FARRAGUT, Tenn. — While access to the internet means a gateway to information, it can also be a dangerous place for children if not used safely.
"Some of them can seem like innocent apps put predators do use them to reach children," Street Hope Educator Samantha Hicks said.
This is her topic of expertise. She travels to different schools to educate families about the risks online and how they can relate to human trafficking.
"My goal is to equip parents with the necessary tools so that they can help their students navigate the internet safely," she said.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline reports predators recruit on apps like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp, which is something Hicks wants people to know.
She stresses it's important for parents to make sure game apps don't have chatroom and to monitor any app a child could receive messages.
"I definitely want to warn parents about the different apps that are very common that predators use," she said.
It is a method she believes is effective. So far in 2019, she's trained nearly 1,000 East Tennessee parents and almost twice that amount of young people.
"About 1,800 students have gone through our curriculum presentations," she said.
While it may seem extreme, Hicks said it is better to be safe than sorry.
"We want to prevent that from happening to as many students as possible," she said.
In a world where online platforms are always changing, she encourages any and everyone with kids with phones to be careful and informed.
"It's so important to stay up to date and know what's out there to know how to have to conversations with their kids," Hicks said.