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has turned towards using the web for all sources of information. A study carried
out by the European Union in August 2013 revealed that in the United Kingdom, close to 33% of children 3 to 4 years old go online with the help of a computer, 6% with a tablet computer, and 3% with a cell phone. Close to 90% of 5- to 7-year-old children use the internet.10 The study predicted that the admittance into the virtual world has increased among children aged 3 to 11 years.10 According to Child Trends’ research in the United States, in 2013 almost 60%
of children aged 6 to 10 used the internet
at home.11 The researchers have stated that constant exposure to violence results in an increase in anxiety and violent behavior due to desensitization to violence. Exposure to
REFERENCES
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violence on the internet can exist in many forms through indirect and direct exposure.12 The relevance of this case study is to educate health providers, parents, and schools about the importance of monitoring a child’s exposure to the internet. The internet can provide a great environment for learning. However, if certain materials are uncovered by children, destructive behavior in the form of homicidal and suicidal actions can result. The effects of Slender Man have prevent another tragic loss of life, it is up to society to monitor how children use the internet. A safe and controlled internet environment is needed to avoid the pitfalls of stumbling upon a dark and gloomy character who advocates violent activity among children at risk.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS
■ SALMAN SALARIA, MD, MPH. PGY-II- Resident, Delaware Psychiatric Center.
■ MARY DIAMOND, DO, MA, MPA. Child Psychiatrist, Terry Children’s Treatment Center. She was the Medical Director for the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services in Pennsylvania.
■ THOMAS L. OLSON, PhD. Director, Terry Children’s Treatment Center.
■ IMRAN TRIMZI, MD. Child Psychiatrist, Terry Children’s Treatment Center. He worked as the Program Director of the Delaware Psychiatric Residency Program. He is also an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Jefferson Medical School and Drexel Hahnemann University School of Medicine.
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11. “Home Computer Access and Internet Use.” Child Trends, Child Trends, Dec. 2015, www.childtrends.org/wp-content/ uploads/2015/12/69_Computer_Use.pdf.
12. Tolbert, Jeffery A. “‘Dark and Wicked Things’: Slender Man, the Folkloresque, and the Implications of Belief.”
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7 Feb. 2017, mysticinvestigations.com/ paranormal/slenderman-gypsies-1900/.
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Chason, Rachel. “They Stabbed Their Friend to Impress Slender Man. Now the Teens Are Going to Mental Hospitals.” The Washington Post, 29 Sept. 2017, www.washingtonpost. com/news/true-crime/wp/2017/09/29/ they-stabbed-their-friend-to-impress-slender- man-now-the-teens-are-going-to-mental- hospitals/?utm_term=.325f52dff3b1.
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