This is a symptom of the complete efficacy of the campaign to sell fear to Americans.

Breathlessly magnifying every tragedy, news media have convinced everyone they are in mortal peril at all times.

It wasn't intended to produce a nation of sheep, and the phenomenon is not new, but here we are. Here is an article about that from over 20 years ago.

Well, they might put the picture online where pedophiles could masturbate to it and fuck if I know.

I *think* the idea is that anyone taking a picture might be scoping out potential abduction/abuse targets.

Mind, there are some other more legitimate reasons.

We have classes offered at Recreation Centers in the area. They are run by the Park Authority and are, therefore, somewhat governmental. I'm taking a class for adults. Whenever somebody (usually a friend or spouse) shows up to take photos/video, the instructors tell them they may ONLY take images of the friend/relative.

When we asked about the policy, we were basically told that it was to protect somebody from being an unwilling internet sensation if they, say, face-plant in a video. Given the nature of the class (outdoor dog agility), this does happen frequently enough that it's a legitimate concern.

I think that protecting people from becoming a laughingstock while they learn or practice a new skill is a good goal. Unfortunately, we can't expect people to have common decency to NOT post a stranger falling off the balance beam, etc.

I still think it's excessive, but at least that's a better reason than "something might happen."

And now it turns out that the creepy story about look alike dolls, was just a woman giving her doll collection out to children in her church.

manager of my son's under-9s football team informed us that no one could take a picture of the children during the game

Public area. No expectation of privacy. Go ahead, call the cops, I'll be busy taking pictures of my kid.

"Go ahead, call the cops, I'll be busy taking pictures of my kid."

You can beat the rap, but you can't beat the ride.

One of the problems with our society right now is the heckler's veto.

When you or your children are in a group activity, anything anyone objects to will be banned.

The irony is, if you live in a major metro area you and your kids will probably be seem on security cameras somewhere a dozen times a day.

My husband used to coach kiddie soccer when our kids were little. It was frankly a pain in the ass.

Other parents didn't want to actually be responsible for coaching, but thought it was their job to micro manage everything he did from the sidelines, and through an endless series of complaints.

It was not a competitive league so he was very careful to rotate positions, and give everyone equal playing time.

There were still parents who complained that their kids did not get enough playing time,

My daughter played competitive volleyball in a club in Colorado, and there was a really obnoxious attempt by the club organization to control everything the players ate at a match, even though all the kids brought their own food.

I expect to see almost every organization for kids sports or activities to fold in the next twenty years. The only thing left will be the gubmit schools, who of course, can afford, and instigated the requirement for expensive and intrusive pedophile checks before you were allowed to be around kids.

This would be terrible. This means today's kids will grow up and not have any photos of them with their friends unless releases are signed by everyone in the photos.

As a father, I deeply resented the climate of hysteria that makes it difficult for parents to take photos of their children during school plays and concerts and sporting activities. I still remember the moment when the manager of my son's under-9s football team informed us that no one could take a picture of the children during the game unless every parent agreed.

This is disingenuous. The "climate of hysteria" doesn't come from the media or law enforcement. It comes from fellow parents, so it might be better phrased as:

As a father, I deeply resented the climate of hysteria among other parents that makes it difficult for parents to take photos of their children during school plays and concerts and sporting activities....

Re "raging parental paranoia": Did you see the story this week from San Clemente where parents were "spooked" when someone left antique porcelain dolls on their porches?

They were placed there anonymously by an elderly woman from their church, whose daughters were grown.

After delivering a few of the dolls, the woman noticed on social media that some families were frightened, he said. She stopped leaving the dolls when some parents called for a criminal investigation.

The parents of the families who received the dolls did not want to speak about the incidents, but other San Clemente mothers said they were disturbed. “You don’t hear or see anything like that,” one mom said. “Only in the movies. … We’re in a bubble here in south Orange County.”

Fuck those people. Seriously.

We have to get permission for all photos. They might somehow get on the Internet and the child may be in the witness protection program or escaping abuse. Hmmm. Are there all that many kids in witness protection?

I can think of one silver lining, anyway. Maybe parents - and kids - will learn to live in the here and now and stop wasting time on all these photos, which they won't really have time to look at, decades later, when there are TONS of them to look at. I went to Italy some years ago and the many photos I took (mostly NOT of people) got wiped out - but what do I really care, when it's easy enough to find cheap, second-hand guide books of Italy with PROFESSIONAL photography, if I so wish?

Reminds me of what a well-known writer had one of her elderly characters say in 1967:

“The adventure is over. Everything gets over, and nothing is ever enough. Except the part you carry with you. It's the same as going on a vacation. Some people spend all their time on a vacation taking pictures so that when they get home they can show their friends evidence that they had a good time. They don't pause to let the vacation enter inside of them and take that home.”

Not to mention how, aside from that, it's just awful how parents are letting their kids grow up believing that being allowed to cling to your fancy electronics is more important than learning social skills or a general sense of modesty and humility. I get downright scared when I read letters such as the latest from Dear Abby:

http://news.yahoo.com/tyke-becomes-terror-mom-takes-back-her-cellphone-053116207.html

For some reason, the commentators at Yahoo are far more interesting than the ones at UExpress - for the same column, of course.

