This is a post I didn't think i'd be posting but I feel like it's something that needs to be posted as a little reminder of what the internet can be like and how deceiving it can be to younger generations. I don't want this to be mainly aimed at younger generations I want everyone of all ages to read this and to remember that the internet can be a great place but there are also darker sides to internet life that we need to remember and be careful when sharing things and talking to people online, if you do happen to know someone younger than you or older than you please remind them to stay safe online.
I was 10 when I got my first Email address and yes I used MSN (something that i don't think exists anymore so for you younger ones it was a little bit like Skype but with more of a messenger feel than a video calling feel) I was only allowed to chat to people in my contacts list and even then there would be someone around making sure I wasn't talking to someone I shouldn't be, and my mum would also ask who I was talking to. I've had online accounts now coming up ten years my first proper account was Facebook when I was about 14/ 15 and I had my dad sat next to me setting it up and making it as private as it could be for the internet, my second account I got was twitter when I was about 16 my third was Instagram when I was 18 my finale year of high school, Pinterest when I was 18/ 19 and linkedin at the beginning of this year. now I know what you're thinking crikey you were old for getting into social media, but to me not really I didn't grow up with these readily at my finger tips and I only got into them as a teenager, for me at the time it felt like you had to be a teenager to have those accounts and if i'm honest I still feel like you should be at least thirteen or fourteen to have a social media account of any kind. (i see Email address as being slightly different to social media accounts and a good way for parents to start trusting their children and being able to see how they cope with online life.)
Growing up as a child I was never aloud to go on chat rooms, yes I did ask and every time my mum said NO it didn't matter how many times I said “but everyone at school is on this chat room.” the answer was always NO, looking back I am so thankful my mum said no to me having an account on a chat room even though to me it felt like it was aimed at kids. If I did want to go on the internet then I was only aloud to go on sites my parents knew were child friendly these being CBBC and Cbeebies (for those of you who don't know these are two channel in the UK that are for children of all ages) the two sites I mainly went on there was probably more but I honestly can't remember what they were if indeed there were any.
Now you might say my parents were strict or that my life was too safe, maybe it was and maybe they were, (but I honestly don't think they were) I know i'm only twenty going on twenty one but I grew up in a time when the internet wasn't what it is today. I didn't have social media sites and even if I did I wouldn't of been allowed to have one and rightly so my parents would be right in saying no you're too young to have one of those accounts. I grew up with YT being a thing when I was nine something I had found when I was about ten maybe even eleven, but back then it wasn't what it is today and I mainly used it to watch music videos that I had seen on the tv before hand. I also spent a lot of my time out in the garden so the internet never seemed to be something to be scared of or even to think that i'd need to watch what I put online as I never put anything online.
These days children are used to having the internet at their fingertips with smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers etc, I didn't get my first phone until I was eleven and even then it was a flip phone with next to no internet signal my first laptop when I was about fourteen/ fifteen Ipod touch when I was sixteen and tablet when I was eighteen. Children these days are growing up in a world that changes daily and age restrictions being so easy to change, I feel like parents no longer have a say or even know what there children are looking at or even who they are talking to on social media sites. If i'm honest this scares me a little if I was a parent I would of course want to know what my child was doing online and who they were following and talking to, I get children can't be wrapped up in cotton wool and I don't think they should be but I do feel when a child is eight, nine or ten they should be monitored or not even allowed to have a social media account until they are old enough to understand what can happen and the fact that other people aren't always who they say they are.
I have cousins who are younger than me and if they had social media accounts I would be worried about what they were doing knowing how vulnerable they could be and how naive they might be, when I say younger I mean like yr 7/8 not ones who are at college. I recently had a younger cousin visit who had an ipad and I was very weary of the games she was playing and wanted to play with me, at no point did I see any social media sites and when I was on FB around her I made sure everything I was looking at was age appropriate and I did try to not go on social media when she was around with her only being seven.
