Here's today's Washington Watch Daily commentary from FRC Radio:
When kids are cruising the Internet, it’s not the surf but the turf that parents are worried about. A new study by the journal Pediatrics says that the waves of sexual content are at an all-time high—and it’s getting harder for kids to swim against the tide. Researchers found that 42% of 10 to 17 year-olds saw online pornography in the last year—and 66% of them weren’t even looking for it! To parents, it’s probably more disturbing that a majority of kids said they “weren’t disturbed by what they saw.” But something’s got to be done to regulate how these adult sites advertise. A lot of them use gimmicks like pop-up ads. And while a little nudity may seem harmless to some, it puts kids at risk of being targeted by sexual predators. The government can do more to regulate the content online—like passing the SAFETY Act, which would help stop the Internet’s exploitation of our kids.
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Comments (4)
"Researchers found that 42% of 10 to 17 year-olds saw online pornography in the last year"
Methinks that is an understatement.
February 16, 2007 2:18 PM | Comment Permalink
The more I think about this, the more the mumbers seem to makes sense.
In my own dealings with teens and preteens, I have found that few girls of any age have much interest in porn. As for boys between 10 to about twelve or thirteen, their interest is more body curiosity than sexual. So I guess if you average it all out 42% might make sense.
The vast majority of por is viewed intentionally by older teen and young adults.
Bottom line in my opinion is that the majority of porn is view by those who have a valid right to look at it.
The only thing the government can do is to make it a little harder for children to see accidentally, and I don't the Safety act will do much to help.
This is something we parents have to deal with.
I hope someone else posts on this thread, because I just don't see why we need the government involved.
February 16, 2007 2:50 PM | Comment Permalink
I dont think the government can really do anything due to the jurisdictional problem, short of 'pulling a china,' which is certinly impossible legally without a new constitutional ammendment to override the first. The heavier the regulation of pornographic sites within the US, the greater the reason for them to simply set up their servers overseas. Restrictions on advertising dont work that well either, with such a fiercely competative industry - its advertise or go out of business.
Even that assessment is assuming just pornographic sites as a problem - the old tradition of passing magazines around school while the teachers arn't looking is just as effective online.
I agree with the previous poster - this isn't a problem that can be solved by government intervention. I also add that any attempt to solve it that way is going to do more harm than good. Leave it to the parents to deal with this.
Also, could future posts be more specific about this 'SAFETY act' - does the shortened title refer to the 'Adam Walsh Child and Safety Protection Act 2006'? Title VII, the 'Internet Safety Act' section 701(3) seems to be the one paragraph of this extremally long act that covers protecting children from online pornography... and sure enough, its unenforceable due to jurisdictional problems.
In my view, there should be some regulation prohibiting the naming of any act after an individual. Its nothing but an excuse to substitute the emotional impact of a human face in place of rational debate.
February 17, 2007 7:04 AM | Comment Permalink
There is another issue involved which I am having a hard time understanding. I find it extremely to regulate my children's on-line activity, and the myriad products available make it easier still.
I guess I just can't buy into the need for a powerful government controlling every aspect of our lives.
As a Christian, I feel that Christianity is a personal faith, not a rule book.
Raising kids in an R-rated would can indeed be difficult if and only if parents look to regulate everyone else's behavior. If a parent looks to Jesus' example of personally accountability, then it becomes rather easy to raise solid citizens with Christian values without government censorship.
February 18, 2007 10:53 AM | Comment Permalink