The Screwtape “Text Messages” #8: Strategies for Tempting Teens: Girls vs. Boys
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is the eighth of The Screwtape “Text Messages” in Today’s AI World. Although the basic C.S. Lewis Screwtape Letters vehicle of communications of a senior demon to an apprentice is retained, I have made a few changes:
The method of communication is text messages instead of letters. The apprentice demon, Wormwood, has been replaced by Phishhook and Screwtape has been replaced by Mephisto, named after a demon from German folklore and Faust. The target to be tempted by the demons is referred to as “The Lostling.” The demons refer to hell as Meta-Dystopia. Finally, there are observations about the text messages from a “good team” fact checker/analyst, Clarion Veridiel. Her name means truth from God.
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TO: Phishhook (101-001-1010) URGENT
FROM: Mephisto
LOSTLING DOSSIER: This message is a general directive to the coven regarding strategies for tempting groups, rather than individual Lostlings. The two groups to be targeted are teenage boys and teenage girls.
Dear Coven 616:
Meta-dystopia is concerned because our efforts have not been as effective as expected in tempting and corrupting teenagers. One of the problems has been that you tunnel-vision demons have employed a one-size-fits-all approach for this age group. But a plethora of research by the “embodieds” provides clear evidence that we need to use gender-based strategies that reflect the differences in how girls and boys react to their online experiences. I’m confident that if we refine our approach, the harvest of souls will be bounteous. Let me shape your malleable minds by explaining. When I’m finished, let’s see what you come up with.
Both boys and girls can be our victims using online harm. But they experience and react to temptations differently because of a combination of social, psychological, and biological factors. Clearly, there will be exceptions but, as a general guideline, boys need to be nudged to behave impulsively and to engage in unethical behaviors. For girls, the approach should be to weaken their feelings of self-worth and to increase anxiety levels. Here are some specifics that will guide your strategizing.
BOYS. Let’s use those high testosterone levels to our advantage. Most teenage boys crave excitement and adventure. They are attracted to the thrill of victory, even though, to coin a phrase, they often experience the agony of defeat. They chafe against external control and want to exercise their autonomy. Teenage boys are motivated by challenges and competition that allow them to improve their status with peers. We have won many battles over the centuries because their immature little cerebral cortexs can’t evaluate the dire consequences of their risky behaviors.
The anonymity of online activities is another huge plus for us. Believing they are immortal (or at least that they won’t be detected), they often act with reckless impunity. If so inclined, they may indulge in watching indecency and violence and acting aggressively online with greatly-reduced fear of reprisal. Fantasy becomes reality in a virtual sense. Or, if they are so inclined, they can retreat into a passive mega-verse that is free of the frustrations of their real lives. One other advantage of plying our digital temptations on boys is that they are less likely to rat us out or to ask for help, because that would be a betrayal of their prized image of masculinity.
GIRLS. Girls are much different in their vulnerabilities to online temptations. They tend to spend their time on different apps and to use them in different ways than boys. The online activities of young women focus more on establishing social connections. They’re much more likely to develop close online friends and to share emotions and personal experiences. Because their emotional bonds tend to be deeper, they are more subject to unhappiness and anxiety when relationships go south. They also tend to be more dependent on virtual validations through likes and comments.
Young women are almost forced to assume a defensive posture online. Much more than young men, they must be concerned about predators. Who really is their online friend–a genuine soulmate or an old guy looking for thrills? Girls also focus more on body image. The societal pressures to be thin, have flawless skin, and dress like Barbie can lead to anxiety, low self-esteem, and even eating disorders.
At the same time, young women are more likely than young men to express their feelings and to reach out for support. There are pros and cons to this. The con for them and pro for us is that they may be more vulnerable to emotional manipulation.
There it is my coven. I’ve given you the theory and now it’s time for you to turn it into creative action strategies for temptation. I expect you to report back ASAP with your plans. I would say that failure is not an option, but your previous work shows that it is. Don’t test me this time.
Your coven leader: Mephisto
TO: Mephisto (666-911-1313)
FROM: Phishhook
Dear Mephisto:
Because we demons no longer have any sexual identity, I am equally uncomfortable tempting teenage boys and girls. But, to comply with your directive, I submit these strategies for your uncompromising review.
BOYS. Pushing them into pornography may not be very creative, but it has a long history of being very effective. It is even more useful in the online world because viewing porn is pervasive among young men. It’s almost impossible for them to avoid online. The question is no longer if, but how often. That works to our advantage because they are less likely to view themselves as a deviant. And it’s there 24/7 on their mobile devices as a temptation. One click and all is laid bare.
Exposure to violent, aggressive behavior is a lot like looking at pornography. It is easily accessible, but it doesn’t carry the stigma of sexually explicit material. If porn causes objectification of women, violence can do the same for physical harm by causing them to be desensitized. For those at the edge, it may cause aggressive behavior towards others.
But porn and violence are just mainstream temptations. Cyberbullying, threats, and online trolling fit into the same category. Let me suggest some more novel approaches. If teenage boys are risk seekers, let’s use that to our advantage. Many young men won’t risk appearing weak by backing down from a challenge, however foolhardy. There are plenty of sites that portray high risk behaviors. Some may require travel to an exotic location, but others can be done at home or in nearby recreational areas. We should exploit their nature by challenging them to climb higher, eat crazier, drive faster, and be more resistant to pain. The measure of our success will be the wrecked cars, broken bones, and visits to the ER and principal’s office.