I say all this given recent events of a guy my age being imprisoned for eight years on accounts of grooming girls from as young as eight to as old as eighteen, this kind of thing sickens me and the fact he's the same age as makes me wonder how on earth he can think like that and what lead him to even want to do that. This can happen to anyone no matter what age it makes it so much worse that it happened to children, it shows how easy it is to hide your real identity when behind a computer/ any electronic screen. This person i'm talking about pretended to be a youtuber who I watch regularly and follow on most social media sites I have, that person being Zoella, he has also acted as a modeling agent and a member of a british boy band Bars and Melody who were on BGT. Now I in no way condemn what he did but when fans of youtubers and celebrities make part or all of their names the person they see as their idol it makes people like this twenty year old easier to get away with making an account under certain names, i'm not saying the children involved are at all to blame, I feel like they were absolutely miss lead by someone they thought was an idol but so clearly wasn't and I seriously hope the girls involved are able to understand what happened and absolutely make sure it doesn't happen again and that they are getting the support they need as something like this can so easily scare anyone no matter what age. It doesn't help fans wanting to show their idols how much they love them by making their usernames their idols names yes it might seem harmless but it makes it easier for criminals in the long run.
As sad as this is this isn't the first time this has happened and i'm sure it won't be the last as much as I wish it would be, I don't want anyone to feel scared or to feel like they can no longer use social media sites because that's what I don't want to happen I just want everyone to be aware that yes this can happen but if you are already aware and cautious of 'the other side' of the interweb then it can be a place where you go for fun and to interact with friends, family and celebs etc. I really do think that social media sites are a great way for celebs to connect with their fans and likewise for fans to connect with people they look up to. But please whatever you do online make sure you are safe and are cautious that who you are talking to is the person you are talking to and if they do happen to ask you to do anything or send a pic please think twice before doing so and if at all you do feel uncomfortable then you can report the person and block them so they can no longer get in contact with you, and it goes without saying on FB add people you genuinely know and other sites follow people you know and people who are verified and you know can be trusted.
This is just my thoughts on what has happened recently please be careful and don't be scared just stay safe and keep this in mind and please do make sure your friends and family are aware of what can happen, please do leave your thoughts about this in the comments below as this is something that needs to be talked about more, if you'd like to read more on the recent event I have mentioned here is the link that i've read Zoella internator there are other links that also talk about the same incident and others like it also I haven't said the guys name in this blog post as I feel it wouldn't be right and everything I have said about him and this particular incident is from the link I have posted above.
This was just a little reminder that the internet can be an amazing place but it can also be a place where like on the streets isn't always safe.
Thank you for reading this post and I hope one day we no longer have to worry or be scared or even have to think twice about being online.
If you're wondering this hasn't happened to me and as far as i'm aware it hasn't happened to anyone I know. It's just something that got me thinking and that I guess I needed to get of my chest, just so you know this is the real me my names Freya my blog name is just Thinking out loud as that's what I do also I will now start signing out these blog posts with Love always Thinking out loud xx :D
I hope you all have a lovely day and remember to keep safe online
Love always Thinking out loud xx :D
P.S. if this has ever happened to you then I am so very deeply sorry it shouldn't be happening but sadly it is and in my view it's disgusting and wrong on so many levels.
Now you might say my parents were strict or that my life was too safe, maybe it was and maybe they were, (but I honestly don't think they were) I know i'm only twenty going on twenty one but I grew up in a time when the internet wasn't what it is today. I didn't have social media sites and even if I did I wouldn't of been allowed to have one and rightly so my parents would be right in saying no you're too young to have one of those accounts. I grew up with YT being a thing when I was nine something I had found when I was about ten maybe even eleven, but back then it wasn't what it is today and I mainly used it to watch music videos that I had seen on the tv before hand. I also spent a lot of my time out in the garden so the internet never seemed to be something to be scared of or even to think that i'd need to watch what I put online as I never put anything online.
