th (2)Are you savvy on social media? There’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin, Google+, and a gazillion more. Every time you turn around, there’s a new form of social media popping up. Some of them are apps exclusive to Apple users.

With so many forms of social media available, it’s hard for anyone to keep up. And pimps are banking on it. One of the easiest ways for a pimp to shop for potential girls is on social media. It’s free and very low risk. Because most people are very unsuspecting, it’s easy.

One survivor said,

It started with a Facebook ‘friend’ request. I was just, ‘oh, he’s cute, I’ll accept him.'”

He had her working the track (the area where girls walk for potential customer to drive by and pick them up) within hours of meeting her.

A pimp can pose as a friend of a friend or simply be someone who finds you attractive. He’ll invite you to be his friend. Or you may get a private message. You do not have to be a friend of someone in order to send them a private message. Just this week I was sent a private message from a man telling me how beautiful he thought I was and asking me if I would like to meet, and I’m forty-eight years old. What in the world?

In Matthew 10:16 Jesus says,

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.”

We have to stay alert and we have to teach our young people how to respond when unfamiliar people reach out to them. It takes the Stranger Danger concept to a whole new level.

One young lady I talked with shared how she received a text message from someone she didn’t recognize inviting her to download the app MELT on her phone so they could communicate and share photos. Because per parents had talked with her about the dangers of unsolicited friend requests, she immediately showed them the text message. They were able to get to the bottom of it and she remained safe. Needless to say, she did not download the app MELT.

It is always best to be safe than sorry. Educate yourself and those you love on the dangers of social media, so they can enjoy its benefits without becoming victim to its dangers.