There's no agreed upon definition for "Pedo Hunting," but generally speaking, Pedo Hunting is the act of actively searching out potential or known pedophiles/predators online and exposing their deeds to as large of an audience as possible, and/or reporting them to the proper authorities. The alleged intention behind this is often to "keep children safe" within the communities children frequent. On platforms like YouTube, Pedo Hunters are generally seen as a subset of the commentary community.
That's what Pedo Hunting is, now let's discuss the glaring issues with it!
That's what Pedo Hunting is, now let's discuss the glaring issues with it!
Yes, obviously pedophiles/predators are bad "people." I shouldn't have to specify this, but sadly people are stupid and won't be able to wrap their two-digit IQ around the title. So there ya go, you've been spoon fed the most obvious take in history that 99% of everyone on the planet agrees with. Can I continue now? Good!
The short and sweet of it is that Pedo Hunting is a failed online movement that does more harm than good, and often puts kids at greater risk of becoming victims whilst also giving predators/pedophiles a place to hide in plain sight. Another issue is that publicly attacking of predators/pedophiles doesn't always have the desired impact, sometimes resulting in giving these disturbed individuals platforms, or even sympathizers who see the Pedo Hunters as little more than cyberbullies. A more frequent issue is that in order to even be a Pedo Hunter, there must first be a victim in the first place to go to batt for. I will explain this and more in detail below, but remember that this is an opinion based on my experiences being around Pedo Hunters online for years, and watching how many of them work, their different methods and differing ideologies. Just remember that as you read along.
Addendum: I don't think Pedo Hunting in private/secret is a bad thing, in fact, I think if you're gonna do it at all, that's the ONLY way to do it. For reasons that'll become clear as I continue this forum post I'm clearly writing because I'm bored and have nothing better to do.
Addendum: I don't think Pedo Hunting in private/secret is a bad thing, in fact, I think if you're gonna do it at all, that's the ONLY way to do it. For reasons that'll become clear as I continue this forum post I'm clearly writing because I'm bored and have nothing better to do.
This is a BIG ISSUE I take with the "Pedo Hunting Community." Some in that sphere like to put these "people" in calls, or even on livestream, giving them a chance to speak. This of course presents a multitude of potential issues, one of course is that it gives these disturbed individuals a chance to manipulate others, but a much bigger issue is it gives them a hate following. People focus on them, and even become obsessed. While we're on the topic, another example of platforming is just merely mentioning them prolifically, type "Sappho" in the YouTube search, videos about them have reached millions of views.
Point being, the difference between infamy and fame is almost nonexistent and by doing the above mentioned, actual predators have actually obtained status through hate mentions. That infamy online can be (and has been) used as a tool to obtain a following online. Though no longer making videos, Sappho (who goes by Hypnotist Sappho on YouTube) managed to obtain over 2k subscribers (adding to the 5k obtained already) with a proportionate amount of viewership as a result of people like Turkey Tom getting almost 2 million views talking about him/her/it. Now you may think that's not a huge subs/views increase, but understand that YouTube now only requires 500 subscribers and just 3000 watch hours to monetize a channel. Meaning, when the monetization requirements were more strict, she acquired four times the amount of subs required to monetize today, and profited off the online infamy she received.
Pedo Hunters (and the commentary community at large) LITERALLY PAID Sappho in subs, viewership, and money without even realizing it. Given the fact requirements for monetization are now easier than ever before, do you really think it's a good idea to continue platforming pedophiles? Do you really think paying them in subs/views/cash is an effective strategy for helping the potential victims you claim to protect?
Addendum: Understand that in addition to being pedophiles, they're most obviously deeply mentally ill people. As a result, it is not uncommon for a pedophile to crave attention, in whatever form that takes. This presents three questions: Why would you give a pedophile the attention they crave? How do you tell the difference between a generally mentally ill person claiming to be a pedophile for attention and an actual pedophile? Why would you platform either?
Point being, the difference between infamy and fame is almost nonexistent and by doing the above mentioned, actual predators have actually obtained status through hate mentions. That infamy online can be (and has been) used as a tool to obtain a following online. Though no longer making videos, Sappho (who goes by Hypnotist Sappho on YouTube) managed to obtain over 2k subscribers (adding to the 5k obtained already) with a proportionate amount of viewership as a result of people like Turkey Tom getting almost 2 million views talking about him/her/it. Now you may think that's not a huge subs/views increase, but understand that YouTube now only requires 500 subscribers and just 3000 watch hours to monetize a channel. Meaning, when the monetization requirements were more strict, she acquired four times the amount of subs required to monetize today, and profited off the online infamy she received.
