A digital bogeyman – the stuff of nightmares – has gained traction on the internet.
The Slenderman is an online faceless monster linked to real life crimes. “The fact that he is crowd-sourced really shows that the facelessness is what is so appealing because we can project our worst fear and we can also project what we need and what we want the most of that person” states Irene Taylor Brodsky, whose HBO documentary “Beware the Slenderman” explores the everywhere presence of the tall faceless internet ghoul.
Brodsky recommends that parents limit kid’s access to, and monitor use of, laptops, iPads and other devices. Her documentary looks at the psychology and social factors that led two 12 year-old girls to stab their friend.
Not only is the rise of the Slenderman myth online shown but also the neurological development of children, the pervasiveness of internet access, adolescent insecurity and mental illness.