Drug use is an ongoing epidemic which is unfortunately profound among teenagers. Many teens are exposed to harmful drugs at young ages and develop addictions that are tough to beat. Our high school population is no exception.
Students usually get access to drugs from older friends, family, or fellow students. Most of these arrangements take place in person, but recently, dealers have contacted students via social media accounts to sell them drugs. This provides an even easier way for students to obtain all types of substances.
Unsurprisingly, not everyone who’s messaged by these dealers is excited about it. An anonymous student who told us about their experience says, “I have always seen drugs as a thing that couldn't necessarily reach me, but that DM had me wondering if someone was offering with some background about me. It was very uncomfortable.” This student’s personal social media account was messaged unexpectedly by a drug dealer.
Not only does this bring up the question of whether this could affect the student in the future, but also who this dealer is. Our source wonders the same thing; “I had no idea who it was. I didn't recognize their [social media handle] and there was no common ground to match with anyone I knew. Also, it's not like I add many people, so it was extra weird when they DM'd me.” Because of the anonymity the internet provides, the question of identity will remain unanswered in most cases.
While the prospect of someone messaging students out of the blue makes many uneasy, some students will still take the risk of talking to unfamiliar people to get the drugs they offer. When these interactions leave the internet, there are many dangers to students' physical and mental health. Social media experts suggest that it's better to just block unwanted messages and accounts.