For the less physically inclined, there are good opportunities for risky behaviors that don’t even involve leaving their keyboard. The bored and lonely can be enticed to join a hacking community or a conspiracy site that disseminates falsehoods. We might even get really lucky and manage to radicalize the target. It’s happened many times before.
Finally, let’s do a 180 and try a completely different approach. Instead of promoting action, let’s create the ultimate couch potato. Our objective is for the young man to achieve “failure to launch status.” If his real world is uncomfortable and disappointing, encourage him to retreat into his own safe haven. The best physical location for this is his bedroom with the door shut, where he can lie on his bed with his mobile device or laptop and create his own fantasy world. School and exercise become a bother and even joining the family for meals is resisted. It’s too much to hope for but imagine the conflicts if our recluse happens to have micro-managing helicopter parents bent on creating superstars.
What a triumph this would be for us and it’s doable. The condition is common enough that there is even a Japanese word for it. Young men who isolate themselves in their bedrooms are called the Hikikomori. We need a catchy equivalent in English. Couch potato doesn’t come close to describing their isolation.
GIRLS. In general, girls may be more vulnerable to our machinations than boys because they’re more likely to establish close online relationships. This makes them especially vulnerable to manipulation and exploitation. The temptation techniques are better understood than those for boys, so I will be brief.
My first approach will be to encourage young women in my district to be more forthcoming about sharing their feelings, experiences and personal information. I’ll also suggest that they pay careful attention to their likes and comments on social media. Initially, this will seem cathartic. But it makes them so open to rejection and heartache. The great aspect of relying on online validation is that the effects are asymmetric. My rule of thumb is that one negative comment is enough to completely offset ten positives. And anonymity is our ally. Who out there doesn’t like them? Is it a random troll or a jealous classmate? I revere whoever invented teenage anxiety.
Mephisto, you hinted that teenage girls may be affected by the visual aspects of online activities. The traditional temptation would be young women receiving explicit images or being urged to become involved in sexting. But we can be more surgical and less crude than that. Young women want to be favorably presented on social media, especially if they are bold enough to present their bios on a dating site. The more attractive they look online, the more attention they are likely to attract.
Not every girl is a beauty. But they can be with some help from their friendly AI. It’s a simple matter to enhance their features. I hacked into the social media sites of a 17-year-old who wasn’t very careful about her privacy settings. With a little harvesting, I was able to find before and after photos. The AI did a nice job, didn’t it.
The alteration seems innocuous, but it can have multiple negative impacts. First, the young woman knows that she is deceiving and that may create guilt. Second, she lives with the constant fear that she is likely to be “unveiled”. Third, if she meets someone in person, the disappointment may be obvious when her partner sees her. Finally, she may face ridicule from friends who know the real her.
One last possibility. Many teenage girls become obsessed with body images because of what they see online and in other media. Perfectly normal young women become convinced they’re too fat or their bodies are poorly proportioned. These perceptions can lead to low self-esteem and even serious eating disorders that can be life-threatening. We don’t have to do anything to exploit this issue. We can just sit back and watch them eat lettuce and carrots. Even positive comments may not help. If she is told she looks good, she may be in a state of self-denial, or it may cause her to try to be even thinner.
Your cautiously optimistic underling: Phishhook
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TO: Phishhook (101-001-1010) URGENT
FROM: Mephisto
Better than expected. I’m impressed by my effective tutelage. Hopefully, we will see a surge in ER visits, failures to launch, dates gone bad, and eating interventions. Go forth, sow our seeds of discord, and return with dishonor.
Your malicious file leader: Mephisto
TO: CK (110-111-1000)
FROM: Clarion Veridiel
Mephisto and his minions are moving down the learning curve with alarming speed. Their old shotgun approach is morphing into sniper skills. I can’t rebut their strategies point-by-point, but here are some suggestions:
- Open communication between parents, educators and youth are essential. A supportive and inclusive environment goes a long way towards mitigating the impacts of online temptations.
- Teenagers (and much younger) need to be better educated about online dangers and safety.
- President Ronald Reagan famously said, “Trust, but verify.” It may seem a little harsh when applied to families, but in dealing with the dangers of online activities, it makes sense. Youth should be given some latitude, but age-appropriate parental controls and time-limits on digital devices can be effective.
The Church website has an excellent article, “Ways to Manage Technology”. It’s primarily intended for young children, but many of the ideas are applicable for teenagers.
Your loving servant: Clarion Veridiel
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AUTHOR’S NOTE: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Dr. Jonathan Haidt (Penguin Press, 2024) is well-researched and inciteful treatise on the potential dangers to teenagers of our fast-evolving digital world. The book was a #1 New York Times Best-Seller. It has chapters on the different ways that boys and girls are affected.
The tenth Screwtape Text Message will focus on temptations involving online super scams and fake news and will expose the “Korihor” effect. Be prepared to doubt all that you read and see.
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