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Children at Risk Online: Experts Urge Vigilance as Social Media Dangers Rise

WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – In today’s tech-driven world, children and teenagers face increased risks when meeting strangers online, often unaware of potential threats posed by individuals misrepresenting themselves.

Griffin Kenneaster, a Woodway community resource officer, emphasizes the growing dangers of online interactions, stating, “It’s a lot less common for someone to be waiting on the corner for your child versus them luring them online via video games, social media, just things that interest them and then falling into their trap,”.

As children engage with various social media platforms, parents’ ability to monitor their activity becomes crucial.

Many of these platforms offer parental controls that can help safeguard young users. However, as kids mature, they often request more privacy and may resist oversight.

Julian Martinez, a child safety coordinator for the Killeen Police Department, highlights the challenge parents face: “There are invisible apps and secret apps that parents have no clue what kids are using. The things that teens and tweens are involved in today make it hard to keep up,”.

Maintaining open lines of communication between parents and children is vital in addressing these concerns. Kenneaster urges parents to initiate discussions about online interactions, saying, “Start conversations with your teenagers about bad experiences or good experiences and promote healthy online exploring.”

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