Destruction of property and the loss of lives, kidnapping, murder, sex trafficking, will it ever end?
No.
Will it get worse.
Yes.
Why is this happening?
Pride goes before the fall.
A press release from the City of Riverside Police Department on 11/27/2022, reported Friday, November 25, 2022, a teenager was kidnapped from her home in Riverside County and her family members were murdered (mother, and both grandparents). The teen was able to make a 9-1-1 call to police that led them to find her home on fire and her family members dead inside. Eventually, law enforcement found the girl and the kidnapper fired upon the cops and eventually died at the scene.
The article says, "The girl was unharmed," but I beg to differ. She may not have received any physical injuries, but her emotional pain will last forever. She will blame herself for the rest of her life knowing that it was because of her social media connections opened the doors to this horrific event. The kidnapper was "catfishing" on-line and she took the bait. He was pretending to be someone else and she willingly gave the kidnapper information that led him directly to her home. Now, she will live believing she is responsible for what took place. I blame technology and the parents who allow it, who don't monitor it, and who don't warn their children that this happens more than you would ever believe.
A few years back I met Opal Singleton Hendershot founder of the Million Kids organization www.millionkids.org. At that short seminar I learned that Riverside County is the human sex trafficking capital of the world. I learned how 5-G was creating a barrier for law enforcement in an effort to protect the criminals and open the doors to this type of crime. New social media sites are attracting children and the worst of the worst are hunting them down and killing them. Why is this NOT being reported in the news? Why are parent's not up in arms, why are schools not monitoring the student's technology when they are at school? Why are parent's not taking away cell phones at home? It's beyond my comprehension.
Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez was quoted in the article as saying, "This is yet another horrific reminder of the predators existing online who prey on our children. If you’ve already had a conversation with your kids on how to be safe online and on social media, have it again. If not, start it now to better protect them.”
Parents, please be proactive in protecting your children. Even if they cry now because you've taken away their phones, they may thank you when they are older. If you don't, they may never have the opportunity to thank you.