What happens when the impressionable youth gets on the internet and becomes influenced by bad influences? It obviously depends on what content is being supported on the specific platform they engage on. As well as what is being tolerated outside of the policies in order to obtain a profit to be quite frank. A sort of unspoken, unexplained, sometimes extremely biased code of conduct that is enforced with some and not with others is what I find to be happening.

Too often I see things “trending” that are conflicting with a sites terms of service. The most common issue I see let go is sexually suggestive content. It is almost as if some sites assume everyone wants to see it . I see so many thumbnails with body parts, that I have to inquire based upon policies: how are the broadcaster thumbnails alone not sexually suggestive (esp on younow & periscope)? Please enlighten those who don’t want to see this behavior though. Those who actually think there should be healthy boundaries and terms enforced.  I understand people have the right to be themselves, but where is the line drawn? Depends on the site in my opinion. It should depend on the terms of service but the terms should be reasonable and not infringe on freedom of speech. Obviously if a site was a cam girl/guy site it is to be expected. But on platforms which allow even fourteen year olds to join & stream without identification? I find this honestly disturbing. Where are the mainstream so called feminists on this? This area does need advocacy. It promotes the idea to too young girls (and let us not forget guys too) that competition can be physical alone and not intellectual. At a young age this kind of thinking could have serious mental health effects to come and stunt someone’s personal growth, regardless of gender. Who wants that? People who don’t connect with empathy and don’t think about consequences on the youth perhaps? Those who are enablers? Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t have the best interest of the youths mental health in mind; which is why we see social media in general having a negative impact on mental health. Certain people are honestly saying whatever they please, and misleading their followers. We can’t simply ignore the issue, say the youth should be able to handle criticism. We can’t lump the issue into a clean cut easy narrative of people being oversensitive. There needs to be more digging  into why people feel a certain way before a solution can be crafted. Do we want alot of the youth to continue to be misled by bad influences? I’d think not, so discouraging and not supporting destructive cycles would help.

Think of how many single parents households are out there too. How many kids are not supervised enough, and imagine the impact. If you came from a relatively normal family setting, try to picture the opposite. I am not blaming people either, the cost of daycare is outrageous and things happen which lead to divorce. So I am not seeking to offend anyone struggling to afford care and work. That is the last idea I’d like to portray. And if it makes anyone feel better, there is also the reality that even with a two parent household; one income still isn’t enough. It can be challenging to be a stay at home Dad or Mom nowadays. It seems to be a rarity. Both incomes are usually needed in a two parent household to survive. So perhaps the younger generation now, having access to the internet at such a young age, finds it instinctual to go to the internet for attention. How is it possible to provide and give attention? Truthfully sometimes it is not possible and children and adolescents become influenced by whatever the current “norm” is.

Technology also has become something kids now interact with when it comes to toys even. It’s ingrained in the mind technology can satisfy your every desire. Everything is geared towards seeking an interaction towards something that is influenced by technology; whether anyone wants to admit it or not. And I am not trying to blanket technology or the internet as a disruptive entity. Some attempt to do so but when push comes to shove you can’t blame the knowledge that is obtained; but you can  blame what a person  does with that knowledge. That is the kind of insightful idealogy that should be promoted. Too often we think of robots attacking humans, but fail to realize we could end up in our own robot suits. The advantage of that in combat, in constructing buildings, when it comes to getting old; are positive impacts we should think about as well. There are positive things happening every  single day with  new advances. Even the arts have been influenced in certain directions. Music has evolved into EDM and you can turn an average photograph into a masterpiece with just a phone application. It is no wonder young minds are drawn to their phones, computers, and don’t engage in the world like those in the past did without it. With this sort of interconnectedness at all times, more attention needs to be paid towards what we are letting lead by example. As consumers, audience members, viewers, we do have power over what can influence the next generation. Perhaps more than we think. We are only as powerless as we think and sometimes words are the best defenders.

Thanks for reading..