Children who view pornography are more likely to engage in sexual acts with other children, according to a new study from the University of Melbourne.
It is indeed not difficult to scroll through the Internet and see a mass of pornography in various forms in various ways aimed at children. Besides the dark web, there are 6 sneaky ways porn is targeting kids which only wise parents know.
Let’s find out together.
6 sneaky ways porn is targeting kids
Porn is targeting kids via Google Drive
Pornography targeted at your child via Google Drive – something that never seems to happen. If your child has a Google account, the predators have pornography shared and added to your child’s Google Drive account. However, removing this content type is not as simple as just removing it because the owner of the file – the people who share the pornography – still has authority.
When someone sends your child a file or folder, even if your child doesn’t grant permission to the sender, the file or folder is automatically displayed. All they need is your kid’s Gmail account and from there they can receive pornographic materials from anyone.
On the bright side, your child can right-click the file and select Delete. That will prevent the content from showing up in the “Shared with me” section, but it will continue to show up in the Quick Access area as well as in your child’s Google Drive search results.
Another problem is that if your child is given “View Only” permission by the sender, your child cannot remove himself or herself from this share.
Twitch
Twitch is a fairly popular platform where people can stream video games and interact with viewers through live chat.
Although explicit content is banned on Twitch, many users find ways to bypass this filter by wearing skimpy clothing and doing exercises like jumping rope and squats. Many women stream their topless pictures on Twitch who are the target of many sexually harassed users on Twitch.
Not only is your child at risk from exposure to pornography, but it’s also at risk when your child is streaming on Twitch. This is considered the subject of sexual solicitation, with viewers encouraging your child to do harm and saving clips to use for extortion or smearing the child.
The National Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, a charity in the UK, reported that “Twitch, along with social media giants Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, is one of those places most commonly reported by children having been asked by an adult to submit their inappropriate material to them.”
With the lack of parental controls on the live stream, Twitch isn’t a safe place for your kids to play and explore. So it’s a good idea to watch Twitch with your kids to make sure they don’t have access to pornography or use safer apps like YouTube, which have parental controls.
Dark web (Deep web)
The dark web is content on the Internet that is not accessible by normal means such as when you search on Google or Bing. Things parents need to know in 2020:
- The dark web is used to sell illegal things – like child sexual abuse images. People buy illegal drugs and weapons, hire mercenaries, harass people in online chat rooms, learn about hacking bank accounts, sell their stolen goods, and promote terrorism. A dangerous place for anyone, especially children!
Tor is one of several unique ways to access this encrypted digital underworld. Tor is a free and easy-to-download application that gives anyone the key to the most terrible and dangerous content buried in the dark web.
Children with boundless curiosity will try to find a way to access the dark web. Children are not only at risk of accessing very negative and cruel content but also at high risk of being stalked by cyber attackers, stealing personal information, threatening and blackmailing.
Source: dw.com
Porn Bots
When your kid is playing his favorite video game on Xbox or Playstation, a chat request shows up in the corner of the screen with the username usually a woman’s name. People call it a porn bot.
If your child interacts with the bot, they will be asked about their age and invited to participate in a private video chat to help the ‘woman’ prepare for a job running “private webcam shows.” When your child clicks on the links provided, they will lead your child to a website where it tries to collect your child’s emails for porn sites to send spam or get credit card numbers to steal direct money. This problem has existed since 2017 but is getting worse.
Some of these bots will stop interacting if your child indicates they’re under 18, but that’s not the only thing that protects your child from potential threats of dirty, erotic, and cheating conversation.
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Some tips to make sure your Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account is set up correctly.
- Children under the age of 13 must not have a regular account but must have a sub-account, or a “children account” that allows parents to access content controls.
- For Play Station, create a children’s account and make sure that “Communication with other players” is turned off.
- On Xbox, create a child account and set their account to the default child setting, which will block all friend requests from other users.
- For older children and adults who want to avoid interacting with these bots, you can use XBOX security settings or PlayStation security settings to prevent random users from friending and messaging your account. Nintendo Switch doesn’t include chat by default; it can only be accessed through a separate phone app and can be restricted using parental controls.
