At a time when gadgets have become a quintessential part of every child’s growing experience — from education to games — the thought of these very devices being tapped by predators can be a troubling one for parents. While many dismiss this as an ‘other people’ problem, the threat is closer and prescient than most would admit. That’s why Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar’s recent admission of his 13-year-old daughter Nitara encountering a predator while playing an online game comes as a reality check.

Elaborating on the incident, Kumar said that while the messages were initially polite and innocuous, the tone soon changed with the predator demanding naked pictures from the child. His narration echoes a similar incident that was reported by mid-day only a few days ago, in which a SoBo teen was blackmailed over WhatsApp into sending obscene photos by a nameless predator.