Taking Down the Powerful Who Hurt Children
“Sons and daughters are indeed a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
Last week, according to the “Wall Street Journal, “A 20-year-old woman prevailed in a landmark social-media trial against Meta Platforms and Google’s You-Tube in which the companies were accused of designing their apps to be addictive and harmful to adolescents. A jury found Instagram’s owner Meta and YouTube negligent for operating a product that harmed kids and teens and failed to warn about those dangers.” Finally, the judicial system is stepping up and beginning to side with the innocent and against Mark Zuckerberg and other Tech billionaires who refuse to act ethically. Don’t agree with me, I encourage you to read Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, who worked closely with Zuckerberg and shares the callous corporate disregard for those who use and trust their sites.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell may be the most heinous examples of child abuse presently in the news, but they are far from the only accounts of the rich abusing children. In the Meta case, “The jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million to the plaintiff, named Kaley G.M., who testified that social-media use that started before she was a teenager had dominated her life for years and had contributed to mental health issues including anxiety, depression, and body dysmorphia.” Physical touch isn’t the only way to adversely touch and abuse a child.
The Meta case alone will not immediately transform the tech industry into a bastion of moral rectitude. Several multi-billionaires have presented their destructive narcissism in ways that have made millions suffer needlessly. Elon Musk’s chainsaw cutting of federal funding, early in the Trump administration, devastated millions of third-world people suffering from systemic poverty and little access to proper healthcare. Physical abuse by Epstein and his cronies, and inappropriate material on social media by Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and others, shows that money is more important to many than properly caring for the youngest and most vulnerable.
If the powerful billionaires are unable or unwilling to speak or act ethically, then it is up to God’s people to step up and speak loudly for those without a voice. Think of the many rich men and a few wealthy women who ignored the poor children being physically and emotionally abused by Epstein and his filthy pals. Or Zuckerberg knowingly encourages manipulative, addictive, and vile content to reach the eyes and ears of children. It is imperative that the faithful step into the void and define and cry out for proper ethical conduct. Continuing to affirm the judicial branch of our government for holding the rich and powerful accountable will provide more safety for our children. All children are worth our attention, care, and support.
