Gettysburg Area High School welcomed families and community members last night for a free educational event focused on helping parents understand the growing online risks facing children and teens.
The program, “Keeping Kids Safe from Hidden Digital Dangers,” aimed to equip parents, guardians, and caregivers with practical tools to navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape.
The evening began with a resource fair at 5:30 p.m., featuring a wide range of local organizations, including the Adams County Library System, Collaborating for Youth and Community Development, Gettysburg College’s 21CCLC “El Centro” After School Program, the Gettysburg Area Education Foundation, GASD school resource officers, GASD social workers and family navigators, Healthy Adams County, Tonality Music Therapy, Transitions Healthcare, TrueNorth Wellness Services, York/Adams County Mental Health–Intellectual Disabilities, and YWCA Hanover Safe Home. Families had the opportunity to connect with service providers and gather information before the main presentation. Free childcare and light refreshments were provided.
At 6:30 p.m., attendees heard from FBI Special Agent Geoffrey Ford, who outlined the evolving dangers young people face online. Referencing Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation, Ford emphasized the hidden risks within digital spaces and the need for awareness, communication, and proactive safety measures at home.
Ford warned that “popular gaming platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite can be dangers and are unmoderated,” and noted that extremist groups often target vulnerable youth. Citing former neo-Nazi Christian Picciolini, Ford said, “these groups look for people who feel disconnected and seek community; who need purpose.”
Ford also highlighted the amount of time children spend online. “Children are spending an average of about five hours a day online,” he said. “This gives algorithms and social media platforms enormous influence over how young people think, interact, and view themselves. This is shaping the world and what they value.” He added that legislation has not kept pace with rapidly changing technology.
The program also featured a parent speaker, Trisha, who shared her family’s experience with online exploitation. Speaking about the dangers of platforms such as Instagram, she told the audience, “You can feel like it can’t happen to your kid. It can. It happened to mine.”
Her remarks focused on financial sextortion, a threat she said she had never heard of before her family was affected. She urged parents to talk openly with their children and encouraged young people to trust their instincts: “If something isn’t right, pause, put the device down, and seek help.”
In memory of her son, a victim of sextortion, she founded the organization Live Like Levi. She recommended delaying smartphone use until age 14 and social media until age 16, and expressed hope that children will return to more play-based activities. “In the past the big danger was revealed about tobacco,” she said. “Now it’s time to fight Meta and technology to ensure safety measures are established.”
The event underscored the importance of providing families with current information and local support as technology plays an increasingly central role in young people’s lives.
The Gettysburg Area Education Foundation provided free copies of The Anxious Generation to the first 100 district residents who registered. The book explores how smartphones and social media are reshaping adolescent development and contributing to rising mental health concerns. Copies are also available through the Adams County Library System.
GASD has created an online resource page for families that includes materials from the FBI presentation, additional guidance, and information from participating organizations.