Thanksgiving generally entails some low-key day filled with family vibes and food. However, for Amanda Davila of Florida, the whole day flipped upside down into a crazy madness in no time. She discovered that a grown man had taken a video of her 12-year-old son and went online to mock him for views. Honestly, when I read her story, it took me back to a time when someone went ahead and used my school project video in a group chat without asking me. It felt horrible, so I can feel something of what her kid must have felt.
This man called her son a coach’s kid, which he was not. He said that to put an extra connotation on it, like the kid was getting special treatment. By virtue of that, the video started coming with comments that would easily flip into bullying. Amanda tried talking to the guy many times to get it deleted, but, instead of acting like an adult, he told her to take it up with Instagram. That one statement alone would show what kind of one he wanted to be.
Things became more difficult as anonymous messages started appearing on her family’s phones. What was supposed to be a holiday of peace morphed into one filled with harassment, online exploitation, and fear. This just goes to show how fast adult attention can damage any piece of online content from young people’s creative endeavors.
A Parent Speaks up After Her Kid’s Content is Misused
She was not silent. She took to Facebook and informed everyone of what had transpired. She told the whole story coherently, including screenshots of the TikTok account that had endeavored to demean her son. In her post, she states that the man passed on boastingly about how in shape he was to have gotten 47 Division I scholarships and about his father being in the NFL, only to, at the same time, use a young child’s content to garner further attention online. Such a behavior from someone calling himself a role model makes no sense.
She urged Facebook users to report the video and the account. Words to the effect: “An adult picking on a 12-year-old speaks of insecurity”. She beckoned to anyone else who thought this was disgusting to report it to. Many responded and supported her shortly afterward: a testament of a numerical majority that still thinks of right and wrong.
Some comments pointed out disappointment over the grown man’s behavior, while another asked if using a child’s content this way could qualify as exploitation and invoke police interference. Reactions show this case goes beyond some internet joke. This is serious.
The consequences of cyberbullying, tension, and long-term damage can come from a child’s content being used without consent. It seems simple, but the internet is anything but simple. I have seen some of my younger cousins get bullied online- all because a picture of them was taken and posted without asking permission first by the creator. It took weeks for them to get back to normal. So, stories such as this one hurt all the more since they are very real.
Why Using a Child’s Content Without Permission Can Be Dangerous
Many think taking a video and making fun of it is nothing serious. But with a child involved, a downright threat descends upon any meaningful outlook. The kids practically do not comprehend the speed at which these things run about online; they just click posts for the fun of it. It is such an unfair situation and unsafe for adults to go and distort such fun content of a kid for the sake of views.
A child can be subjected to bullying, both in school and online. The family may be greeted by anonymous messages. Their privacy may well be invaded. People tend to forget that these instances arise when kids need safety from otherwise putrefying experiences on the Internet. They aren? A viewing-type tool set up for adults?? Amusement.
This situation in Florida is one of the few, but it does well to spotlight the commonality of this kind of problem. Misuse of child content is becoming a big issue on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Many creators chase views but never bother thinking about the impact it will have on the kids. That is why parents need to remain vigilant and ready to take action when anything seems out of sorts.
What Parents Can Do When Their Kid’s Content Gets Misused
Parents have some steps they can follow when this happens.
The first step is reporting the content on the platform. Most apps allow reports for harassment and child safety. The second step is to save all the screenshots and messages. These can help if things get worse. The third step is talking to the child and making sure they understand it is not their fault. Kids often think they did something wrong. I know because once I got blamed in school when someone spread a clip of me missing a football shot. It was not even my fault, but it still made me upset.
If harassment continues, the family can contact local authorities. Many jurisdictions have laws regarding child exploitation, especially if an adult is involved. The police may be able to intervene or at least offer guidance as to what to do next.
Protecting Children Online Before Problems Start
Another thing parents can do to protect their children online is to try to prevent problems from happening in the first place. Making accounts private is very effective. Do not share too much personal information. Check who your child is interacting with. Kids are not always clear about what is safe or not. I, as someone who grew up online, was a little late in finding out certain things. I wish someone had told me about them beforehand.
The online world is big, and there are people whose intentions may not be so good. With a bit of common sense, families should wait to convert that risk into reality.
Why Stories Like This Matter
Stories like Amanda’s compel one to ponder the ease with which content can be misappropriated in the online culture. They remind everyone that kids deserve online respect: they are not targets of jokes or some fodder in the personalized mining of someone else’s popularity. Thanksgiving was never meant to be ponderous for her family because one man thought it was cute to ridicule her child. This should not happen to any kid.
With some luck, perhaps more parents and platforms will begin to take this matter seriously. Children need to have their safe spaces online, while adults ought to act like adults instead of people running after views at all costs. You may also be interested in: Man Who Almost Killed Baby Is About to Be Released and This Mom Is Terrified
