In this day and age, the Internet and online content creators are inescapable. With that comes the craving for views, clicks and likes. The ability to work from home and make videos for younger audiences makes this a highly appealing job.
However, the apparent increase in sexual assault, rape and harassment towards minors across platforms is concerning. It begs the question of whether these young people should have access to the unpredictable World Wide Web at all. For most parents from previous generations where the Internet was relatively new, it’s hard to say how things got so out of hand.
One could possibly blame the increase in technological development or Mark Zuckerberg’s zeal to own every string of web coding available.
Filters have been put in place to keep minors safe on apps like Pinterest and Instagram by asking for their birthday. To develop an account, you must be a certain age, typically older than 13 years old. However, it’s very common for minors to lie about their age to access the media application.
It’s additionally concerning to see creators that children love and closely follow become “canceled” for inappropriate behavior toward minors. Colleen Ballinger, better known as “Miranda Sings,” her stage name and rather odd character, was accused of grooming and harassing several minors through direct messages. During one of her live tours, Ballinger had photos taken of children ranging from 8 to 10 years old with their hands down her pants for a “bit” during the show. Despite her disturbing behavior, she continues to maintain a platform to this day.
Dan Schnieder, the man responsible for much of the early Nickelodeon TV shows of our childhoods like Drake and Josh, iCarly and Victorious, has been under fire in recent years for allegations of misconduct regarding minors on set. Schnieder was notorious for writing sexual jokes and innuendos into his shows and was often seen touching the actresses in uncomfortable ways. Schnieder is still one of the most recognized directors in television.
It should be the writers’ and directors’ intentions to focus their work to be age appropriate. Hiring processes for the creation of these shows need to be strict to keep the cast, crew and children safe. Monitor your kids and take protective measures by not allowing them unrestricted access to the internet at such a young age.
If that’s unavoidable, limit the apps that they can download until they reach a more mature age. Have open conversations about online safety and the danger of talking to strangers through a screen. Be aware of what your child is consuming and how it may affect their future.