling asleep!

The span for getting attention for teachers in school is not more than 15-20 min. Pupils leaving for the loo just for checking their phones.

Communication is sometimes done from phone to phone even they are sitting next to each other.

In many schools in UK and other countries (France) it's not allowed to take your phone when entering the premises.

Reports showing withdrawal symptoms over the first weeks. But it shows also an increasing "attention time".

If the government was serious about protecting people, in particular girls from sexual content they'd find a way to boost the economy with real work, instead of forcing people to work in the sex trade to bolster the failing GDP

On 9/11/2025 at 7:38 AM, flaming dragon said:

I've seen Thai teens using short time rooms after school, long before smart phones became a thing. Is this the beginning of the push for digital ID?  It's going over very well in the UK. 

Everything is digital , and it is a pain in the backside and proof of life forms and many elderly do not have this facility

54 minutes ago, jwest10 said:

and proof of life forms

I thought these were hard copy and need to be filled in and sent back? If so hardly digital.........

Well educate the kids. Anything you video or take a photo of on your phone or computer can be made public very easily and you’ll live with it forever. 

On 9/11/2025 at 12:38 AM, webfact said:

Reference photo courtesy of Depositphotos

 

Online sexual content exposes one in three Thai teens aged 14-17, according to a recent study. The pressure for social media acclaim, including likes and followers, serves as a significant motivator. This exposure raises concerns about digital safety and young people's behaviour.

 

Conducted by research group Evident, the HUG Project, and supported by the World Childhood Foundation, the report is titled "Leaked: Understanding and Addressing Self-Generated Sexual Content Involving Young People in Thailand". The study surveyed nearly 2,000 young people, ages 9–17, in seven northern provinces between August 2024 and March 2025. It also involved consultations with youth and interviews with law enforcement and frontline workers.

 

Findings indicate that a significant proportion of participants are aware of peers sharing or receiving sexual content. This includes nude images, adult pornography, and AI-generated deepfakes. Approximately 46% of respondents identified social media engagement as a motivator, while financial incentives and validation followed closely.

 

Despite increasing awareness, 56% highlighted the ease of sharing intimate images via technology without considering the consequences. This presents a stark contrast to the perceived dangers of online scams and drugs, which young people view as more threatening. The study highlights a gap in understanding between parents and their children regarding online dangers.

 

Wirawan Mosby, the director and founder of the HUG Project, emphasised the need for guidance rather than shame. "Young people are growing up in a world where their digital lives are inseparable from their offline ones," Mosby remarked, advocating for careful engagement in online and offline relationships.

 

Looking forward, this study underscores the necessity for continued dialogue and intervention strategies to address the growing intersection between youth and digital exposure. Engaging with young people about online safety may prove crucial in fostering healthier digital habits. Experts suggest promoting awareness and educating both parents and teens about the realities and risks associated with digital content.

 

Key Takeaways

 

• One in three Thai teens has encountered sexual content online.
• Gaining likes and followers is a major motivator for sharing content.
• Experts call for guiding youths rather than shaming them.

 

Related Stories:

 

More Thailand news here

 

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-09-11

 

 

Total BS. The only way you look at porn is if you actually want to. Pressure my a** You don’t turn on your computer or laptop and hey bingo there’s the porn. 🙈

Contributing to High Adolescent Pregnancy Rates in Thailand:

Inadequate Sexual Education and Communication, a significant contributing factor is the lack of comprehensive sexuality education for adolescents. Particularly a lack of consistent and open communication between parents and children about sex and contraception. 

Passing a plethora of laws will not solve the problems.

7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I've said it before and I'll probably say it frequently until I die. I consider social media to be the most destructive force in contemporary culture today.

I agree. I’m now logging off 555

On 9/11/2025 at 6:38 AM, webfact said:

The study highlights a gap in understanding between parents and their children regarding online dangers.

 

On 9/11/2025 at 6:38 AM, webfact said:

"Young people are growing up in a world where their digital lives are inseparable from their offline ones,"

 

Everyone is at it - not just youngsters - just look around you, if you can take your eyes off your screen for long enough.

 

You can't go on a shorts section on any of the platforms, without being exposed to it - whether you've asked for it or not - 24 / 7 - no watershed.

 

I would imagine it's targeted specifically and deliberately at potential audience.

 

For me, It's generally females - the normalisation of unknown and uninvited youngsters all the way up to grannys, unashamedly and ridiculously sexualising themselves.

 

Awful, contrived shorts by brainless untalented narcissists - bodies doing nothing except meaninglessly reflecting in a mirror with a phone for a face. All ages doing the brain dead swirly twerk like they're unsuccessfully trying to clip one off. Unattractive, shark eyed hookers staring into the lens with nothing to say. Minging middle aged upto almost at deaths door of all shapes and sizes, strutting in contrived setting, letting it all hang out in lace before unappealingly peeling their kecks off, or showing off bulbous camel toe to the encouragement of vast simp audiences - most of it is gag worthy.

 

Is this to be considered as freedom of expression - and if the limits are allowed to continually be pushed on social media, where will it end up ?

1 hour ago, Reddavy said:

You don’t turn on your computer or laptop and hey bingo there’s the porn

And even if there is you can just choose not to look at it...shut the window down,  press pause..go get your mom or dad..

As a teenager I would have loved for me to turn on my computer and bingo

there's porn   55555   it was very hard to find then.

Admittedly   much easier to find now but you mostly have to look for it.