Dear Editor:
RE: Local man arrested in online child sexual exploitation, luring investigation, Nov. 9.
Children are so immersed in the world of social media and gaming. They create a profile, add a picture, maybe create a funny name that isn’t actually their own, and away they go. They can chat with people as they game, or talk to people whose profiles on social media look interesting.
Some children even find a false reality in a fake social media account, where they can create a false identity through a name they have always wanted, a really cool or beautiful profile picture and maybe a few pictures just to really seal the lie they have created.
If a child can create a fake online account, so can a child predator. And after about 10 minutes of working on creating a profile these predators could be talking to your children under a false identity.
Unfortunately this is more common than people think. I mean this 67-year-old man was doing it, and I’m sure none of his neighbours knew what was happening behind closed doors.
Parents, I plead with you, please take the time, as it is your responsibility, to monitor who your children are communicating with online. I understand this isn’t an easy task, but when has parenting really been very easy?
Social media companies like Instagram and Snapchat, and gaming corps like Fortnight and Minecraft, need to make it their goal to assist parents in monitoring the activity of their children on sites or games that are very popular among youth today.
Let’s monitor our children, enhance and update privacy on sites, and protect the generations after us.
Remember, if a child can do it, so can a child predator.
Kayla Vanderwoerd,
Guelph