TikTok
One thing you can’t deny is that more and more kids are enjoying using TikTok – a short video platform that allows contributors to get creative with music, dance, and stickers. Unfortunately, TikTok can also become a playground for sexual attackers and pornographic content.
Here’s what you need to know about Tik Tok in 2020:
- TikTok is the #1 non-gaming iOS app in the US.
- TikTok doesn’t have proper privacy settings – and doesn’t allow parental controls.
- TikTok’s age rating is 12+ in the Apple Appstore, but a lot of organizations and families think TikTok should be rated 17+ because of the adult content and exaggerated lyrics available on this app.
TikTok connects your kids to ANYONE in the world that has downloaded the app. In other words, anyone can reach out your child. Children are often approached by adults posing as children. Some tips for parents:
- Do not let your young children use TikTok.
- You should (if currently, you are not) use TikTok yourself to have a more objective and comprehensive view of inappropriate content and the risk of sexual assault, thereby having a more convincing explanation with your child.
- Just because your child is 12+ doesn’t mean they can be ready to use TikTok. Instead, you should experience TikTok for yourself to assess whether your child is really suitable for this platform. And do the costs outweigh the benefits?
- If you have allowed and trusted your child to use TikTok, you need to have ongoing conversations about the risks on TikTok as well as teach your child to be responsible for what he posts because of what he has shared. will live forever on the Internet.
Podcasts
Podcasts is a way showing how predators and porn targeting kid. As podcasts increasingly attract younger listeners, parents need to be wary of content their children might overhear. Pornography is no exception. Much of this content is aimed at adults, and your child can be completely heard by accident even if your child is only listening to topics related to children.
Some examples of pornography targeted at your child on Podcasts:
“Imagine you are a babysitter, and the father of the children comes home late after a stressful night at work. He really wants a little alcohol to clear his mind and most of all needs a friend.”
or:
“Your mother is having a party, and one of her guests is an elderly but very attractive man talking on the phone outside your bedroom. You were discovered by him that you were eavesdropping on him. And he caught you.”
Porn podcasts are just as harmful as pornographic images/videos but what is special is that podcasts have the added sound effects that make things more realistic.
Timeless rules parents need to follow to reduce the risk of children’s exposure to pornography
- Actively and openly talking with your child about sensitive issues: The effects of pornography on children’s brains far outweigh their negative effects on adult brains.
Remember that sex education for children shouldn’t just be left only to schools and teachers, it’s important that you actively participate and teach your children about healthy relationships, love, sex and most importantly, online safety for kids.
Pornography is one of those sensitive issues that need to be discussed. Many parents think that talking like this will rob their child of innocence, but in fact, talking is one of the best ways to protect your child from the effects of pornography.
- Regularly discuss and educate your child about the harmful effects of pornography: Pornography distorts your child’s perception, or makes them less intelligent or has unrealistic expectations about sex, or makes them have misconceptions about women. We have an article about How to Talk to Your Kids about Pornography that you might find it helpful.
- Teach your children soft skills when using the Internet: Responsible for what your child shares because it will live forever online (Digital Footprint), not revealing personal information, emotional intelligence when using social networks, etc.
- To ensure your child’s online environment is safe and healthier, you should consider using an additional online content filtering tool – considered by many parents as one of the best free parental control software to hide 15 types of harmful content on the Internet, including:
- Pornography
- Horrifying content like gore, accidents, ghosts, violence, murder, terrorism, etc
- Content about stimulants, addictive substances such as alcohol, beer, marijuana, drugs, etc
- Content with aggressive elements, hurting others like Hate speech
This free porn blocker extension can help to minimize your child’s access to harmful content, ensuring a healthy online environment for your child but at the same time, not invading their privacy rights.
- Experience yourself with social media: Don’t be passive, actively update and learn the platforms that are popular with young people. Don’t assume your child won’t visit sites like OnlyFans because of the risk of enticing them everywhere.
Wise modern parents are always proactive in bringing the best for their children. To better protect your child from all porn sites, for all internet-connected devices your child use, you should pre-order Wifi Device, becoming the first parents to own the solution which 24/7 protects your kids from harmful websites. Best prices are always available for early birds!
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