Blog

04-09 Lynn’s Warriors Says “Violence Is Unacceptable. Talk to Your Kids.”

April 9, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

04-08 Human Trafficking is Legal in 43 States. What?

April 8, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

04-07 The Cell Phone is 50 Years Old This Week – What Do You Think? Friend or Foe?

April 7, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

Read our Weekly Warriors Newsletter and sign up today!

Protect our children. Knowledge. Resources. Take actions. If you do one thing, communicate with your children. #BeAWarrior

04-06 Bill to Convict Human Traffickers in Idaho on Governor’s Desk

April 6, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

BOISE, Idaho — Human trafficking is a problem known to law enforcements agencies across the Treasure Valley; however, not a single human trafficker has been convicted in the Gem State in the last five years, according to Nampa Police Det. Chad Benson.

Det. Benson supports House Bill 341 alongside unanimous approval from both chambers of the state legislature. The bill aims to redefine one section of Idaho’s code that criminalizes prostitution. The legislation would substitute the word “prostitute” for “any person who knowingly accepts proceeds… from another person engaging in sexual contact.”

Read more here.

04-05 Florida Grand Jury Focused on Unaccompanied Migrant Children, Blasts Feds in New Report

April 5, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

In a stunning report that may spark new hostilities between the Biden administration and Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida’s statewide prosecutor Thursday explicitly accused federal immigration authorities of “human trafficking” in their oversight of unaccompanied migrant children in the state.

The Statewide Prosecutors’ Office released an acerbic, 46-page grand jury report that denounces the federal Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), for leaving vulnerable migrant children with unvetted caregivers, or “sponsors” — and then abdicating all oversight of their welfare. The report suggests the policy amounts to criminal child neglect.

The Statewide Grand Jury, which is an arm of Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office, also accuses the federal government of covering up its alleged misdeeds.

“The public is led to believe that the process described by our federal government in documents and popular media accounts at least resembled the truth,” the report said. “ORR asserts that children fleeing from danger are adequately identified, properly cared for, and reunited with their family here in this country.

“In reality, ORR is facilitating the forced migration, sale, and abuse of foreign children, and some of our fellow Florida residents are (in some cases unwittingly) funding and incentivizing it for primarily economic reasons.”

Read more here.

04-04 PARENTS BEWARE: How Mobile Phones Have Changed Our Brains

April 4, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

The first handheld cellphone call was made 50 years ago, and since then these devices have become an essential multi-tool that helps us run our lives. But are they also altering the way our brains work?

Like many of us, I spend too much time on my phone. And, like many of us, I am acutely aware of – and often feel guilty about – this fact.Sometimes, I’ll leave it at the other end of the house, or turn it off, to use it less. But, sooner than I’d like to admit, I’ll wind up walking down the hallway for something I need to do that I can only – or can do more efficiently – by phone. Paying a bill? Phone. Arranging a coffee date with a friend? Phone. Messaging family who live far away? Phone. Checking the weather, jotting down a story idea, taking a picture or video, creating a photo book, listening to a podcast, loading up driving directions, making a quick calculation, even turning on a torch? Phone, phone, phone.

The first cellphone call

Martin ‘Marty’ Cooper spoke to the BBC about the first ever mobile phone call, which he made 50 years ago from a beige, brick-sized device that looks very different from today’s sleek, glass-covered smartphones.

Although his device had no messaging, no camera and only 30 minutes of talk time after 10 hours of battery charging, he doesn’t think much of the modern smartphone as a device for making phone calls.

“It’s really not a very good phone in many respects,” says Cooper. “Just think about it. You take a piece of plastic and glass that’s flat – and you put it against the curve of your head. You hold your hand in an uncomfortable position.”

Read more of Cooper’s interview with the BBC’s Technology editor, Zoe Kleinman, and how he thinks mobile phones will change in the future.

One recent report found that adults in the US check their phones, on average, 344 times a day – once every four minutes – and spend almost three hours a day on their devices in total. The problem for many of us is that one quick phone-related task leads to a quick check of our email or social media feeds, and suddenly we’ve been sucked into endless scrolling.

Read more here.

04-03 Alabama School Districts File Lawsuits Against Social Media Platforms Over Youth Mental Health Crisis

April 3, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

Three Alabama school districts have filed lawsuits against the major social media platforms alleging them to have created a mental health crisis among children.

“The harm created by social media companies has strained already limited school resources as educators attempt to combat the widespread problems caused by social media addiction,” said Joseph VanZandt, co-lead counsel with the Beasley Allen law firm, one of the three firms suing the companies.

“These lawsuits make it clear to social media companies that they will face consequences for their conduct, not only from the adolescents they harmed but also from the people and institutions supporting our youth.”

Read more here.

04-02 April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We Need to Keep an Eye on All Kids. Online and in Real-Time.

April 2, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

United States federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (a person less than 18 years old). Outside of the legal system, NCMEC chooses to refer to these images as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to most accurately reflect what is depicted – the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when these files are shared across the internet, child victims suffer re-victimization each time the image of their sexual abuse is viewed. In a recent survey led by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, 67% of CSAM survivors said the distribution of their images impacts them differently than the hands-on abuse they suffered because the distribution never ends and the images are permanent.

It’s important to remember CSAM consists of much more than just images and video files. While CSAM is seen and transmitted on computers and through other technology, these images and videos depict actual crimes being committed against children. The human element, children at risk, must always be considered when talking about this offense that is based in a high-tech world.

The disturbing reality is that the internet platforms we use every day to connect with each other and share information, including social media, online gaming, and e-mail, are now being used to disseminate and collect CSAM. CSAM can be found in virtually any online realm.

04-01 An AI Researcher Who Has Been Warning about the Technology for Over 20 Years Says We Should ‘Shut it All Down,’ and Issue an ‘Indefinite and Worldwide’ Ban

April 1, 2023 lynnswarriors Blog

One AI researcher who has been warning about the tech for over 20 years said to “shut it all down.”
Eliezer Yudkowsky said the open letter calling for a pause on AI development doesn’t go far enough.
Yudkowsky, who has been described as an “AI doomer,” suggested an “indefinite and worldwide” ban.

Read more here.