There has been a push for stricter internet safety laws and protocols in the U.S., but the enforcement by authorities has been ineffective.
In this generation, now powered by technology, peril is scattered throughout the internet. These threats may seem harmless to the naked eye, but in reality, they’re dangerous towards humanities well-being.
To fight this growing problem, lawmakers need to step up for their people and advocate for their safety on the internet, and social media users need to be more aware of the dangers that lurk on the internet.
People engaging in online activities for entertainment and enjoyment should not have to worry about others seeking to cause them harm in any way, shape or form.
For instance, the case of Hailey Buzbee, a 17-year-old student at Hamilton Southeastern, reminds us of the importance behind being safe on the internet.
Buzbee went missing for several weeks after communicating online with a man more than twice her age without any adults being alerted. She unfortunately passed away after meeting this man.
This has caused an uproar for changes over online safety and social media usage control throughout the country. The subject of online safety has been shoved in the face of this generation and later generations to come, but do we actually listen to these remarks? Have we really changed anything about the way we use the internet?
Some of the changes include age restrictions throughout different social media platforms and video games. However, even with these precautions, nothing has changed because they aren’t being strictly enforced and people are finding loopholes to get through them. Online crimes against children are still happening, and people are not taking this issue seriously.
According to the Department of Justice, “at any given time, 50,000 predators are on the Internet actively seeking out children.”
With the increase of internet crimes against children, the internet is slowly becoming a predator’s playground when it’s meant to be a source of entertainment and learning.
While lawmakers are taking some action, their priorities are questionable considering they are only taking action now.
Back in 2022, Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) was introduced to help protect minors on the internet by requiring platforms to add parental controls and preventions for any sort of exploitations of minors. However, Indiana didn’t pass the bill but instead passed their own version of it in early March this year.
Why did a tragic event need to occur for lawmakers to take action? The loss of life does not signify a call to action. In reality, these events could’ve been prevented.
In the future, as technology becomes more prevalent in our society, we hope to see authority figures do more to protect future generations.