Pedo Hunters (and the commentary community at large) LITERALLY PAID Sappho in subs, viewership, and money without even realizing it. Given the fact requirements for monetization are now easier than ever before, do you really think it's a good idea to continue platforming pedophiles? Do you really think paying them in subs/views/cash is an effective strategy for helping the potential victims you claim to protect?
Addendum: Understand that in addition to being pedophiles, they're most obviously deeply mentally ill people. As a result, it is not uncommon for a pedophile to crave attention, in whatever form that takes. This presents three questions: Why would you give a pedophile the attention they crave? How do you tell the difference between a generally mentally ill person claiming to be a pedophile for attention and an actual pedophile? Why would you platform either?
An obvious side-effect of platforming predators/pedophiles is increasing the pool of children they can potentially victimize, but a less obvious side-effect is effectively teaching them how best to get away with their disgusting activities and how/where to hide. Be honest with yourself, how many Pedo Hunters and Pedo Hunter followers have been later revealed to be pedophiles themselves? Quite a few right? Sure, most aren't, but that doesn't change the fact that a community of Pedo Hunters has frequently become a den of safety for a plethora of pedophiles and continues to be. This phenomena will only continue to occur the longer Pedo Hunters continue to make their actions known publicly.
To make matters worse, pedophiles in these communities are often able to make reputations for themselves that shield them from suspicion and enable otherwise innocent people to defend them when suspicions arise. Effectively taking the reputations of others down with them in the even they're finally caught. If that's not bad enough, also remember that many of these communities contain minors, no matter how many barriers are put into place. This is an increasingly dangerous issues that almost-uniquely affects Pedo Hunter and Pedo Hunter adjacent communities.
To make matters worse, pedophiles in these communities are often able to make reputations for themselves that shield them from suspicion and enable otherwise innocent people to defend them when suspicions arise. Effectively taking the reputations of others down with them in the even they're finally caught. If that's not bad enough, also remember that many of these communities contain minors, no matter how many barriers are put into place. This is an increasingly dangerous issues that almost-uniquely affects Pedo Hunter and Pedo Hunter adjacent communities.
This is a big one because it's a sad reality of human nature. When you go after someone and ostracize them publicly, you risk segments of the public sympathizing with them. Over time, that sympathy can grow to embolden the very people you wish to ostracize. Now although I would shoot anyone who suggested normalizing pedophilia, I fear that continuing down the path we are today may actually lead to it's normalization with time.
Does this mean I think we should become totally silent about pedophilia online? NO! Not at all. Even though I think much (if not all) pedophile hunting should be done in secret, I also think public discourse on the issue at large has it's obvious uses I'll get to later, but the main issue I aim to point out in this section is the amount of "for profit" pedophile hunting I see online. Pedo Hunters are monetarily incentivized to promote shitshows and drama content surrounding the pedophiles and victims they aim to bring awareness to. This creates a series of further issues that often results in sloppy decision making (such as poor research, false allegations, reckless disregard for consequences) and using victims as cash cows.
Does this mean I think we should become totally silent about pedophilia online? NO! Not at all. Even though I think much (if not all) pedophile hunting should be done in secret, I also think public discourse on the issue at large has it's obvious uses I'll get to later, but the main issue I aim to point out in this section is the amount of "for profit" pedophile hunting I see online. Pedo Hunters are monetarily incentivized to promote shitshows and drama content surrounding the pedophiles and victims they aim to bring awareness to. This creates a series of further issues that often results in sloppy decision making (such as poor research, false allegations, reckless disregard for consequences) and using victims as cash cows.
Note that in the preface to this I felt obligated to state the obvious "pedos bad" line. There's a reason for that, and that reason is simply that Pedo Hunting, though noble in concept, has in practice become little more than virtue signaling. This virtue signaling has become so rife that the mere idea of calling out Pedo Hunting has become akin to proclaiming yourself "sus" in the eyes of every Pedo Hunter online. Though an obvious low IQ brainlet take, it is a symptom of a much larger issue, and that issue is a cult of personality that surrounds the heads of these Pedo Hunter communities. Whether by design or by consequence, people who watch too much of any one person, they become religiously attached to not only the person they're watch, but also the rhetoric frequently stated by said person. When that rhetoric is emotionally impactful (as the subject of pedophilia, for example, obviously should be) it becomes difficult to not hold both the rhetoric, and the person professing it, to a higher standard than usual.
