Cancún parents warned about viral social media risks to children

Cancún Parents Express Concern Over Social Media Risks

Parents in Cancún have expressed their concern about the misuse of social media and viral challenges on platforms like TikTok and Facebook that promote child pornography. They stated that they had not heard about a new challenge called “Sí puedo” (Yes I can), which allegedly circulates in Mexico, but agreed that it is necessary to remain more vigilant about this type of digital trend.

María Guadalupe, a homemaker, indicated that they require more prevention, institutional responses, and educational campaigns to reduce the dangers, but also from home they must monitor what their children watch. “As a precaution, I no longer lend my cell phone to my daughters for fear that they will imitate dangerous content seen on social networks,” she said.

Authorities Investigate Digital Crimes

The authorities of Quintana Roo have not received reports related to said challenge; however, they have identified cases of grooming, digital exploitation, and even child pornography, such as the recent arrest of teacher José Efraín “N” in Puerto Morelos.

In recent months, various local reports have documented an increase in social alert: guardians detecting unusual behaviors in their children after intensive use of digital platforms, episodes of brief absences linked to the repetition of viral challenges, and separately, investigations for possible sexual exploitation on local sites and groups.

The newspaper POR ESTO! has published investigations about Facebook pages and arrests for sexual crimes against minors, which intensified family concern.

Parents Call for Preventive Measures

Felipe González, another parent, stated that they have requested schools and authorities to conduct informational campaigns and more talks with students and guardians to strengthen prevention. However, he acknowledged that it is impossible to supervise children all day and asked for clearer protocols to address cases of cybercrimes or abuse.

According to authorities, there is no public and verified evidence that confirms the existence of a specific challenge on TikTok whose objective is to facilitate the recruitment of minors by pedophiles in Quintana Roo.

Federal Warnings and Investigations

Federal agencies have warned that several disseminated alerts could not be proven as real challenges, but rather as viral rumors. Even so, they emphasized that grooming and digital sexual exploitation are real problems, which usually occur through private messages, fake profiles, and direct contacts outside of public viral content.

Authorities from the Quintana Roo Cyber Police also alerted about publications that point to an alleged “pedophile network” on various pages and on TikTok. They reported that these accounts have been reported and are under joint investigation with the State Attorney General’s Office (FGE).

So far this year, cases of digital violence have accumulated, highlighting 84 for online school harassment; 83, harassment of minors; 39, grooming; 26, extortion; and two for child pornography.

Platform Responses and Parental Concerns

Parents indicated that TikTok and other platforms have announced efforts to moderate content and remove material related to child sexual exploitation, in addition to promoting digital education initiatives for families. However, they warned that these actions do not substitute supervision at home nor the timely intervention of local authorities.