As the people of this world are quickly figuring out, the internet can be a dangerous place. It is easy for people to put on a disguise and pretend to be something they’re not. Online predators lurk behind every corner of the web and use it as a mask to trick our youth. Shows like “how to catch a predator” and various websites set up by the FBI and other organizations have helped show how dangerous these online predators can be and help us protect our children from ever being exposed to them. But is this enough???
In my opinion I don’t think anything will ever be enough to completely solve the problem. The internet is too big and there are so many ways for people to get around these types of road blocks. These sites and shows definitely define the dangers and help parents make sure their children are staying clear, but until every predator is put behind bars how can they truly be safe?
I feel the laws put in place definitely help define the problem but I feel more legislation won’t help solve the problem. It’s the people who are enforcing them. We need better technology and better equipped law enforcement to truly catch all the online predators. Also I feel a lot of responsibility lies in the hands of children’s parents. If parents can educate their children about the dangers of the internet, and set up the proper parental locks on certain parts of the internet I feel a lot of the opportunities for predators to even talk to children will be squashed.
I feel the privacy advocates should stand down in situations like this. If anything these awful online predators should be even more exposed. No one wants to be known as a “sexual predator.” Maybe if people knew their names would be marked with this title they won’t even take the risk. As for the families of these terrible people, I do feel bad, however once again maybe the thought of ruining the person’s family name will make them think twice about even taking the risk.
The internet is a dangerous place, especially for our youth. We all must work together in fixing this problem. Whether that is educating our youth, reporting suspicious behavior, or even joining forces that’s sole purpose are to catch online sex predators. There is something we can all do to help make the internet a safer and better place.