I may be a victim of the sensationalist press; I’ve come to see the dark side of things a little too often. So when I learn of a new device that purports to anaesthetize children while they play a video game, it sets off a lot of alarms in my mind.
To wit: the PediSedate, a device that sits atop a child’s head and plugs into a portable game system, like a Nintendo DS, and simultaneously monitors the child’s breathing while it disperses nitrous oxide. Meant for use in a dentist’s office, or possibly a physician’s office in specialized cases, this is seen as a way to help manage the fear and anxiety that a visit to the dentist can bring about in a child.
While that is a worthwhile goal, my mind immediately flew to the possibility of this device being misused by child predators. It’s all too easy to imagine someone approaching a child with this fun-looking device and a video game system, and luring them away to where the child can be anaesthetized in private. Even if this device is only available through trusted and verifiable channels, no system is completely secure.
Parents, please stress to your child that under no circumstances are they to even talk with someone they don’t know. While that may seem extreme, people have lost children to people who act trustworthy, and children are easily led astray by forceful adults. Safety first, always.
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