Last week, Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge and a coalition of 44 attorneys general urged TikTok and Snapchat to give parents the ability to monitor their children’s social media usage and protect their children from online threats through parental control apps. These apps would empower parents to ensure that social media platforms are a safe space for their children.
The dangers of online apps are ever-present right here at home. Just recently, Hackett Police Chief Sean White confirmed that he was aware of a case of cyberbullying in the school. That case involves a student who is receiving disturbing texts through an app called “TextNow”. The app uses a wifi connection and assigns the phone its own unique number. That, according to White, is what makes cases such as the one occurring in Hackett so frustrating.
Parents should be aware that there are reports of predators using the app to target victims, and if your child is using the app, they could be in danger. “Cyberbullying is a class B misdemeanor,” stated White. “It is something we take very seriously.” White added that the law states:
5-71-217
1) “Communication” means the electronic communication of information of a person’s choosing between or among points specified by the person without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received; and
(2) “Electronic means” means any textual, visual, written, or oral communication of any kind made through the use of a computer online service, Internet service, telephone, or any other means of electronic communication, including without limitation to a local bulletin board service, an Internet chat room, electronic mail, a social networking site, or an online messaging service.
(b) A person commits the offense of cyberbullying if:
(1) He or she transmits, sends, or posts a communication by electronic means with the purpose to frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse, harass, or alarm another person; and
(2) The transmission was in furtherance of severe, repeated, or hostile behavior toward the other person.
(c) The offense of cyberbullying may be prosecuted in the county where the defendant was located when he or she transmitted, sent, or posted a communication by electronic means, in the county where the communication by electronic means was received by the person, or in the county where the person targeted by the electronic communications resides.
“Parents must be able to control who their children talk to and especially what they see,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “As the mother of a young daughter, I make sure that I am aware of the dangers on the internet, and I realize the importance for parents to have the ability to protect their children from those who want to do them harm online.”
Research increasingly demonstrates the negative impact that social media can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children and teenagers. These effects range from decreased self-esteem and greater body-image dissatisfaction to increased exposure to cyberbullying and sexual predation. One app reported that in 2021 it had analyzed more than 3.4 billion messages and found:
- 43.09% of tweens and 74.61% of teens were involved in a self-harm/suicidal situation,
- 68.97% of tweens and 90.73% of teens encountered nudity or content of a sexual nature,
- 75.35% of tweens and 93.31% of teens engaged in conversations surrounding drugs/alcohol,
- 80.82% of tweens and 94.50% of teens expressed or experienced violent subject matter/thoughts, and
- 72.09% of tweens and 85.00% of teens experienced bullying as a bully, victim, or witness.
White concluded that in a situation such as the one ongoing in Hackett, the best solution is for the parent to get a new phone number assigned for their child, and ensure that it is only given out to trusted individuals.
