Over the last few months I have seen angry and hurt post from parents, sharing a warning to other parents by showing them a video of what their young child saw on YouTube Kids. Then their friends who feel just as outraged share it with their friends to warn them to be careful with trusting YouTube videos for their kids. I do appreciate the heart behind this and I applaud you for wanting to get this warning out there.
However, can I please share my heart with you.
I am in no way condemning you, I understand why you share these things. But… here is the very hard truth that I feel I must share with you. You have children, teenagers, and people who are extremely visual on your friends list. Yes, you are trying to warn parents to be careful with what their children are watching – but you are sharing their filth. My teenagers are allowed to be on your Facebook friends list, because I trust YOU… I trust the things you share will lift them up as Christ followers. My four year old is often on my lap while I am on Facebook, I don’t have to hide her from the FB world because I only follow those who I trust will post wholesome things. I am extremely visual. Images stay in my mind forever. When I read a book, its as if I am watching a movie.. it easily becomes alive.
The video that has recently been going around among my friends is a video from YouTube Kids where superheros and Disney characters are doing awful things. I was horrified to see this being shared over and over again by outraged parents. It completely sickens me that these types of videos are there for your kids to see. But can I give you a different perspective? YOU are sharing that video to every teenager who is on your friends list – you are sharing it with friends who can’t get the images out of their heads. These images have filled my brain, I see it when I am trying to sleep, it is disgusting. I am not angry with any of you – I understand the heart behind it. If you were one of these people, I am not looking for an apology or a debate. I am just asking you to think about who is on your friends list. If these videos make you feel outraged and you are so angry at the violation to your kids, can you please not post the videos. That pedophile who made the video (that is what they are… they are targeting children in sexual ways) is THRILLED that you are sharing their videos – because every video that is shared, even as a warning not to let your kids see it, means the many more times it is getting WATCHED!
I am sure there is a helpful way to help parents to remember that the internet is NEVER EVER something that should be trusted, that still protects the minds of everyone who will see that warning. No kids/teen site is safe from evil people who just want to be evil to your kids. Please think and know what your kids are doing online, but please, from the depth of my heart… please stop sharing these videos that are so awful! Please remain a safe person for my kids… a safe person for me… don’t give that evil a deeper foothold with many more doors to the soul being opened to influence innocent kids.
Thanks for listening.
*I will delete all hateful and debating comments*
Learning To Fly 