For those of you with kids: The Internet is a great resource and an overall good for human kind. But it can also be a window to the evils of the world.
I used to work a lot of cases as a detective where grown men preyed on fragile, impressionable, and/or at-risk children. Kids caught up in these incidents will lie to you about it. They will hide things and do things not in their best interest. Every parent of every victim of these cases I worked were surprised when they found out their kid had developed a relationship with someone online and that bad things happened to their child.
Please be aware and vigilant. Verify what your kids are doing online. I personally use a software service called Qustodio. I have it installed on all of my kids' devices so I can monitor content, curate access, and protect them.
I wanted my two older kids to have phone access, but without the smart phones and the Internet access. So they have Verizon Gizmo Watches, where they can make calls and text, but only with numbers I authorize. Plus, I can monitor their location. For me, this makes things like letting them walk by themselves down the street to a friend's house an okayer option.
Don't be afraid to just cut kids off from the Internet too. A lot of us did just fine without it growing up, remember that.
Plus, you won't find many people claiming that social media helps them or makes their life more valuable. It is likely the opposite, especially for children.
Parents, do your duty: Protect your kids. Be vigilant about their Internet access.
Stay frosty out there! 🫡
