Sixteen-year-old Tallwood student Tyler Shonyo fell victim to the internet. Through social media, Tyler was contacted by scammers to instigate a bank scheme. His uncooperative actions led the scammers to send him pictures of decapitated heads and guns pointed to brutally murdered bodies, including threatening to murder him and his family. So Tyler went to a trusted adult, his mom, and they reported the scammer to the police to further handle this scary situation. The scammers took it as far as finding his home location and his school due to his athletics. These scammers won’t stop till they are caught.
As the years pass the internet has grown very popular, from Tik Tok being the number one addicting app on the internet to our children using social media as a way of expressing themselves. Parents of today’s generation cannot avoid the use of technology rising before them. Therefore, security requirements should be increased for all social media such as age checks, PG content, and educational ads about the internet.
Some may see the internet as a way to express themselves, but, sadly, others abuse this power. Bullying has taken a new shape in today’s world. This is called cyberbullying. Unfortunately, Nate Bronstein fell victim to such. Nate was a beautiful soul; he was enrolled in one of the top private schools in Chicago. He loved sports, playing the drums, and hanging out with his friends. On January 13, 2022, Nate committed suicide due to cyberbullying; he was only fifteen. Hiding behind a big smile Nate was being bullied over social media with messages saying “Go Kill Yourself.”
Across the fifty states, there are similar tragic stories like Nate’s and Tyler’s. Higher security over these apps can help prevent these problems. Age checks when creating accounts can help better manage those on the internet. With young children having access to the internet, companies should enforce PG locks on what kids can watch and what should be avoided, such as the mean comments Nate tragically faced. More educational ads should pop up to ensure what children should be aware of when having such freedom.
The internet can be a place to connect with others with similar interests. Although this may be true, this comes with such a cost. Children should have every right to express themselves how they see fit, but this doesn’t mean we cannot enforce the proper security measures to keep them safe. The internet is a scary place, so by enforcing these precautions, parents can manage and make it into a safe space for their children to access. It’s time to adapt to this change and help make the internet a better place for the tech-tied generation. No parent should have to face the same tragedies the parents of Nate Bronstein and Tyler Shonyo did.
