New world, new safety rules
The internet has changed the way we do things. Things we used to do in the real world are now done on the internet. We use the internet for banking, communication, entertainment, education, business and more. We even date online.
During the Covid-19 related lockdowns, we moved more of our lives onto the Internet to continue to earn our living, educate and entertain our families from home.
When we were young there were very simple safety rules.
“Don’t get into the car with strangers” – thanks to Uber and other ride-sharing services, there’s an app for getting into the car with strangers.
“Don’t let strangers into your home” – thanks to Air BnB, there’s an app for allowing strangers into your home.
Every time your child opens a chat or messaging app, she is inviting the world of strangers into your home. Every time you post a family picture on social media, you are inviting strangers into your home. Every time you or your child open a messaging app, you are allowing strangers into your life. Every time you post an image or a video on social media, you are sharing your life with strangers.
The creepy guy is in their pocket.
When we were young children, a predator was a creepy guy who would hang around parks and playgrounds where he could watch the children. You could spot him a mile away by his greasy hair, dodgy eyes, and long trench coat. If he tried to approach to expose himself or snatch us, our parents would pick us up and take us home so that we’d be out of his reach. If they weren’t around, we could simply scream and run away.
If he wanted to harm a child, he had to lure the child to a secluded place and he had to do so in the real world, in person.
Today, the phone in your child’s hand is the playground where creepy predators hang out. The creepy guy can reach out from anywhere in the world and connect with your child on the mobile phone in her pocket. She won’t see greasy hair, dodgy eyes, or a long trench coat. She will see only what he wants her to see.
New world, new rules.
We can’t teach our children to be safe in this new world if we rely on the old rules. For our children to be safer online, we have to teach them the new rules. As parents, teachers or guardians of children, tweens or teens; it is our duty to teach those we love how to be safer online.
