Freespace - Gen Z and sexuality

AS I was scrolling my Facebook, my eyes caught sight of a screenshot conversation between an eight-year-old girl "sexting" with an adult. Thoughts rushed into my mind as I questioned how such a thing could happen.
I went on to read the comments. Worried parents and teachers expressed their concern, and some of them tried to come up with solutions.
An eight-year-old initiating a sexual conversation should worry us indeed. Comments from netizens mostly pointed to the mother who bought her daughter a tablet, which she used to set up a WeChat account where the conversation took place.
The mother may be at fault but blaming the mother, who did not foresee the incident, should not occur. The incident certainly raises a string of questions: At what age should young children be allowed to have such a gadget? How should parents monitor their children's online activities? How do you protect children from online predators? What should be done if children are involved in such a conversation?
On the first question, at what age should young children be allowed to have such a gadget? The answers were varied as parents had their own take on the issue. Some children are spared from online sexual activities despite them using social media. But the fact that some children are involved in such activities is enough of a reason for parents to reconsider if they want to let their children have access to social media. But should children even be allowed to have social media in the first place?
Parents should answer the question honestly by putting children's safety as a top priority. It is apparent that children today are exposed to fast technological development, which makes it unrealistic for them to live the way we lived, back when the term "social media" was practically unheard of.
Given how technology has taken hold of our lives, we cannot afford to isolate our children from using social media. I have seen how WhatsApp has benefited my 12-year-old sister in her studies as she frequently asks her friends about homework. But I have also seen how she has been scrolling her Instagram feed before getting to bed, a routine I never thought of doing when I was her age.
I do not expect Gen Z kids to be the same as Gen Y kids, just like how the generation before me should not expect me to be like them.
As for Gen Z, their generation is indicated by the prevalent use of social media. It is a common sight to see kids as young as five playing with tablets. Thus when I said to my youngest sister that I had my first phone when I was 18, my argument was simply invalid. Her generation is different from mine.
For Gen Z, social media is what they have to deal with. As they are being exposed to social media at a young age, they might appear to be easy targets for sexual predators. The fear now is that children might be the ones searching for sexual beasts as they are in an environment laden with sexual elements, which could stimulate their minds and lead them to follow their sexual desires.
It is a scary depiction of what goes on in the minds of kids but the sexual conversation started by the eight-year-old is symptomatic of the reality in which kids' sexual drives bloom before time.
But if Gen Z cannot possibly be divorced from social media, how do parents monitor their online activities? That needs to be handled with care because parents should not be authoritarian as it would distance their children from them. What needs to be built between parents and children is trust, which can be established when parents talk and listen to their children.
In the case where children get caught in online sexual activities, parents should not blame them; emotional support is needed at this critical time. The children are likely to be traumatised, and this is when they need their parents the most.
The world is not safe for children, but as long as the soul is nourished, our children can be protected.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com