The news media is not telling us as much as there is to know about girls and internet crime in my mind. They certainly do have television shows about some things that go on but I do think that we are left in the dark about many other factors, like how serious internet predators are and how many are actually out there. Girls are definitely at risk every time they log onto their computers. People are out there disguising themselves as younger people and gaining the trust of these girls to do bad things. It makes me sick to my stomach to think of all the things that we are never told by the media. When we imply about claims like these we are voicing our opinions for girls that have none. These predators prey on young girls with low self- esteem and that have no one there to watch over every move that they make, especially on computers.
The critique is certainly fair that girls are victims of the internet as I said above. I don’t believe that the police are the only heroes who can save them. There are concerned family members, neighbors, teachers, friends, etc. who can save them by talking to them about things such as this. We can educate young girls on the safety of internet use. For my service-learning I am teaching a Girl Scout group about internet safety from research for school to other network sites that are out there. If we all have to sacrifice some of our civil liberties I think I will be okay with that. I’m not saying to take away every one’s privacy and freedoms; I’m just saying that I wouldn’t mind giving a little to get a lot more. I believe everything you learn is useful. It may not be exactly what you believe but seeing someone else’s ideas and thoughts may open up something inside of you that you’ve never felt. I think that shows like catch a predator are definitely helpful and educational. If one young person watches that show and learns anything, than it is certainly a success. It is far from exploitative because when someone has intentions of doing things to hurt a young person than in my mind they have lost all their rights and deserve to be humiliated in front of the world!
I agree that it is not exploitative to use a predators story for use in an educational warning. Even though online predators may not be as common as the media and parents make it out to be, it still happens and it is something to be cautious about. Parents warn their children not to talk to strangers and to be careful in the malls with their purses or with potential predators, yet internet predators happen almost as much. So if it is okay for the media to talk about those instances and for parents to warn their children about these instances just as much, then why shouldn't it be okay for them to warn their children of the dangers of the internet?
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