How misplaced confidence, shaming, and peer pressure are making teenagers behave riskily online

The bold lingerie looks incongruous in her hands. It is also way too expensive for a girl who is fourteen years old and barely in class nine. But she picks it up confidently from the store aisle, heads straight for the dressing room, puts it on, clicks a selfie, uploads it on Instagram, changes back into her pair of distressed jeans and walks out nonchalantly. All before you can say the words “social media”.

“I post thirst traps – pictures that are intentionally seductive or revealing but not nude at all,” elaborates the girl. “So, they are provocative but not an invitation for anything. We mostly do it because we feel confident and want to show ourselves off. There are no boundaries – some people could be completely naked with only a bar to censor, some could wear translucent clothing, so it’s visible but technically covered. It all depends on the purpose…