Dear Editor:
RE: Local man arrested in online child sexual exploitation, luring investigation, Nov. 9.
I haven’t given much thought to who or where there are predators. But when I read your article, I was shocked. All I can think is, how do pedophiles have the power to access child pornography and lure children? Simply put, it’s because of social media. All the “good” it’s done is bring predators and children together.
The real good was in the 1960s, when the Internet was born, because it was only intended for researchers to share things. Then, in 1996, Bolt and a few other hoodlum social networks moved to the block. At first, social media seemed like an opportunity for friends and family to stay in touch, but now they’ve turned into our children’s social lives. Because of these platforms, kids are hooked and harassed with unachievable standards, horrible ideas and disgusting predators.
I now realize that predators are just like children. They are hooked on social media. It makes it so easy for them to make friends and share their wickedness. They peruse Instagram, Twitter and hundreds of other sites to find helpless kids. For what purpose? To exploit them.
Why not go back to before 1996? By removing this tool for predators, we can protect so many children from their grimy hands.
For now, I beg parents to boot their kids (and probably themselves) from their screens. Show them the world. Be a parent.
John Wildeboer,
Fergus