We’ve always been a little suspicious of child leashes, but we admit they have their uses, like keeping a child from straying into busy traffic, or making it easier to wrangle multiple kids at once.
However, any new toy runs the risk of being misunderstood and misused. So perhaps we should cut the woman in this video some slack. Melissa Catherine Smith-Means was caught on tape in a Verizon store, dragging her child around by the leash. Perhaps the leash should have come with more specific instructions, and a warning: Do Not Abuse Child In Public.
Smith-Means has been arrested for the incident, which is a relief when considering that no one else in the store seems to react to this at all. Someone was amused enough to get this on film, but it seems no one was bothered enough to put a stop to it.
We just hope that child-dragging is not the latest fashion in parenting. At least this viral video is sweeping the net like wildfire. Take that, abusive parents. We’re all watching you. And we don’t like what we see.
Viral Mom Fails
Video Demonstrates How Not To Use a Leash for your Child's Safety
Trend Themes
1. Child Safety Technology - Developing advanced and intuitive child safety devices that function better than leashes.
2. Child Abuse Prevention Education - Introducing parenting classes and advertisements of the importance of understanding the proper use of child safety devices.
3. Public Surveillance - Enforcing surveillance in public places to prevent child abuse incidents from going unnoticed.
Industry Implications
1. Technology - Creating innovative parenting technology, featuring smart and effective child safety devices.
2. Education - Developing educational programs for parents and care-givers to prevent child abuse incidents from happening.
3. Security - Introducing video-surveillance and IoT devices in public places to ensure the safety of children.