These days children are used to having the internet at their fingertips with smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers etc, I didn't get my first phone until I was eleven and even then it was a flip phone with next to no internet signal my first laptop when I was about fourteen/ fifteen Ipod touch when I was sixteen and tablet when I was eighteen. Children these days are growing up in a world that changes daily and age restrictions being so easy to change, I feel like parents no longer have a say or even know what there children are looking at or even who they are talking to on social media sites. If i'm honest this scares me a little if I was a parent I would of course want to know what my child was doing online and who they were following and talking to, I get children can't be wrapped up in cotton wool and I don't think they should be but I do feel when a child is eight, nine or ten they should be monitored or not even allowed to have a social media account until they are old enough to understand what can happen and the fact that other people aren't always who they say they are.
I have cousins who are younger than me and if they had social media accounts I would be worried about what they were doing knowing how vulnerable they could be and how naive they might be, when I say younger I mean like yr 7/8 not ones who are at college. I recently had a younger cousin visit who had an ipad and I was very weary of the games she was playing and wanted to play with me, at no point did I see any social media sites and when I was on FB around her I made sure everything I was looking at was age appropriate and I did try to not go on social media when she was around with her only being seven.
I say all this given recent events of a guy my age being imprisoned for eight years on accounts of grooming girls from as young as eight to as old as eighteen, this kind of thing sickens me and the fact he's the same age as makes me wonder how on earth he can think like that and what lead him to even want to do that. This can happen to anyone no matter what age it makes it so much worse that it happened to children, it shows how easy it is to hide your real identity when behind a computer/ any electronic screen. This person i'm talking about pretended to be a youtuber who I watch regularly and follow on most social media sites I have, that person being Zoella, he has also acted as a modeling agent and a member of a british boy band Bars and Melody who were on BGT. Now I in no way condemn what he did but when fans of youtubers and celebrities make part or all of their names the person they see as their idol it makes people like this twenty year old easier to get away with making an account under certain names, i'm not saying the children involved are at all to blame, I feel like they were absolutely miss lead by someone they thought was an idol but so clearly wasn't and I seriously hope the girls involved are able to understand what happened and absolutely make sure it doesn't happen again and that they are getting the support they need as something like this can so easily scare anyone no matter what age. It doesn't help fans wanting to show their idols how much they love them by making their usernames their idols names yes it might seem harmless but it makes it easier for criminals in the long run.
As sad as this is this isn't the first time this has happened and i'm sure it won't be the last as much as I wish it would be, I don't want anyone to feel scared or to feel like they can no longer use social media sites because that's what I don't want to happen I just want everyone to be aware that yes this can happen but if you are already aware and cautious of 'the other side' of the interweb then it can be a place where you go for fun and to interact with friends, family and celebs etc. I really do think that social media sites are a great way for celebs to connect with their fans and likewise for fans to connect with people they look up to. But please whatever you do online make sure you are safe and are cautious that who you are talking to is the person you are talking to and if they do happen to ask you to do anything or send a pic please think twice before doing so and if at all you do feel uncomfortable then you can report the person and block them so they can no longer get in contact with you, and it goes without saying on FB add people you genuinely know and other sites follow people you know and people who are verified and you know can be trusted.
This is just my thoughts on what has happened recently please be careful and don't be scared just stay safe and keep this in mind and please do make sure your friends and family are aware of what can happen, please do leave your thoughts about this in the comments below as this is something that needs to be talked about more, if you'd like to read more on the recent event I have mentioned here is the link that i've read Zoella internator there are other links that also talk about the same incident and others like it also I haven't said the guys name in this blog post as I feel it wouldn't be right and everything I have said about him and this particular incident is from the link I have posted above.
This was just a little reminder that the internet can be an amazing place but it can also be a place where like on the streets isn't always safe.
Thank you for reading this post and I hope one day we no longer have to worry or be scared or even have to think twice about being online.
If you're wondering this hasn't happened to me and as far as i'm aware it hasn't happened to anyone I know. It's just something that got me thinking and that I guess I needed to get of my chest, just so you know this is the real me my names Freya my blog name is just Thinking out loud as that's what I do also I will now start signing out these blog posts with Love always Thinking out loud xx :D
I hope you all have a lovely day and remember to keep safe online
Love always Thinking out loud xx :D
P.S. if this has ever happened to you then I am so very deeply sorry it shouldn't be happening but sadly it is and in my view it's disgusting and wrong on so many levels.
