I did as well, based on what we've heard and read about the SB facet of the case. But really, most of that is drawn from on MacKenzie's own words and SM postings about her lifestyle. And I did get the feeling she was an unreliable narrator of her own level of sophistication and worldliness, at least in her SM persona. The friends and family who described her as a sweet innocent girl, and the one poster (was it
@Cali123 ?) whose son was acquainted with her in high school and described her as "naïve and ditzy" if I recall correctly, were closer to the truth. The vixen on Insta and in her sugar-lifestyle profiles and photos, or in the "experienced" advice she gave other sugar-curious young women on Facebook, was more like a pose, an exploration, maybe an aspiration. (Kenzie's FB comments are discussed somewhere in the previous threads, and I believe her various profiles are linked at the beginning of this thread.) Maybe Kenzie had done some reading about the lifestyle and thought she was well prepared before she took the plunge, and that's why she tried sharing helpful advice – but all the reading in the world can't prepare a young person for the emotional reality and conflict of clarifying, then pursuing, very specific goals in a new relationship.
I think the second woman interviewed on Dateline hit the nail on the head when she said Kenzie had no idea what she was getting herself into, and that many young women intrigued by ideas of the glamour and luxury they can attain by becoming a wealthy man's companion really are biting off far more than they can chew – both emotionally, and in terms of the expectations they may face. They may be harboring romantic hopes for what seems much more transactional from the sugar daddy's point of view. (Hence their distaste for considering it part of the "sex industry," in the reporter's words.) But more fundamentally, they could – as I think Kenzie did – also have a very sheltered view of sex crimes, power dynamics, and how badly things can go wrong when they're trying to be amenable and cooperative with a person they "know" only from his own idealized, fanciful, and self-advertising social media profile. They may think they're being assertive and independent, upfront about what they expect from a companion with whom they plan to spend time, but when the screening process (profiles, texting and instant messaging, etc.) is mostly conducted electronically – and likely without verification or references, much less acquaintances in common – it all too easily leads to unearned trust being granted far too early.
Try as I might, I simply can't see how that could feel empowering (in the reporter's phrasing), much less safe. Innocent people, like Kenzie, might roleplay a little online, trying on a new look, expressing new interests, trying on a new way of interacting to see if it feels right for them – but predators aren't innocent people, and they don't do any of this innocently. Everything they do when hiding behind their online persona is aimed at luring victims into their snare, and some of the dating and social websites provide them with a fertile playground. We need to teach our kids and young adults who are so savvy about technology also to be savvy about human nature, and not to trust unknown persons without some independent verification just because they have interests in common – nor to assume that everyone's motivation for being on a website are the same, or similarly innocuous.
JMO, MOO, etc.
Doesn't sound like I missed a lot. If anyone hears when it will be shown again or if there is a link online for the full show, I would appreciate a heads up.
