The internet’s darkest corners
One of the most unsettling details to emerge from the recent school shooting in South Cotabato is that the alleged shooter did not fit the stereotype of someone who was troubled, isolated, or openly violent. According to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, the child was an honor student who dreamed of becoming a doctor, had friends and a girlfriend, had never been bullied, and had never been a bully.
Investigators, however, say that he had ventured into the dark web, where he was exposed to extremely violent content, and became involved in online groups that glorified satanism and mass murder. Since the news came out, I have received questions from concerned parents asking whether there is a way to simply “ban” the dark web.
The answer is not that simple. For context, the dark web can be accessed through software like the Tor Browser, which anonymizes and makes it difficult to trace a user’s identity and activity. Not everything in the dark web is harmful. It has also been used by journalists, whistleblowers, activists, and people living under repressive governments to communicate and access information without surveillance.
But the same secrecy afforded by the dark web that protects legitimate users has also enabled the proliferation of criminal and abusive activity. Dark-web marketplaces and communities have been used to distribute child sexual abuse material, sell drugs and stolen data, and serve as underground extremist recruitment. And while authorities can shut down individual illegal sites, there is no simple switch that can turn off the entire network. Unfortunately, access has also become easier, with many online tutorials now offering step-by-step guides.
More importantly, a child does not have to venture into the dark web to encounter disturbing material. Harmful content can circulate through the platforms young people already use every day. A 2026 study on young people’s WhatsApp groups found that users were frequently exposed to physical and sexual violence, hate speech, and self-harm content because of what their peers shared. Since disturbing material was often shared as a joke, researchers found that humor could reduce its perceived seriousness and help normalize it, particularly in spaces without adult supervision.
This is where the conversation needs to focus. Protecting children online requires parents to be aware of the online groups they are part of, the ideas and subcultures that interest them, and the platforms where most of their interactions happen. Young people, however, are far less likely to reveal troubling experiences if they believe that the disclosure will immediately result in punishment or the confiscation of their device. Surveillance without trust can simply teach children to hide better.
The United Nations Children’s Fund’s research on children’s digital lives in the Philippines emphasizes that caregivers are better able to protect children online when they have basic digital skills, understand online risks, and can have open and honest conversations with their children about them. The goal is to create a relationship in which a child can say, “Someone sent this to our group chat and it bothered me,” without fearing that the conversation will immediately turn into an interrogation.
Recently, my sister overheard one of her children watching a video with questionable content. After asking him about it, she learned that it had been shared by an older schoolmate. She eventually raised the concern with the teacher so that the other child’s parents could be informed. But before doing so, she first talked to her son about what he had seen, helped him process why the material was inappropriate, and explained why it was important to tell an adult. They agreed together that it should be reported. Her experience reminded me that it is just as important to help children develop the judgment and confidence to respond when they encounter something wrong.
The same 2026 study recommended introducing empathy-focused interventions in schools and at home. Exercises that promote perspective-taking and other oriented compassion can prevent teens from being desensitized to other people’s suffering. Digital upstander trainings can also help empower students to become active defenders by teaching them safe methods to intervene against online harassment and sharing of harmful content.
The internet has given younger generations access to extraordinary worlds their parents never had. Unfortunately, some of those worlds are quite sinister. It is worth reiterating that addressing the issue of online safety requires a collective effort: stronger digital safeguards, better digital literacy education, more responsive mental health systems, and stronger government efforts to go after online communities that encourage violence or exploit young people.
But intervention will always be incomplete if we focus only on telling children what not to do. Harmful online communities can be quite attractive because they tend to offer young people things they are already searching for: identity, belonging, validation, and a sense of agency. Our challenge is not just to keep children away from dangerous places on the web, but to make sure they have healthier places where those same needs can be met.
eleanor@shetalksasia.com
