Clicks, Contracts, and Consent: Rethinking Empowerment Online

"Sex sells." It is one of the media’s oldest, most cynical truths. But what happens when that formula starts pulling in profit at the expense of teenagers and young adults?

We are currently watching a cultural shift unfold in real-time. Social media has made it easier than ever to monetize visibility. With every viral dance, outfit haul, or thirst trap, the line between self-expression and sexualization gets blurrier, especially for teens(CBS News, 2023).

In today's digital world, more young people are adopting strategies that mimic influencer culture to fit in and build brands. They know what gets clicks. They know that certain poses, filters, and content types outperform others. In a digital economy where relevance is currency, there is enormous pressure to play the game, even when it means attracting the wrong kind of attention and shifting their values (Pew Research, 2022). 

One case that’s impossible to ignore is Piper Rockelle. Piper Rockelle built her brand from childhood and continued to grow with her fan base. She is now surrounded by headlines, legal cases, and scrutiny around the adult-like image she’s been pushed into for years by the adults around her(Rolling Stone, 2022). She’s far from alone. More often than not, we see newly 18-year-old creators immediately scouted by OnlyFans management teams, sometimes even within hours of hitting the legal age threshold. These teens are treated like marketable assets and pawns in a game, barely adults, yet already monetized for others' benefit (VICE, 2023).

It’s not subtle, and it’s not okay.

It’s becoming harder to deny that we are witnessing a new form of digital exploitation, carefully wrapped in buzzwords like “empowerment,” “self-expression,” and “freedom.” But behind the curtain, it is essentially just legalized grooming. In many cases, the people guiding these young women, their managers, agents, and even their parents, are the very adults who should protect them. Instead, they’re leading them down a path you can’t erase, taking a cut of the profits, and turning a blind eye to the long-term consequences (New York Times, 2023).

Time and time again, we see how drastically money can change someone’s morals and values in what feels like seconds. When fame and fast cash are on the line, ethical boundaries blur. And young girls, many still figuring out who they are, are being manipulated and coerced into choices they may never have made with proper guidance from people who genuinely want the best for them. These are choices you can not take back; once on the internet, it is there forever, even long after the money comes in. Choices that weren’t entirely theirs to begin with.

Platforms Are Failing

Social media companies claim to protect minors and regulate adult content. But in practice, their enforcement is inconsistent at best and performative at worst (TechCrunch, 2023). Apparent violations are left untouched, while young creators are quietly funneled into visibility loops that reward sexually suggestive content, even when it crosses ethical lines. Creeps are watching. Companies are profiting. And the cycle continues.

Conclusion 

Just because “sex sells” doesn’t mean it should, especially not when it comes at the expense of safety, consent, and childhood.

We need to stop treating this as a visibility issue and start calling it what it is: exploitation dressed up as opportunity and masked by money. What kind of culture are we building when turning 18 becomes a business strategy? What does it say about us when the people meant to protect young adults are the first to profit from their vulnerability?

The harm will continue until platforms enforce fundamental protections and adults choose mentorship over money. And if we keep pretending this isn’t happening, we’re not just complicit. We’re selling the next generation for clicks, likes, and shares.

Sources:

• CBS News. (2023). Social media and the growing hypersexualization of teen girls online.

• Pew Research Center. (2022). Teens, Social Media and Mental Health.

• Rolling Stone. (2022). Inside the Lawsuit Against YouTube Star Piper Rockelle’s Team.

• VICE. (2023). How OnlyFans Agencies Are Recruiting Teens Right After They Turn 18.

• New York Times. (2023). The Adults Profiting Off Young Influencers.

• TechCrunch. (2023). Instagram and TikTok struggle to enforce content guidelines protecting minors.

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT (2025). Used to assist in writing, editing, and verifying research.