Though this doesn't present the worst of issues online, typically, it does give the person being revered by his presumably unintended cult more pressure to continue churning out more and more content, thereby furthering the issues I laid out previously in the "For-Profit Pedo Hunting" section. Aside from that, it also makes it difficult to believe any of this is aimed to reduce the amount of victims, or to get justice for the victims there are already. Especially when this and the resulting virtue signaling is used to manipulate anyone who dares question Pedo Hunters, or the movement itself.
But hey! At least they're better than pedophiles though amirite?! LOL
Addendum: This is ignoring the fact that there's been quite a few pedo hunters that have been caught using the movement and their cult of personality to hide their own degeneracy, sometimes even to hide the fact that they're a pedophile themselves. Food for thought!
Though this doesn't present the worst of issues online, typically, it does give the person being revered by his presumably unintended cult more pressure to continue churning out more and more content, thereby furthering the issues I laid out previously in the "For-Profit Pedo Hunting" section. Aside from that, it also makes it difficult to believe any of this is aimed to reduce the amount of victims, or to get justice for the victims there are already. Especially when this and the resulting virtue signaling is used to manipulate anyone who dares question Pedo Hunters, or the movement itself.
But hey! At least they're better than pedophiles though amirite?! LOL
Addendum: This is ignoring the fact that there's been quite a few pedo hunters that have been caught using the movement and their cult of personality to hide their own degeneracy, sometimes even to hide the fact that they're a pedophile themselves. Food for thought!
A common counter to this point of view is that bringing awareness to an online community, or the internet at large, is a net good as it ensures that young people can be aware of dangerous people and thus not become victims of them.
This sounds good in theory, but aside from all the other issues I've laid out earlier, there's one other issue. There's absolutely nothing to stop the person from victimizing others. There's billions of people online today, there will ALWAYS be a potential victim, even if you succeed in making your community safe as a result of you bringing awareness to the pedophile in question. Hell, if anything, all you succeeded in doing is sending the pedophile to some other community. That's like trying to be rid of your syphilis infection by having unprotected sex with someone from a different town, you've effectively done nothing to fix the problem.
Does this mean that no good comes from bringing awareness at all? No, of course not. If you ONLY care about yourself, your reputation, and/or your community and care little for any resulting consequences, it can of course be useful to make the predator some other community's problem. If you're honest about that being your only motivation, desire and intention, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Contrastingly, if you ACTUALLY wanna be rid of the person, you can always make it law enforcement's problem and hope they actually do their job. This can and has been effective (assuming the evidence is thorough and not rushed nonsense) and has been used effectively in the past. However, that doesn't always work. So what's the final solution? The REAL solution? Well, if you unironically call yourself a "Pedo Hunter," consider actually pedo hunting and physically end the threat instead of sitting around creating content for others to enjoy off the backs of victims.
Sure, it's not the most legal option, but it's most certainly the ONLY consistent option.
Note For Mods: I'm not advocating violence, this is not a fed post. I'm merely pointing out a philosophical inconsistency by utilizing an extreme (but socially acceptable) example. I may or may not be winking right now.
This sounds good in theory, but aside from all the other issues I've laid out earlier, there's one other issue. There's absolutely nothing to stop the person from victimizing others. There's billions of people online today, there will ALWAYS be a potential victim, even if you succeed in making your community safe as a result of you bringing awareness to the pedophile in question. Hell, if anything, all you succeeded in doing is sending the pedophile to some other community. That's like trying to be rid of your syphilis infection by having unprotected sex with someone from a different town, you've effectively done nothing to fix the problem.
Does this mean that no good comes from bringing awareness at all? No, of course not. If you ONLY care about yourself, your reputation, and/or your community and care little for any resulting consequences, it can of course be useful to make the predator some other community's problem. If you're honest about that being your only motivation, desire and intention, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Contrastingly, if you ACTUALLY wanna be rid of the person, you can always make it law enforcement's problem and hope they actually do their job. This can and has been effective (assuming the evidence is thorough and not rushed nonsense) and has been used effectively in the past. However, that doesn't always work. So what's the final solution? The REAL solution? Well, if you unironically call yourself a "Pedo Hunter," consider actually pedo hunting and physically end the threat instead of sitting around creating content for others to enjoy off the backs of victims.
Sure, it's not the most legal option, but it's most certainly the ONLY consistent option.
Note For Mods: I'm not advocating violence, this is not a fed post. I'm merely pointing out a philosophical inconsistency by utilizing an extreme (but socially acceptable) example. I may or may not be winking right now.
