Pedophiles Target YouTube

I’m angry, yes, I’m angry, disgusted and disappointed. YouTube is a huge presence online, for content, for laughs, for products and now, we learn, for pedophiles!
This article explains that the comment section of YouTube has become a target for pedophiles. The article goes on to explain that companies such as AT&T, Disney, Hasbro Kellogg and Epic Games, the producer of the massively popular Fortnite have pulled their advertising. Yet, with their billions in annual ad spend, could they be doing more to “police” the advertising platforms they use so they don’t have to backpedal after the fact, and be part of an overall child protection strategy online? These companies employ some of the best and brightest, and I’m sure those minds could come up with ways to help protect our innocent children. One of the articles I read actually had one of the little girls communicating in the comments section with one of these pedophiles asking “why do I make you “grow”, I don’t understand”. That poor child!
Additionally, it is increasingly clear to me that the assaults upon our children’s innocence are growing and we parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, educators and coaches are the only ones standing in the gap. We cannot expect, as I’m sure many people do, that these online companies are protecting our kids, from seeing, hearing or being confronted with things they are not supposed to be. These companies are trying to increase revenue and that is only through increased users and advertisers and that is their focus. Of course, when something like this breaks in the news cycle, they will announce this change, this algorithm, this new process or procedure to make sure it won’t happen again. But, that is not enough and we are foolish if we think the online providers will be proactive about it, so we better be!
Here are some simple (though you may say not easy) things we can do to protect our kids:
- Install a filtering and accountability software on all the technology in your home, not just your kids’ stuff. Covenant Eyes is a great product – use promo code Integrity30 for a discount applied towards any subscription.
- Utilize resources like Wonderfully Made Babies and Plunging Pornography available in our online shop. (https://shop.stewardshipmission.com/collections/integrity-restored) to start these critical conversations with the child you love.
- Always be available to speak with your child and let them know that there is nothing that they could ever tell you that would make you love them less…nothing!
- Don’t be afraid to discuss the human body or sexuality (in an age appropriate way) with your children. We bring our own broken sexual narrative to these discussions, the kids are innocent and don’t have one. Leave yours behind and speak to them.
- Use the autonomically correct terms for genitals, kids won’t freak out about the word penis or vagina, we do. To them, it’s like saying nose or finger…just another body part.
- Educate yourself using sites like Integrity Restored, Protecting Young Eyes and Good Pictures/Bad Pictures.
- As always PRAY, pray for your child’s purity and protection in this broken world.