The struggle of families who say they lost their children due to virtual media continues. Mother Shannon Heacock, who lost her 16-year-old son Elijah last year in Glasgow, Kentucky, USA, continues her legal battle. Heacock, who filed a lawsuit against Meta company and closely followed the lawsuit filed by US states against Meta in August, spoke to Serdar Korucu from CNN Türk. The grieving mother said, "This was a small victory. It is not a big victory." She added, "With this compromise, we have not reached the end of what needs to be done for children. I think we will not see a real change until parents are given full control over their children's accounts on virtual media."
"YOU TAKEN SOMETHING FROM US. THEY WERE OUR WORLD"
Shannon Heacock, who called Mark Zuckerberg "you're a liar" during the lawsuit, also shared her message after the settlement: "My message to him is this: You don't even allow your own children to use these platforms, but you want our children to be addicted to your platforms. You took something from us. They were our world." Reminding that her son would have turned 18 next year had he lived, Shannon Heacock said, "He was a wonderful young man. His 18th birthday is coming soon. Elijah was a twin, so they would both be driving right now. I'm sure they would constantly argue about who would get behind the wheel and when... He would make you laugh, he would make you cry, he would make you think, "Where did this come from?" He said, "He was always coming up with new ideas. He was very, very, very loved... We feel his absence deeply."
"THEY USED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WE LOST OUR SON WITHIN 20 MINUTES"
Heacock described the night his son lost his life as follows: "We were preparing for a big game that night. It was a basketball game... It was late, so I sent him to his room to go to bed. Normally, almost 99 percent of the time, they would leave their phones in my room at night. But that night they didn't. I still carry this feeling of guilt. I was very tired that night. Just that... As far as we understand, everything happened in 150 messages. They used artificial intelligence, created photos and threatened... And in just 20 minutes." "We lost our son."
"EVEN ON OUR DEATH CERTIFICATE, THIS SITUATION WAS RECORDED AS A MURDER"
Emphasizing that this process could be blocked by the virtual media platform, Shannon Heacock said, "Look, if I went into one of Mark's platforms and called a person "stupid"... I would probably be blocked, right?" he asked. "Elijah ended his own life, but at the same time, Elijah was forced to do so. That's why I say Elijah did not die, he was killed. He did not take his own life. Even on our death certificate, this situation was recorded as a murder," said Heacock, adding that Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta, was also responsible: "It is Mark Zuckerberg's responsibility to prevent adults from contacting young children. Elijah was 16 years old. He was old enough to make his own decisions, yes. But you should know this, Mark; you allow such events to happen." You know, if we sit here and talk about a soda, we will soon see ads for that drink on our Facebook or phones. Mark and his company know what they are doing, they are very aware of it. How many more children need to die before they take responsibility?
"AGE LIMITATION IS NOT ENOUGH"
Stating that children's use of virtual media should be completely under the control of parents, Shannon Heacock emphasized that age restrictions are not enough: "We are just trying to protect children. Do I think age limits are enough? No. I think it is not enough. Because children can lie. Let's be honest; they will lie, saying "My birth date is this". They can easily fake an ID, like they did with my child's photos. They can claim to be a different age."
"THIS IS A WAR, THEIR TARGETS ARE OUR CHILDREN"
Shannon Heacock, who said that she lost her son due to the virtual media platform, also called on parents and children: "Parents should talk to their children. This is a war we find ourselves in. Our children are their target, not us. Therefore, talk to them openly about everything. For example, if your child sent a photo, talk about it. Don't be angry with them. Don't be angry with yourself. This can happen to anyone. It can happen to our children, your children, all children. I would like to say this to the children. Do not hesitate to go to your parents; because Malicious people cannot ruin your life. They are only after money. And we, parents, can and will protect you from them.”
