Deepfake Dangers: How AI is Undermining Youth Morality and Privacy
By Yusra Paul, Pakistan
In the digital era, there has been a massive rise in advanced technology that has initiated artificial intelligence (AI), which has led to the urge for “deepfake.” Deepfake is an advanced digital manipulation technique that creates fabricated media content that erodes the morality and privacy of young people. It not only distorted reality but also spread misinformation and mistrust among youth, creating social boundaries and causing hatred in them. This article explores how the proliferation of deepfakes impacts the social and psychological wellbeing of youth, especially in societies where the media literacy rate is low and the escalation of deepfake content is paramount. In the phase of digitalization, youth entirely depend on social media platforms for entertainment and knowledge. The escalation of deepfakes has created social media platforms a source of manipulation where young people encounter fabrication with the title of truth, which actually leaves them vulnerable to exploitation and emotional harm.This article highlights the role of parents, educators, journalists, and policymakers in raising awareness regarding artificial intelligence – deepfake, promoting media literacy as the primary course, and also holding them accountable for the responsible use of technology. Real-life case study, “Teen Girls Confront an Epidemic of Deepfake Nudes in Schools,” helps to empower young people to recognize deepfake content and challenge the media manipulation while promoting legal and regulatory action and ethical journalism.
Case study, “Teen Girls Confront an Epidemic of Deepfake Nudes in Schools”
In October 2023, a 10th-grade student was being molested and sexually assaulted by a male student at Westfield High School in New Jersey. He used an AI-powered “nudification” tool to create deepfake images of his female classmates, where he used their photos and swapped them with nude pictures, which causes a serious threat to the teenagers’ lives and institutional reputation damage. The escalation of deepfake technology causes moral and psychological damage among teenagers. The administration staff silently tried to address the matter within the boundaries of the school, but because of inadequate management, the students–victims had to suffer and publicly called out and denied transparent justice. Thus, this incident does not affect the safety and privacy; instead, it escalates the tension among students.
Youth at Risk
With the rapid growth of AI, deepfakes have become increasingly common among youth; people share their content on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc, and are unaware of being targeted for molestation. A lack of media or AI literacy has not been given to the youth and their parents globally. Due to this, they ultimately fall prey to being manipulated with deepfake tools. The UNESCO team stated, “To be able to distinguish between reliable information and fake news while navigating this flood of information, it is urgent to develop critical thinking.”
Deception of Technology
Deepfakes are not always malicious and used as a weapon to harm others; instead, they are also used for satire, education, or entertainment. However, as the technology evolves, its misuse has escalated, and things have become more critical to understand. It poses multiple challenges to tackle digital situations because once it was used to entertain people, and now it deceives in many cases, as technology is now being used to damage reputations and manipulate people’s emotions. Thus, it isn’t easy to understand the dual nature of deepfakes, but it is necessary to know because it is crucial in forming appropriate responses.
Psychological and Social Impact of Deepfake
A massive rise in deepfake technology has increased social and psychological implications among youth.
- Mental Health Struggles: Victims may suffer from anxiety, depression, or social withdrawal.
- Educational Disruption: Especially in conservative cultures, students may drop out due to reputational harm.
- Social Isolation: Victims often face public shaming or are ostracized by peers or community members.
- Suicidal Thoughts: In extreme cases, the emotional toll may lead to suicidal ideation.
Media Ethics
Ethics are core principles of media organizations that help them guide their responsibility to report on deepfake-related issues ethically. Before covering sensitive issues, the journalists’ role transcends reporting, and they are human rights defenders to protect human dignity. Thus, being a journalist, they should follow these things;
- Protect the victim’s identity.
- Verify information before publishing.
- Avoid sensationalism that could further harm affected individuals.
Failure of Policies and Platforms
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are flooded with deepfake content, and they are rigorously used to spread fake content to achieve maximum viewership and ratings. Digital media Platforms are censorship-free, but they often delay in removing harmful media even after it’s reported.
South Asian countries like Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are struggling with weak law enforcement and legislation in responding to deepfake cases. However, in contrast to other countries like the UK, the USA, and South Korea, they have introduced strong laws and legal penalties for deepfake misuse.
Role of Journalism
Journalists must tread carefully when covering deepfake-related stories, primarily when they affect youth. As frontline defenders of truth and human rights, they should exercise the following measures when covering such stories, as people’s privacy and morality are at stake.
- Safeguard victims’ identities and well-being.
- Educate the public about media manipulation.
- Advocate for ethical tech use and digital literacy.
Youth Building Resilience in Synthetic Era
In the synthetic era, school policies, legislation, and the polices of social media platforms are accountable for forming strategies to combat the escalation of deepfakes. Provide young people with media literacy as a primary subject with tools that allow them to protect their digital dignity. The emergence of AI and its advanced usage, such as face swapping, voice mimicry, and fabrication of reality, resilience is not just about surviving in a detrimental situation – instead, it’s an informed caution that individuals need to prepare and empower themselves to cope with deepfakes.
Knowledge about Technology
- Learn about the use of technology – understanding about ‘deepfake’, how it is beneficial, and a threat to them.
- Stay informed about the fabricated content, use free tools such as Google’s ‘About this Image’ or other AI-detection tools to verify what you are consuming on social media.
Practice Digital Hygiene
- Protect your social media accounts and avoid adding unnecessary connections that make you feel doubtful.
- Be mindful about the posts that you are posting and try to maintain settings so that your content does not work against you.
Report and Block Abuse
- Utilize report and block options on social media to reduce the digital manipulation and threat—Block users who create a doubtful situation for you and violate your privacy.
- Moreover, consult a cybercrime agency immediately if you feel harassed, threatened, or if your digital privacy is compromised.
Conclusion – Strengthen the Call to Action
The unchecked rise of deepfakes threatens both the privacy and moral compass of today’s youth. With reality being reshaped by manipulated content, there is a pressing need for:
- Stronger digital media policies,
- Comprehensive media literacy programs in schools,
- Accountability from tech platforms.
- Strengthen the youth to survive technological threats in the synthetic era.
Without these safeguards, deepfakes will continue to exploit the digital innocence of youth in a rapidly evolving technological world.
About the Author: Yusra Paul is a media scholar pursuing an M.Phil in Media Studies. She is currently working on a research paper related to “Political Deepfakes and their effects on youth.” She has been passionate about journalism since childhood. Three years ago, Yusra began writing Urdu articles on social issues. Yusra has also earned certifications from organizations like Newsreel Asia in New Journalism and Al-Jazeera Media Institute in Fact-Checking. Moreover, she is currently receiving training from the CNN Academy on “Voice from the South: Storytelling For Impact.”