LET’STALK ABOUT MODELING
Dear Parents,
Last Saturday, I called IN OUR BACKYARD’s
Executive Director, Cheryl Csiky, and asked
her what trends she is seeing in our
community and around the country. I am
always looking for relevant information to
share with you and asked her what parents
need to know this month.
She brought to my attention a trafficking tactic that is being used to lure young
people into the business. MODELING. Yes, around the country young people,
primarily girls, are being asked to pose for pictures. This can start as early as a
child has a little independence and the “photographers” can be anyone.
Typically, they are friends who want to grow their “photography business,” or
who have an active social media presence. They propose a photo session to
build their portfolio. Sometimes, the photographers encourage nude or sexually
provocative poses.But at other times, the photos are often completely clothed
and decent. The photographers simply invite kids to pose, with the promise of
using their photos to build an online presence or to use as scout bait for modeling work.
THERE ARE SEVERAL RISKS
TO THIS BEHAVIOR.
1.With a little AI help, images can be
enhanced, adjusted, and changed to
become more voluptuous and clothes can
be removed. These are what are referred
to as “deepfakes.” See this video
produced by Good Morning America that
explains how the process works. Or you
can read this article by CNN about a 14-
year-old at a New Jersey high school
who is calling for AI regulations after her
photo was used to create inappropriate
content.
________________
2.These photos don’t belong to the child
being photographed and live forever in
the digital storage of the photographer
and the world wide web. They can be
used as blackmail or for identity fraud at
any time. Watch this short clip, produced
by Create Future, an innovation and
design company.
_________________
3.Children don’t often tell their parents
about these photo shoots. They want to
wait until they have an official modeling
job.Kids often opt out of sharing with
their parents because they don’t want to
be a disappointment, don’t want a
lecture, and just want to feel beautiful.
Being approached by a photographer is
flattering.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. When your kids are young, talk to them
about the internet and how information
can be stored, stolen, and manipulated.
________________
2.Let them know that you are open to
talking about modeling if that is
something they are interested in. But ask
them not to keep anything secret. Talk to
them about modeling agencies and
portfolios. Discuss the path to take if
modeling is a legitimate interest and
compare this to a schoolmate who might
want to take their picture. If you are like
me and don’t know a lot about this
industry, here is a resource produced by
the Federal Trade Commission that can
help decipher between a scam and a
legitimate agency.
__________________
3. Tell your kids they may get asked for a
photo session. And if they do, you would
like to see their photography profile and
know what is happening.
___________________
4. Check in on your kids. Ask open-ended
questions. Know their friends. And take
care of yourself, so that when they come
to you, you can be ready.
Again, I’ve brought this topic to you today because we are actually seeing this
happen in our backyard. It isn’t a faraway problem. I hope this is a resource for you
as you talk to your kids. As always, please reach out to In Our Backyard with
questions.
With hope for a better future for our kids,
Gina