[KiwiTek]

[denizen]

Very scary. Even more scary that they made a show about it!

[MacGyverGod]

I saw the clip of what happened previously. We talked about this on another forum, I am member from. It is one thing to teach your child about the dangers of social media but I'm not really sure this is the way. They're setting them up and than they get barked at for it in front of everyone on social media. Like in the previous episode the host arranged a girl to meat him, grab her arm and two others grabbing her as well. Those two others turned out to be her parents. Also that girl was getting yelled at in front of the camera and it's being placed all over the internet where everyone can see it. You think that's educating your child on how to use social media by scaring the hell out of them? There are plenty of other ways to show them how to use.

[Joe SAKic]

I agree, there are ways to handle this, and ways not to. Proper parenting from the getgo with adequate and timely integration of appropriate social skills and, above all, good daily communication will alleviate the risk & concern for
these threats. Showing up, grandstanding, embarrassing, humiliating your son/daughter in front of such
a world stage is absolute bush league imo.

[Jediferret]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the poor parenting skills. I've seen these before, and they always kinda bothered me. I remember when I was a kid my mother had a rule that I didn't open the door, talk to or get into any car with anyone unless they knew the "password". Social media has become the new creepy guy in the sketchy van offering free candy.

It's not just for kids either... adults fall for it too. There's catfishing and romance scams that goes on.

[denizen]

Absolutely. I would NEVER teach my son about the world like this. Let alone humiliate him just to prove a point.

Rules, guidelines and constant parenting are a daily chore which need to be recognized by any parent.

[KiwiTek]

I think these are more extreme cases where the normal hasn't worked.

We hear the parent saying with 2(?) of those kids something along the lines of "Didn't we just talk about this? and here you are doing it anyway!"

Teenagers have a tendency to think they know everything and that they are invincible. We also know that scientifically their brains don't process danger very well (if at all) and sometimes the only way to get a message through is to literally put them in the situation, which is what this is doing.

As a father of 2 teenage boys I can sympathize with parents resorting to doing this when they see everything else not working and I have to say I felt that father of the boy who got into the van seemed pretty genuinely frustrated by his son not listening to what they had only just "talked about the other night".

Armchair parenting is easy. The real thing is much more difficult.

[MacGyverGod]

You're right. I think the whole 'talked about this and doing it anyway' situation happens all the time. And I do believe you can reach educational levels by having the kids experience a situation like that but having it televised is bothering me.

There is another way to look at this. The whole thing is staged: the kids, the parents, they're all actors. But I don't think it makes it better.

[denizen]

Staged or not, its Jerry Springer with your kids on it.

Perhaps they are trying to send a message in their own way.

If kids don't listen to their folks, then maybe they'll listen to this.
But yes, It's in bad taste.

[KiwiTek]

Of coarse if it is staged, then everyone is an actor so it's not their kids anyway.

It's obviously got an audience though with tens of millions of views.

Actually I just re-watched and the fathers voice and look is very similar - make you wonder if it's not the same guy.

But in any case with 40 odd million views hopefully it's getting the message to the right people.

[Joe SAKic]

There's way too many parents out there who simply do not know how to communicate with their kids.
They don't have the time, or they have social issues themselves that they can't deal with, or they have
marital issues, or they have financial issues, and they put their children on the back burner until something
major happens. And then they try to resolve it quickly and do something really stupid that only festers it all.
This scenario is a perfect example of that.

[Barry Rowland]

You're all right. Unfortunately the damage doesn't stop there. It can continue on as the kids pass it on to the next generation. Spending time with your kids is a great way to touch eternity.