New Media and Technolgy

http://www.dailytech.com/After+Catching+1000+Pedophiles+CG+Child+Scores+First+Conviction/article36759.htm Sweetie, a ten year old Filipina girl, was created to catch online sex offenders. This article was published in late 2013, but I had not heard of this story until recently. “Sweetie” hits the nail right on the head when thinking of something about new media and technology to relate to internet communication. New media and technology has been growing insanely fast. The internet has played a major role in facilitating this growth. People from all over the world now have the ability to instant message and video chat to any country in the world. While that is amazing, and certainly a recognition of the smarts that those who invented these technologies and communication platforms possessed; it also creates opportunities for pedophiles to reach vulnerable young girls and boys in developing countries (and in wealthier countries) and exploit them for a dollar. I recommend this article to my classmates in Internet Communication because it highlights the capabilities of new media and technology. Terre des Hommes, the children's rights activist group behind Sweetie, was able to create a virtual girl that could catch thousands of predators without using a real child to find them through online communication. Having never heard of “Sweetie,” I was so intrigued by this virtual girl and the makers behind her and I thought many of my classmates would find this really interesting as well.