While fans fill out brackets in anticipation of the 2026 March Madness college basketball tournament and cheer for buzzer-beaters, a very different kind of “madness” is unfolding online. Every day, millions of children navigate a digital world where predators, explicit content, and exploitation are only a click away. 

In several recent trials, evidence and testimony reveal that Big Tech has deliberately hooked children on social media and enabled them to be sexually exploited. See Donna's Oped in today's Washington Examiner (Read full article here). 

"It has never been clearer that multibillion-dollar Big Tech giants that design social media and other tech platforms are preying on our children. In fact, the evidence reveals that these highly profitable businesses, which in the past have only provided avenues for sexual predators, traffickers, sextortionists, and pornographers to groom and exploit children, are now groomers and exploiters of children themselves,” writes Donna Rice Hughes, President and CEO, Enough Is Enough^®, for the Washington Examiner.

Donna joined Newsmax to discuss a shocking case of sextortion, where a Pittsburg-area high school-aged boy was arrested for allegedly running a sextortion scheme.

"A predator can be anyone. Financial sextortion is one of the largest-growing crimes internationally and they are primarily targeting teenage boys. These cases happen very quickly," Hughes said.

Internet platforms, apps and devices are not designed with child safety in mind, and today’s platforms often expose young users to risks far beyond what parents and educators realize. The scale and speed of online child exploitation have created a crisis impacting the emotional, physical, and psychological health of children and teens—one that continues to grow as technology evolves and children spend more time connected.

The Real Madness: Behind the Numbers

• 20.5 million reports of suspected online child sexual exploitation were received by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) CyberTipline in 2024 alone. (CyberTipline Report, 2024)

• 75% of teenagers have viewed online pornography by age 17. The average age of first exposure to pornography is 12. (Common Sense Media, 2022).

• 1 in 7 young people report experiencing a technology-facilitated sexual interaction before age 18 (Thorn research, 2025).

• Between 2021 and 2023, the number of online enticement reports increased by more than 300%. (NCMEC)

• 1 in 3 teens have chosen to discuss important or serious matters with AI companions instead of real people (Common Sense Media 2025) 

• 40% of children have their own tablet by the age of 2; by age 4 its 58%; by age 8, nearly 1 in 4 kids have their own cell phone. Kids age 5-8 years old spend on average 3.5 hours/day using screen media. (Common Sense Media, 2025)

While March Madness ends with a championship trophy, the stakes in the online world are far higher. Protecting children in today’s digital environment requires awareness, vigilance, and action from parents, educators, technology companies, and communities alike.

As the excitement of March Madness captures the nation’s attention, the real battle for our children’s safety continues online every day. Enough Is Enough^® is working hard to equip families with prevention tools, educate communities about emerging threats like sextortion and AI exploitation, and advocate for safer technology standards that put children first.