Oprah Now Predators on the internet

As a teen, i've heard many stories about msn and weird people. The thing I don't understand is DON'T THEY HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DOOOO? Than scare little kids and do stuff to them just cause they are board.... WELL I have something to say... someone should stand up for rights and everything and Mal did that. So I congratulate her. People just don't get it... The world would be a better place if there wern't so many of those preditors ALL OVER THE PLACE. It drives me up the wall.

I don't use a webcam cause those things scare me.
 
Well said Mal.

I too worry sometimes about the photos of our younger DIS board members being posted- and I know I've seen some that I cringed at all the information they have revealed- not just here but in other web locations as well.

You know boards like this are a community- you "get to know people" -they become your "friends"- and you get more and more relaxed with things. But you can never really be 100% sure of who is on the other end. In most cases it is that personality that you have gotten to know from the boards and games- but in a few it isn't and that is where the problem can be.

Someone asked why these people do this to relieve boredom or whatever- but the predators do what they do- because they are sick individuals- and like predators in the wild- they go for the weak ones- the ones who set themselves up for attack- and sometimes the succeed.

I know my own kid have emails- and my daughter HAD a myspace account- but when one day she left it open and I saw hers- which by the way was fairly innocent except she added 3 years to her age! And then went to see those of people on her friends list- most were kids that I did know- one's she went to school with in town- but I Was shocked by some- the photos some of the girls had taken and posted on the web were precursers to kiddie porn- they were begging for some sleazy guy to look for them- My husband and I pointed this out to my daughter- and the fact that her friends photo could be lifted and placed elsewhere on the web too- I did after reviewing her friend's list call one of the girl's moms- and said- you need to look at this- that I wasn't saying her daughter was bad- but that I was worried about what her daughter was doing- that her safety could be in jeopardy- she wasn't thrilled with the call (no mom wants to hear their kid did something wrong) but about a week later I got a call from her thanking me for the information- I asked that if she ever discovers something similar about my own daughter to please pass it on... lol

I have posted before that at one time a 5th grade girl that was in my Girl Scout troop had revealed to me that she was getting inappropriate photos sent to her from some guy she made friends with on a kid game. She hadn't told her parents and really thought she was wrong for getting those photos- this guy turns out- was trying to get her to meet him- she was savvy enough to not do that but didn't know how to make him stop. She had just been deleting the photos- she and I talked to her mom the same day- and the police were contacted shortly afterwards- the guy was later arrested in another state for this... that was 5 years ago.

As an adult I tend to have certain rules that I follow- I don't usually reveal my real name in general/open forums and I never reveal my children's names -it is far too easy to slip though- especially as you become more comfortable- but I always remind people for every active poster here or at any other board- there are usually 5 or more lurkers that may never post a thing- but they can be reading things- and with boards like this one- you can do a search to read all posts by one person and believe me you can find out all sorts of information from doing that- it is important to remember that what you say doesn't just go away.

I also think I mentioned just recently finding out that some of the people who hang around dh and I were much younger than we thought they were- two we first thought were adults- then learned that they were in school thought VMK conversations and then one day I get and IM from them and discover they are actually 12 and 13 years old- both younger than my two oldest kids... I don't mind chatting with them at all- they are great kids- but I do have to remember that they are kids... And I often wonder if their parents know that they are chatting with adults- usually when I am on with them I am in full on mom mode and even have told them they must log off computer and go do homework or practice piano lol

I guess for kids the thing to learn is to be aware of what you are putting out there- and to always share anything with others and NEVER EVER meet someone off the internet- unless you do so in a very controlled situation with multiple adults knowing about it and being present in a public location.

For adults- same thing- as kids- but if you have children- talk to them- be open with them- teach them of the dangers and encourage them to come to you or another trusted adult if they have problems- Our family computer is in our kitchen- in a location that I can see it from the living room and kitchen- and it hadn't always been there- we moved it when there was some concern with my oldest dd- (never really had the problems with ds even though he has been communicating with others over the internet for much longer time- but he is a private person by nature- opposite my daughter)

You don't have to be so paranoid that you are avoiding sites like this and others- but it pays to have a good awareness of you situation- and not be lured into the fact that you are comfortably locked inside your own home when you are on the internet- that the risks are still out there...

/public service message
 














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