Gabby says:

LW1-It drives me absolutely mad when I see parents in public who think their phone or tablet is a babysitter. Your child is not learning patience, acceptable social skills (obviously), or imagination if he's constantly attached to a screen.

And Anonymous User got 24 likes in the last four hours for this:

By the time one of my friend's kids were 10 months old they knew how to use the iPhone and the iPad. They could not yet talk or walk - but all be damned if they could play games and navigate those stupid electronics. Now, she cannot get the 2 year old to comply with anything unless she is lured with the phone or pad. The kid will SCREAM bloody murder until she either throws up, or gives herself a nosebleed from screaming. She also has a 4 year old who will sit and play games for so long he has PEED ON THE COUCH and sat in his mess at least 5 times that I know about. This is not a potty training issue or a medical problem - he zones out playing Angry Birds or whatever and will guzzle juice and not want to get up to pee and put his game down. They both also throw violent tantrums until they are given the game back including punching and kicking ANYONE in the vicinity. My friend then coddles both these kids as "aww poor baby, here have a lolly and here is your game back." I just want to break a switch off the tree and "whoop" them when they act like that.

They were placed there anonymously by an elderly woman from their church, whose daughters were grown.
________________________

Well, doing something like that anonymously IS a pretty weird thing to do. I might not call the police, but I'd definitely be creeped out. Besides, any parent of a minor child might think some stranger was saying "I'm watching your kid, like it or not." Who WOULDN'T freak out?

Well, doing something like that anonymously IS a pretty weird thing to do. I might not call the police, but I'd definitely be creeped out. Besides, any parent of a minor child might think some stranger was saying "I'm watching your kid, like it or not." Who WOULDN'T freak out?

Apparently you would. I wouldn't.

I might think leaving the dolls a bit odd, but I wouldn't freak out over it. I don't automatically think everything has a sinister motive attached to it.

I don't mind if someone wants to take pictures of my kids doing things with their kids or participating with a sports team or school functions. That's public and fair use. I know some parents that do have a problem with it. Their reasoning most often is that pedophiles might see them. It has nothing to do with wanting to maintain privacy or anonymity. One woman I know has such fits over her child's name being listed in programs for school plays and dance recitals/competitions and also that when her son participates in track meets they give out awards and show names on scoreboards. I think if she wants her kids to be so hidden from being seen or mentioned in public she shouldn't stick them in activities where that is highly likely to happen. If I hadn't known her for over 25 years I might think she was trying to hide from something instead of just being overly paranoid.

." Who WOULDN'T freak out?

Posted by: lenona at July 25, 2014 12:49 PM

Any sane rational adult who hasn't spent too much time watching the Chuckie movies.

And someone taking a picture of kids on the soccer field endangers children how?

Because Pedophiles!!!!

(No, nobody can ever explain the connection, but that's the excuse.

Evidently a picture of your kid anywhere might make them a victim of an obsessive rape-stalker who Never Gives Up or something?

Who somehow never picks targets by seeing them in person, I guess?

Baffling.)

Their reasoning most often is that pedophiles might see them.

Posted by: BunnyGirl at July 25, 2014 1:51 PM

Shortsighted, as pedophiles are most likely to be trusted family or other community members - such as team coaches.

Regarding the doll fairy, if she wanted to give them away anonymously, she should have gone through the pastor or another person at the church. That's what my husband and I did when we wanted to give money to friends who would too gracious to accept it from us.

-This is a symptom of the complete efficacy of the campaign to sell fear to Americans.-

Yeah, except this is an English guy talking as much or more about England and Scotland as the United States.

I just love how things people of my generation enjoyed/survived as children became somehow 'riskier' for our kids, and are now unthinkable for their own fragile flowers.

Regarding the doll fairy, if she wanted to give them away anonymously, she should have gone through the pastor or another person at the church.

Posted by: Sosij at July 25, 2014 9:53 PM
_____________________________________

Exactly. Nothing wrong with being anonymous, per se.

Regarding the doll fairy, if she wanted to give them away anonymously, she should have gone through the pastor or another person at the church.

Posted by: Sosij at July 25, 2014 9:53 PM
_____________________________________

Exactly. Nothing wrong with being anonymous, per se.

Posted by: lenona at July 26, 2014 6:51 AM

I am sure if this elderly woman had been prescient like you and Sosji are, she probably would have gone through her pastor.

No one has the ability to predict what will alarm another people. And I mean NO ONE.

When you get that through your heads, you will stop thinking that all scary behavior and perceived threats can somehow be nipped in the bud.

I don't think it's parents (entirely) who are the cause of the hysteria. I think it's equal parts media. Even the parenting books are all, "never, ever, ever, leave your child unattended," to the tune of 4 billion repetitions. When my first was born I was freaked out that somebody would call child services if I took a shower while he was in his crib. Once I got 3 straight hours of sleep, I realized how stupid that was, of course :)

The media and government act like there is an great unknown existential threat to all humanity about every 8 seconds. They often drip paranoia, which many well-intentioned (and sleep deprived) parents soak up without realizing it.

Don't believe me? Remember how Oreos were going to be banned from California?? Don't breathe! Carbon dioxide is killing the caribou (what that has to do with your own health and safety isn't clear).

Lost in all this is that it's probably crappy and weird for the children that they can't have photos taken of their games.