Parenting doesn’t come with instructions or a manual, but in order to keep up with the evolving social media pitfalls targeting children, a cyber guide just might be needed.
As soon as one online challenge catches on and becomes so popular it starts to set a trend, another one comes along and catches the attention of youths.
This is a subject Dearborn Police Sgt. James Isaacs knows all too well.
As a member of the technical investigations unit at DPD, and a previous member of the Michigan Internet Crimes Task Force, he has seen the impact social media challenges have on children lured into competing simply for the thrill of it.
The latest challenge is testing the skills of computer users to pause TikTok videos at the right place and at the right time.
Being able to do so will allow the user to see an X-rated image.
At first, it looks like a glitch in the TikTok video, but that is the indicator on where to stop.
“This has been around for several months now,” Isaacs said. “Parents need to be aware. I’ve even seen this on my own feed.”
Isaacs is particularly concerned about the impact on children it will have seeing sexual images over and over again.
“The more they try to pause, the more views the video gets,” Isaacs said.
One thing the sergeant said has to be done is more parents have to be aware of this and other challenges, and they have to monitor cellphone use.
“There are times when parents aren’t involved whatsoever,” Isaacs said. “Some parents are there, but you can’t helicopter parent them either. Talk to kids about social media.”
He wants parents to get to the point where kids are seriously asking themselves if they should be doing what they are doing, and then make a good decision.
Being knowledgeable about some of these computer crimes will become a big educational process for parents, as much as it is for children.
Nevertheless, Isaacs said children need to know about the consequences of risky cyber behavior, including sending pictures that they shouldn’t be sending.
“Once it’s out there, there is no taking it back,” Isaacs said.
As a word of caution for parents — Isaacs said if a child comes forward and shows you something inappropriate they are seeing online, don’t punish them.
He said that is exactly what parents should want kids to do.
That is a part of the education process, he said.
