Coby Persin is a popular YouTube prankster who has a knack for putting people in uncomfortable situations. The 21-year-old has more than one million channel subscribers, and his videos have amassed more than 100 million views. Persin has created a platform for himself not only to entertain but also to raise awareness about prevalent social issues. Most recently, Persin conducted a social experiment in order to show the potential dangers of social media use especially among the younger population. The video was uploaded on August 10 and has already exceeded 10 million views.
Prior to filming, Persin reached out to the parents of three teenage girls before connecting with their daughters on Facebook. Once he had obtained permission, he struck up casual conversations with them, posing as a 15-year-old boy who had recently moved to the area. Before long, Persin had managed to set up individual meetings with each of the girls. The parents of these girls all assumed - and hoped - that their daughters wouldn't go through with the meetings. Much to the parents dismay, the young girls followed up with their plans to meet Persin, either in a public setting or in their own homes. Persin invited the parents along to be there when he met the girls face-to-face in order to amplify the lesson being taught.
The intention of Persin's video was clear - he wanted to demonstrate to the world (and specifically parents) how dangerous social media can be. With its prominence in today's age, parents have to understand the access their children have at their fingertips on any given day. Sure, sites like Facebook and Instagram can be great places to share and connect with friends, but they can also be a breeding ground for people with malicious intent. Reports about children
going missing and
being harmed as a result of social media use are not uncommon.
Parents ought to sit down with their children and have a serious talk about social media sites. The intention shouldn't necessarily be to scare them; rather, parents should aim to provide a realistic picture of the potential perils of using a site like Facebook. After all, a talk could save their child's life.
You can watch the social experiment below. Is this a good way to teach a lesson?
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