Hi everyone. I am a long time lurker and never a poster. But now after reading about Elsagate and the very well done post from pizzasjw, I am more sickened than ever. They are reaching out into our devices and trying to grab our kids. We cannot have it! I am going to try to do my part by reaching out to my local and state education system, and asking them to disseminate information about this. We need to get this stuff out to all parents we can. If any of you would be so inclined as to write your local district, school, or state, please feel free to use any of this letter if it expedites the process for you. When I have more time I will try and post links to all the state education departments' communication offices. I believe churches is another outlet, we need to contact our pastors and youth groups. Thank you. God Bless you all. I am praying for our kids and for our country.
To Whom This May Concern:
As a concerned parent with only a few years' experience with the public school system, I am not sure to whom I should direct this inquiry. I will try to be concise.
As an informed citizen I have noticed that our society is witnessing exponential growth of sickening content online, in the paths of children who are innocently searching innocuous videos. I am asking what parent education tools would be available through the Department of Education, delivered directly through the school system to parents. I want to explain why I am asking, and give you a quick rundown of my concern.
My middle schooler goes to a parochial school presently. Her school's counselor very astutely sent out a message to all parents last spring, informing us of a Netflix series called "13 Reasons Why". The series brings suicide into the forefront of the minds of vulnerable middle schoolers. My own daughter, like many these days, struggles with depression and upon hearing about this series I disabled Netflix in our household.
Just this morning I heard on the news that 2 California fathers are suing Netflix because the 15-year old daughters committed suicide after watching this series. Educators already have too much on their plate with regard to helping families be aware of the dangers their children are dealing with, this I do realize. However, if there are already cyber communication avenues in place, is there an emphasis being placed on making sure that teachers and/or administration in EVERY school communicate to EVERY parent about the escalation of this heinous threat?
Here is what sparked me to finally write this letter. Yesterday, I discovered the content is being ramped up to an even darker place, with the kind of material that would normally only be found on the dark web. Videos using titles that are Disney or Marvel related, and words that kids might search. Videos that contain things which promote cannibalism, cutting up of other people, pedophilia and Satanism. I cannot sit on the sidelines and stomach this. Any child that goes to youtube and puts in a search term like "Elsa" or "Spiderman" and has youtube set on "autoplay", could wind up viewing a video that could stay with them for a very long time. These videos are being deliberately designed to catch as many kids as possible and are placed in kid-accessible areas. Here are a couple of titles of these youtube videos if you want to understand an example of what is being perpetrated while we sleep. "Bad Baby Santa Claus Eats Pizza & Plays Claw Machine vs Toy Freaks Family Dance Attacks". One more is "Bad Huk Frozen Elsa Cinderella Pregnant Baby Play - Learn Colors Play Doh Else Stop Motion Movies". A heads-up, these videos are disturbing to watch.
Forgive my long email, but I feel compelled to take this to my government and to my local administrators. Parents need help to understand what we are up against. I hope that our education system, which has direct access to so many parents, will be able to include this issue in their focus for parent communications, PTO meetings, whatever way possible.
Well-meaning society does not realize that we are in a war with ill-intending society.
I would greatly appreciate a reply. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
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hypercat ago
So I guess we shouldn't make television or film about things that happen that aren't happy endings. Be a fucking adult and monitor what your kids watch. It's not TV that is ruining your kids, it's parents who expect teachers and anyone but themselves to actually parent. I can't contest to you personally, but most parents just don't parent. They do the basics, food, clothing, take them to school, and expect teachers, nannies, babysitters, whoever to do the hard stuff, like talk to your kid, monitor computer use, monitor TV use, whatever.
Did MTV make me a degenerate? Did the MAXX or Bevis and Butthead make me a psychopath? No. Was I bullied? Hell yes. Am I a completely normal, working, educated, person? You're goddamn right I am. because I had parents who were involved in my life.
No one is going to kill themselves because of a TV show. They are going to kill themselves for many reasons, as the goddamn show depicts, if you cared to actually watch it. It depicts events that happen EVERY DAY in high schools across the nation. Should we just turn our heads and cover our ears?
Just like you wouldn't let a 7 year old watch a rated R film, you have to figure out what is appropriate and what is not. The internet is the wild west of media. There is Family Guy porn, 4chan, trolls, and S&M pony play. It's not going away. We grew up with the internet and saw it change and evolve and saw things maybe we should not have, but making your kid a special snowflake and not letting them see or do anything is worse. They will go to college and do everything they never were allowed to do. I've seen it. It's sad.
