Back in the day, the internet was a beautiful place with scholars and intellectuals sharing information and ideas circulating around the betterment of the world. This lasted for a short while, though, until somebody discovered that they could make money online – and it was downhill from there. Today, the internet can not only be a source of endless information and entertainment but also a dangerous place, filled with bullies, perverts, and money-hungry individuals that would say anything to get an extra sale. And it’s not exactly a kid-friendly place either – unless you keep an eye on it. There are quite a few things out there that can harm a mind that’s in the process of growing up, skewing its value system in the wrong direction or simply cheating unsuspecting individuals out of their (or your) money.
Skin gambling
Counter Strike: Global Offensive is a game that’s rated M (Mature, 17 and up) by the ESRB. Still, there are millions of kids killing each other online on its servers, official or otherwise. That wouldn’t be so much of a problem – after all, video games have been proven not to turn kids into serial killers. Instead, the skin gambling services built around it are.
Unlike playing online baccarat real money, skin gambling goes without any regulation – it is, after all, a game of chance played for items with no real monetary value. But said skins can be purchased for real money by anyone with a credit card, which makes the issue more of a problem. Besides, gambling as a whole is reserved for people of legal age – the Wild Jack, for example, won’t accept any player under the age of 18 – but skin gambling has no such restrictions in place. True gambling operators online, like the above-mentioned Wild Jack, have developed quite a few methods to detect underage gambling. Skin gambling sites welcome credulous kids, though. Said kids can end up losing serious amounts on such websites, and even use their parents’ credit cards (without their knowledge, of course) to play more.
Social networks
What? Why should I keep my kid away from Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter? Well, first of all, because it has been proven that social media usage can lead to depression – and kids, who are usually more influenceable than adults, are especially prone to it. Constantly monitoring your social media updates is a source of stress, and extended use of social networks can lead to anxiety, isolation, and a low self-esteem.
That’s before we mention the numerous dangers, like bullies, stalkers, haters, and other, even more, dangerous individuals.
YouTube
Last but not least, let us mention the biggest video sharing portal in the world, YouTube. There are millions of YouTubers out there, doing anything they can to gather more views and, ultimately, earn more cash. I think it’s safe to say that they are among the biggest attention whores seekers in the world today – and many kids look up to them as role models. The problem is they often do idiotic things, and some kids tend to mimic their behavior. Just think of the stupid “cinnamon challenge” that went viral on YouTube – and cost a four-year old his life in 2015.
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