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‘If Instagram didn’t exist, it wouldn’t have happened’: a mother’s search for her trafficked daughter
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2024
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It happened before social media and cell phones too.
It's just back then there wasn't a trail of IM's and communications, kids just went missing at malls and other places they had been getting groomed in person.
Social media makes it easier for the perpetrators, to target vulnerable people.
It also reduces opportunities for family/teachers/community to intervene. If someone saw you talking with suspicious characters, they are more likely to bring that up with parents. Social media can isolate all interactions to be between the victim and groomer.
Social media platforms also give the perpetrators anonymity. A groomer can pose as someone else that gives them access to more victims. They can also simultaneously target more victims at once and over a broader area.
It is not right to say social media is not a fault. It's not right to say it was a problem before so it doesn't matter anymore. This attitude only benefits the criminals.
Social media companies are explicitly and knowingly targeting children to generate ad revenue. They know these children aren't using the platform safely and they know they are circumventing it's age restriction features. They don't care about the consequences, only the revenue they can generate.
Do you not know what a mall is?
Am I getting that old?
A concerned parent can look at their kids phones a lot easier than they can spy on what happens outside of school/home.
Like, were teenagers leaving and running around without their parents not a thing when you were growing up? We'd drive to the nearest city or college campus all the time just to dick around for the day and come back.
I don’t know about you but when I was a teen in the times you mentioned we went out to those places as a group, not alone. If a stranger approached one of us and tried to get us alone it would have been weird.
Social media can certainly make it easier to isolate an individual while also giving them a sense of safety. A teen today can be sitting in the safety of their bedroom all by themself and be groomed by someone through social media.
Like with most things technology has made this easier than before and in this case that’s not a good thing.
I have never been to a mall without my parents as a teen lol.