3141592653 ago
The American Pediatrics Association put out a statement saying that the show would encourage kids to commit suicide-- and it has. The American Psychological Association put out a similar statement warning parents about the danger of this show. It has inspired suicidal feelings in many kids. The show offers no hope or solutions or way our of despair. It glamorizes suicide and also depicts it very very graphically.
hypercat ago
And the American Dental Association says we should fluoridate all the water, and psychologists said humans and puppets on sesame street would freak kids out. 99.9% of scientists agree on global climate change caused by humans, and 99% of doctors know that vaccines are safe and don't cause autism. There is always a motive.
Skins didn't cause kids to do drugs and have more sex.
And why should a show have a happy ending? Not everything is happy. Are we to shove cotton candy down our kids throats so they think everything always turns up peachy? Game of thrones everyone gets killed, yet no one says that causes suicidal thoughts.
usplusthem ago
hypercat, I have to wonder if you have kids? Comparing Game of Thrones to 13 Reasons Why... not really a valid comparson, sorry. Sure, there are many non-sincere sources out there. Doesn't mean they are all bad. Shades of grey do exist, and I'm not talking about the book series. And I do think you are naive if you think no media affects people to do things. I am all for free speech but it angers me when shows appear to dramatize suicide and bring it more prevalently into kids' minds. Another point, you ask if we should shove cotton candy down our kids' throats? How about mitigating the extremes in your comments... be sincere, not sarcastic, it will get you further in making your point. You sound angry about the criticism of this TV series and I don't understand why. What is nefarious about parents being concerned about this show? We have watched our kids deal with classmate and acquaintances' suicides. We know that the better way to deal with it is bring it into open discussion with real, educated adults and joined with real, practical help for these kids and coping solutions. That series works against, not with, the right kind of help. To take it a step further, Netflix is owned in part by George Soros, our favorite globalist, you know, "globalism" being the beast we have talked about ... well, all over the place. Not our friend. Have you ever googled Agenda 21? There are elites in this world who would be happier if a large percentage of the "sheeple" were dead. No joke. I don't know if you have taken the redpill... but if you have, give it some more time to ruminate in your system .. you will learn discernment between things that entertain you and things that are weapons. I wish you well.
hypercat ago
13 Reasons was based on a book. Written in 2007. People have been killing themselves prior to YA publications. Look at the Virgin Suicides. Did you get all huffy about that film too? It's fiction, someone wrote it, and someone thought it would make a good show, and people are watching it. I don't like Rick and Morty, but I am not going to go all crazy "can I speak to your manager" on the show. I just don't watch it.
Remember the 90's, VC Andrews. Flowers in the Attic? yeah, she wrote 30+ books about incest and rape. Available at your local public library. Her books were in local high school libraries. Read one. They are steamy. Yet, didn't make anyone rape their sisters. Oh, but the Duggars from `9 Kids and Counting, their Christian faith, Rapey McRaperson.
So, basically, people are going to be assholes, stupid, sad, depressed, REGARDLESS of what they see on the idiot box. Metal music is not turning your kids satanic.
perhaps, if one sees a show they thinks is controversial, they should talk with their children about it. The repercussions and things like that? You know? Like parenting?
usplusthem ago
Hypercat, I do see the point you are trying to make but I will respond to your ideas here one at a time. So I have copied your reply and will insert my responses.
13 Reasons was based on a book.
- I had not heard of it before. Netflix has exponentially more reach than a book, yes?
Written in 2007. - Again, the year does not change the argument.
People have been killing themselves prior to YA publications.
- This is common knowledge. This knowledge does not compromise my desire to discourage negative influences. Look at the Virgin Suicides. Did you get all huffy about that film too? - I can only get huffy about bad stuff that comes across my path. Sadly, there is so much of it I am sure there is plenty that I miss. I have no doubt my kids have seen some. And I agree, some exposure to bad stuff can help shape a kid. But again, dramatizing suicide outside of the therapeutic environment, is wrong, in my opinion.
someone wrote it, and someone thought it would make a good show, and people are watching it. - Are you pushing the assumption that because someone wrote it and people are watching it, then its ok? Someone wrote the script to satanic rituals too, and lots of people participate in it.
