Social Media Trafficking? You mean the digital spaces where our children spend their lives online aren’t safe? Read on…

A devastating new documentary from The Guardian, “How children in the US are trafficked on social media,” delivers a heartbreaking and urgent answer: they are not.

This film is more than an exposé; it’s a desperate call to action for every parent, leader, and believer. It pulls back the curtain on a dark world where predators don’t just lurk—they advertise.

Social Media Trafficking: Instagram and X (Twitter )

The documentary reveals with chilling clarity how platforms like Instagram and Twitter have become a primary tool for traffickers. This isn’t a case of “stranger danger” in a chatroom; this is an open, commercial enterprise.

• Public Advertising: Traffickers brazenly use social media to “promote their commercial sex enterprises,” sometimes disguised as club or party promotions [00:07:46].
• Direct Grooming: Survivors describe being as young as 14 and having their DMs “flooded” with explicit messages and offers from adult men after posting a single photo [00:02:27].
• Platform Failure: The film highlights a terrifying reality: the social media platforms are failing to remove the content. Survivors note that even when videos or profiles are flagged, they often remain, while posts about social justice are removed for “cuss words” [00:06:56].

Social Media Trafficking: The Victims “Miss Tina” of Courtney’s House

The true power of the documentary comes from the voices of survivors and frontline workers. This isn’t an abstract “issue”; it’s a war being waged against vulnerable children.

We meet survivors like one woman who was first trafficked at nine years old while in the foster care system [00:00:04]. We also meet heroes like “Miss Tina” of Courtney’s House, a drop-in center for victims [00:04:32]. She works with girls like a 15-year-old who is nine months pregnant, fleeing physical abuse from her own mother, and has nowhere else to go [00:12:49].

The documentary makes it clear: this is not about sex; it’s about control [00:01:46]. These traffickers exploit vulnerability—a need for food, tampons [00:02:07], or a place to sleep—and trap these children in a cycle of abuse.

Biblical Mandate: A Call to Confront the Darkness

As Christians we are commanded to be a light in the darkness. We cannot turn to a death ear. This epidemic is happening on our watch, on our phones, and in our communities.

The Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) gives us a clear mandate in Mishlei (Proverbs) 31:8-9:

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

This documentary is a call to an urgent awakening. We must be the ones to “open our mouths” for these children. We must educate ourselves, our families, and our churches about these dangers. We must demand accountability from social media giants and support frontline organizations like Courtney’s House that are doing the hard work of rescue and restoration.

Watch the full documentary from The Guardian here. Be warned: the content is disturbing, but it is necessary.