The internet can be wonderful. We are thankful for the additional tools it has given us to keep our region informed on their communities — from our website and social media platforms to video news segments and features.

But the internet can be a terrifying place as well.

State Attorney General Dave Sunday reminded our sister paper, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, of that sad reality in a brief conversation before his keynote remarks to the Lycoming County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner.

He noted the work the state attorney general’s office does on identifying, investigating and prosecuting thieves who use online scams to prey on the elderly.

Many of Pennsylvania’s elderly are on fixed incomes, and cannot afford the income lost to thievery. Moreover, the scams deprive them of more than needed money — they deprive them of a sense of security and safety, of comfort and of retirements more free of fear and anxiety.

“Pennsylvania’s got one of the highest numbers of senior citizens in the entire country, so it’s a major issue,” Sunday told the Sun-Gazette. “I hear about it literally from morning til night.”

Even more of a concern are our youngest Pennsylvanians. Online platforms can be an avenue for predators to lure children, harass children or exploit children in dangerous and unacceptable ways.

Sunday explained steps Pennsylvania’s government is taking to hold tech companies accountable when the allow an environment of exploitation and harass to fester. We believe every Pennsylvanian should appreciate the efforts and initiatives to make the internet safer.

Meanwhile, we also believe parents and families need to be proactive. We encourage families to monitor youngsters’ internet use, to talk to each other to find out where the red flags, so to speak, are planted.

We encourage families to talk to children so they have the initial tools to move away from questionable web traffic and to let trusted adults know what’s going on.

The internet, by and large, is a blessing. Let’s see government and the public work together to make it safer for everyone.