The Uncanny Side of The Internet

In the book “The Culture of Fear”, Barry Glassner demonstrates how people use fear mongering to manipulate our thoughts and understanding; and how media can use this to sway more ratings and publicity. Glassner’s theory proves he is wrong by debunking the wrong reasons and why people should fear the dangers of the internet. Child pornography and cyber predators is seriously a major problem with the online society today. Glassner’s theory demonstrates how in the more recent years media has been using cyber predators and child pornographers more or less just for the use of fear mongering to gain publicity. With this in mind the public should still be afraid of the internet, or as the New York Times describes it, “a city with no cops” (New York Times p.33).

There are two types who are infamous amongst society by(known for) exploiting innocent children. First being child pornographers who take unsettling photos of innocent children and post them online; Second being pedophile customers who use dark-side of the web to purchase those photos.The internet is more dangerous than ever with child pornographers and pedophiles having technology with almost no restrictions they’re just “a mouse click away” from their young prey (McCullum p.33). Cyber predators usually look for underaged victims so can manipulate them into providing explicit pictures or meet up for sex. In an article by the New York Times it states, “as the number of children who use the Internet continues to boom . . . pornography and pedophila grow along with it” (New York Times p.33). That being said anyone will have easy access to the internet especially children, but would be defenseless unlike adults who would have more knowledge and understanding of the internet.More and more adults are jumping on to assist law enforcement, by collecting data on predators and other illegal activities. The FBI used false identities and provocative messages to lure in online predators then arrest them.

One well known public arrest included a “thirty-one-year-old Washington, D.C., attorney was arrested when he showed up at a shopping mall to meet a fourteen-year-old girl” where he suggested online to meet for sex ( Glassner p.34). The law enforcements started taking action in 1993 under the operation code-named “Innocent Images” to catch online predators. Another well known arrest where a “fifty-year-old man was snagged by agents” who used false identities known as “Horny15bi” and “Sexcollectr”(glassner p.34). So concerned adults created vigilante groups known as “Cyber Angels” and “Safeguarding Our Children”. These groups gave any information that would help the police know if a child had been approached before or recently by a online predator. The strategies used to catch cyber predators and pedophiles consisted of two parts.Those being entrapment and invasion of privacy were created to catch cyber predators and make it easier imprison them.

The entrapping and invasion of privacy towards cyber predator and pedophiles, was first introduced in the 1990’s where the media expanded its existence. This was a way to expand the authorities understanding in spotting predators. The attorney, David L. asked “Are we making the world a better place, by tempting some of these people to commit crimes they may not have would otherwise not committed?” In the end they would been tempted overtime and committed a crime, It just allowed the authorities to find out faster. The authorities justified using the strategies: entrapment and invasion of privacy to deny cyber predators of approaching and molesting children. Some of greatest dangers lurk within everyone's monitors and the others lurk elsewhere. Children are more vulnerable since they don’t know better and see technology as a way they can play games and talk with friends. An article pointed out the internet as “a playground for pedophiles” (New York Times p.34).

The internet isn’t as safe as some people would make it out to be. In a report of “Eddie Werner” murder the writer “Steven Levy” pointed out “cyberspace may not totally benign, but in some respects it has it all over the often overrated real world” (Levy p.35). The internet is more ambiguous than you would think. Finishing off Steven says “After all, one can argue, if young Eddie Werner had been selling his candy and gift-wrapping papers on the Internet, and not door to door, tragedy might have not struck” (Levy p.35). This goes to show that the internet is dangerous, but same goes for the real world. Danger is around every corner that goes for online and offline.There are children who use the internet as a way of and escape from a far greater danger than the Internet. The article “Kiddie porn and Cyber predators” states that there was a“misleading message” where children are at more risk in their own homes. The message “Barry glassner” wrote was to show how the media ignored the things that occured in peoples own homes. He then later states they focused more on the importance of what happens in the background such as the internet instead of what was occurring amongst their own relatives.