This might be a tad heavy for The Lounge but I think this is the best place for this. I know a lot of us have made friendships here and I'm certainly one of them. We've seen a lot of good done on the TCS but the longer I'm on the internet and the longer I'm a mother the more this topic really makes me think long and hard.
I'm mostly wearing my MOM hat at the moment. I've run into several situations lately where I'm really surprised at people's lack of awareness of Internet Safety. Especially people with kids!! I am SO reluctant to let my kids on the internet yet. I don't know how or when that will happen.
Even when you KNOW what can go on; sometimes stuff still happens. A friend of mine hasn't been able to share all the details; but I know she had to go to the police with her young teenage daughter and get her a new phone and everything. I got the feeling she was being harassed and not by another kid. Thankfully they have a good, open relationship and she knew she should and could go to her mom about it!
Then you hear stories about this online games like Minecraft and Fortnite being used by predators to lure kids. It's way too easy for a 13 year old to come online and "make friends" but really it's a creepy old opportunistic man on the other side of the computer.
Adults get deceived like this plenty often too so I know it's not just a kid/parent issue. People will put lots of time and effort into creating their online personality. It's easy when you are hidden behind a keyboard. I've heard too many stories about people grooming vulnerable people. Even if they aren't after someones life savings; emotional manipulation is no joke either.
So I'll just be over here trying to decide how to handle something my parents sure never had to worry about when I was a kid!
I'm mostly wearing my MOM hat at the moment. I've run into several situations lately where I'm really surprised at people's lack of awareness of Internet Safety. Especially people with kids!! I am SO reluctant to let my kids on the internet yet. I don't know how or when that will happen.
Even when you KNOW what can go on; sometimes stuff still happens. A friend of mine hasn't been able to share all the details; but I know she had to go to the police with her young teenage daughter and get her a new phone and everything. I got the feeling she was being harassed and not by another kid. Thankfully they have a good, open relationship and she knew she should and could go to her mom about it!
Then you hear stories about this online games like Minecraft and Fortnite being used by predators to lure kids. It's way too easy for a 13 year old to come online and "make friends" but really it's a creepy old opportunistic man on the other side of the computer.
Adults get deceived like this plenty often too so I know it's not just a kid/parent issue. People will put lots of time and effort into creating their online personality. It's easy when you are hidden behind a keyboard. I've heard too many stories about people grooming vulnerable people. Even if they aren't after someones life savings; emotional manipulation is no joke either.
So I'll just be over here trying to decide how to handle something my parents sure never had to worry about when I was a kid!