I don't like Rick and Morty, but I am not going to go all crazy "can I speak to your manager" on the show. I just don't watch it. -that's great for you but there a lot of people who are drawn into things for the wrong reasons and actually
are vulnerable to tragedy. Sure, personal responsibility is a thing to consider. Have you ever heard of the analogy of the boiling frog? The frog sits happily in the water that is slowly, slowly getting hotter until the frog is cooked. That's where we are as a society. Slowly, slowly, decency is being turned down and "do what thou wilst" - motto of Alestar Crowley, is being turned up. Humans have short memories, which is why politicians and bankers are happily whistling to the bank while society's standards get less and less lofty and the "arrow that was aimed high" is now aimed low. You can blame parents all you want, but if you have no standards in a civilization, how do you expect the citizens won't gradually decline? Bottom feeders pull down the middle while the top feeders watch. Parents may have been abused themselves. Not every kid can pull themselves up by their bootstraps. In a better society, Media shouldn't just dust off their hands and say "welp, it's free speech, I have no obligation here". Sure, it's legal to make "13 Reasons Why". But my point is, WHY IS OUR SOCIETY NOT MADDER? At what point do we get mad enough or powerful enough that these kinds of things are ostracized? The more years that go by, more crappy stuff people just shrug at. Are we boiling yet??
Remember the 90's, VC Andrews. Flowers in the Attic? yeah, she wrote 30+ books about incest and rape. Available at your local public library. Her books were in local high school libraries. Read one. They are steamy. Yet, didn't make anyone rape their sisters. -Yes I read one of those books. I love some of the creepy stuff, like Steven King and others. It didn't make me do anything either, but how do you know it didn't make anyone do anything? You don't.
Not saying these things should be banned. Just saying why push this kind of drama out there and try to claim there won't be consequences?
Oh, but the Duggars from `9 Kids and Counting, their Christian faith, Rapey McRaperson. - Look, noone knows what goes on in anyone's house, really. No argument there.
So, basically, people are going to be assholes, stupid, sad, depressed, REGARDLESS of what they see on the idiot box. -Yes, sometimes they are. But I am not going to condone when things get this low. TV sucks now. "News anchors" are downright lying. There is right, and there is wrong. You have to pick one. You can't say "everything is relative". That is what destroys a society completely.
Metal music is not turning your kids satanic. -Yes That is true. Again, who is to say how many ripples there are from anything?
perhaps, if one sees a show they thinks is controversial, they should talk with their children about it. -of course. I hope parents do this. And I hope they take the extra step and get shit away from their kids when they should. Kids don't have the maturity to choose what they can and cannot handle.
repercussions and things like that? You know? Like parenting? -There's that anger thing again. Who are you mad at? Of course. I am an active parent. I commend
you for pointing out that parents should never back down, you are right!! But I am still PISSED AT NETFLIX because this is IN YOUR FACE dramatizing SUICIDE without providing a way for kids to process these feelings. This is WRONG. If you don't think so, just ask a parent who has lost a kid to suicide. My kid didn't watch this series. I have let my kids watch lots of crap, but I have a line and Netflix and others are crossing it. I suggest you check out "investigatingyoutube.com".
This may give you some idea of the fact that people are systematically, scientifically, methodically trying to program kids FROM THE TIME THEY ARE BABIES via YouTube and YouTube Kids, it is sick, sick, sick, and it is an attack on our future, for sure. If this does not show you that we are up against the boiling frog syndrome, then I don't know what else I can say.
Hypercat I am sorry for the rant, it isn't directed at you personally.
hypercat ago
No worries, I have heard and read everything you posted, I wrote 4 book reports on VC Andrews in 8th grade. Netflix does have trigger warnings at the start of each episode, and is planning on adding more. I think that is a good idea, but the best idea, is to be able to monitor and talk about sensitive subjects with children/YA, vs censorship.
I love books, and taking one out of the library because it says 'nigger', or talks about masturbation, or incest just leads to book burning and Fahrenheit 451 or even more contemporary Demolition Man type of world, all music is bad so we only listen to commercials.
I don't think children should be on tablets or computers. It destroys the eyes and makes kids fat. But I also think that all media should be available for those who want to see history. Minus kiddy porn and snuff films. Was the horse killing the guy from sex a snuff film?