Missed calls to a predetermined trap

Frequently we hear a lot about the restrictions imposed on ladies below 40 in Rajasthan and UP by Grama Panchayat. Most of those restrictions are for using mobile phones in public places. Why did panchayat put such restrictions on ladies? Is it the right way to blame ladies only? Is mobile misuse applicable to women only? Never! Yet, the truth can’t be denied that ladies fall in such ‘missed call traps’ easily. Why are not girls and house wives not able to protect themselves from such fake lovers and friends? Why do they fall in those traps easily? ‘Kuttipuram Syndrome’ and ‘Kattakada housewife incident’ – similar incidents which shocked Kerala three or four years ago! Where have our ladies and house wives lost their track?

Targets are teenagers and women

Now such news are read as interesting topics where a plus two student or graduate girl leaves home in search of her mobile friend; finds a man of ‘sweet 70’ and fall unconscious. We may feel like laughing seeing girls’ foolishness while reading such stories. But won’t we feel disturbed if we hear that she was sexually exploited and thrown away in some bush? Can we assure that we won’t find our sister, family friend or relative’s name in those columns?

In most cases photos are taken using mobile cameras and uploaded in net and again she is being blackmailed by him or his group. Very often ignorance of cyber laws lead to such exploitations and in most cases, she hides everything including threatening and sexual abuse from everyone. Everything begins with a simple missed call or sms and teenagers don’t know how to respond to such calls or where to complain.

Schools are not free from such events

Now mobiles are not allowed in most school campuses. Yet students easily carry them in their school bags and if got opportunity, they may take snaps of classmates, friends or even their teachers. Cybercrime graph has shown a steady rise in the past few years and if not given proper sexual education to kids at high school level, numbers may go up.

What needed is proper sexual education

Teenage and youth – the most dangerous phase of a person’s life filled with a lot of doubts and an enthusiasm to experiment with everything. Now time has changed and everything is available in their fingertips within a fraction of seconds. Internet, whatsapp, social sites, blue tooth and mobile cameras open big windows to kids. That’s the reason why teenagers fall in such honey traps easily. As they are immature, they may not be able to handle such situations properly and that’s what the trappers want! They make use of such situations wisely and have done many times before.

Why can’t you give proper sexual education at his teens to keep him/her away from such mischieves and traps? Though they do a lot of mischieves in curiosity their guilty minds give rise to anxiety and depressions. What’s its consequence? Lack of concentration in his studies thus affecting his career and exploitations that may prompt him to choose the same wrong paths again!

An advice to parents

Parents, please note this point. Unscientific explanations that he gets through different sources prompt him/her to do cybercrimes or fall in mobile traps easily. Social networking sites only catalyze such actions if not given proper guidance. So, better parenting is needed to keep them vigilant from such traps. While gifting him a mobile or internet connection, just make him inform about the wrong doors and hidden dangers behind it.

Also if you have found that your kid has become a victim of any such event never hesitate to complain. Instead of blaming him, comfort him so that he won’t hide anything from you. For that a parent need to be his best friend from his early childhood. It’s only a few days since Blue whale game killing more than a hundred of teenagers and youth shocked the whole world, and a fear has already built in the mind of many parents who have teen kids.

Before sending a message

Now a last note before I conclude. It’s a crime to send and keep obscene matters as messages. Even if you got a missed call never call him back or send a sms to that ‘missed call’. Never give your phone or cell number to strangers. Switch off blue tooth after use. If bad/hatred filled/threats/vulgar messages come in your mobile continuously never delete it. Instead give a complaint in cyber cell.

Mobiles with minimum specifications are sufficient for children. Why should you present them expensive mobiles with cameras and blue tooth? Never forward messages containing abuse words or hatred messages. If receiver complains, you may receive punishment.

Let me conclude

Technology is far advancing forward and we can’t keep ourselves or our kids away from it. So, let us teach them the positives so that they use mobiles and other pieces of such information sharing systems wisely. Let us begin those primary lessons from our family so that no organization or panchayat put blames or restrictions on a particular or weaker section of the society for a crime they didn’t commit, but became victims.

Image source: Pixabay

Also read a few more articles on parenting. Click on the images in the gallery to read