le poll [Poll] Kids And Internet Regulation

[firey]

I personally don't agree with regulating internet use. I think that regardless of age there should not be any blocks put in place. I feel that for things such as porn, if the child is old enough to understand what it is, they have seen it before. If the child isn't old enough to understand, well then they won't.

I also don't agree with censoring music, television, or movies. I feel like if the child questions it, or begins to act upon things they see, it is my job as a parent to educate, and inform them of what they watched or heard. I think that if a child is interested enough, or wanting to see something enough then they have heard about it from someone else, and have been told about it and are curious. I would much rather my child feel like he/she can talk to me about it, and find things out on their own instead of feeling scared, or like I would punish them.

I was never blocked as a child, and I wouldn't do that to my own. I think that a simple walk by every so often, checking the history, etc is good enough. I also hope that I as a parent will be able to teach my child what to stay away from, and what to notify me of if it happens.

What are your thoughts? Either as parents or not.

[Azusa]

My opinion has always been to ban anyone under the age of 18 from using the internet as the pros outweigh the cons.

[Max Norris]

Should be left up to the parents, not anyone else. That said, my daughter (who is 7) has her machine filtered through a proxy that I set up for her, only allowed specific sites until she's a bit older. Way to easy to access something that's highly inappropriate for someone her age. If she gets blocked, she can ask me to add something. When she's older, she can do what she wants, but for now, no. I'm already dreading the eventual chats that are going to come up later.. don't need to add "daddy, what's goatse?" into the mix.

[firey]

Should be left up to the parents, not anyone else. That said, my daughter (who is 7) has her machine filtered through a proxy that I set up for her, only allowed specific sites until she's a bit older. Way to easy to access something that's highly inappropriate for someone her age. If she gets blocked, she can ask me to add something. When she's older, she can do what she wants, but for now, no. I'm already dreading the eventual chats that are going to come up later.. don't need to add "daddy, what's goatse?" into the mix.

Fair enough. However, I do have to question something. When you are deeming something as "highly inappropriate", is that because you honestly feel it inappropriate? Or do you feel it that way because that's what society says. Also, you mention dreading the "eventual chats", is part of your feeling of what is inappropriate because you aren't ready yet to discuss some deeper parts of the human body?

I'm not question you or your parenting, I am just very curious as to why people feel the need to censor. If it is based on their own feelings, and their own thoughts of what their child might do. As we as parents don't know what our child thinks or feels we can't say for a fact they will start looking at goatse, or tubgirl.

For example:

Child says "Dad, I'm hungry"

Parent "No you aren't you just ate."

Child says "No really, I am hungry can I have something else?"

Parent "No, you don't need anything more, you just had dinner."

But your child could very well be hungry, you are telling them how YOU think they should feel. You are putting your own feelings over what your child feels. As the parent you don't have to ask anyone for food, if you are hungry you go eat. However your children don't have that ability, so you do whatever is best for you.

I think that censoring plays into that, as you are basing your childs potential actions or reactions to what you think they will be.

[shockz]

Just imagine if kids couldn't comment *cough* troll *cough* on articles, youtube, forums etc... The world would be a better place lol

[Max Norris]

Fair enough. However, I do have to question something. When you are deeming something as "highly inappropriate", is that because you honestly feel it inappropriate? Or do you feel it that way because that's what society says. Also, you mention dreading the "eventual chats", is part of your feeling of what is inappropriate because you aren't ready yet to discuss some deeper parts of the human body?

Inappropriate as in something a seven year old has zero business looking at, ever. I can't think of one good reason when a seven year old should ever be looking at a porn or shock site for example. I couldn't care less what society says, this is what I say. I have to raise my child to be a decent person, not society. Not that I'm super strict or anything, far from it. Religion and such, I'm all for her letting her make up her own mind about that. But I do have to draw the line somewhere.

Not even going to justify viewing inappropriate material versus going hungry, that's an absurd analogy.

As for those "eventual chats".. you know what I mean. Those awkward discussions where you need to spell things out, although some of them are going to be left for her mother for obvious reasons. The menstrual cycle for example... I'd rather let somebody who has first had knowledge explain it. This has zero basis on what sites are filtered on her system. It's going to be explained at the right time, not because a second grader clicked on a link that took her to a porn site. One of the obligations of being a parent is making sure they grow up right, not just cutting them loose and hope for the best, and then pointing the blame elsewhere when it goes badly.

[Stetson]

Parental controls should be available and easy to set up, but don't censor or regulate the web itself.

[firey]

Inappropriate as in something a seven year old has zero business looking at, ever. I can't think of one good reason when a seven year old should ever be looking at a porn or shock site for example. I couldn't care less what society says, this is what I say. I have to raise my child to be a decent person, not society. Not that I'm super strict or anything, far from it. Religion and such, I'm all for her letting her make up her own mind about that. But I do have to draw the line somewhere.

Not even going to justify viewing inappropriate material versus going hungry, that's an absurd analogy.

As for those "eventual chats".. you know what I mean. Those awkward discussions where you need to spell things out, although some of them are going to be left for her mother for obvious reasons. The menstrual cycle for example... I'd rather let somebody who has first had knowledge explain it. This has zero basis on what sites are filtered on her system. It's going to be explained at the right time, not because a second grader clicked on a link that took her to a porn site. One of the obligations of being a parent is making sure they grow up right, not just cutting them loose and hope for the best, and then pointing the blame elsewhere when it goes badly.

Okay, that's fair. I wasn't questioning you as a parent. I just find these kinds of interesting. I've heard a lot since I had my son and a lot of it is things that I never would have thought of. So I find it interesting other peoples views and thoughts. So I don't want you to think I am calling you out or anything.

[Max Norris]

Okay, that's fair. I wasn't questioning you as a parent. I just find these kinds of interesting. I've heard a lot since I had my son and a lot of it is things that I never would have thought of. So I find it interesting other peoples views and thoughts. So I don't want you to think I am calling you out or anything.

Not at all, no offense taken. Besides, there is no rule set in stone, different people are going to raise their kids differently. I personally would like to think of myself somewhere in middle ground.. not too lenient, but nowhere near as strict as some families that I've seen. When she's older she can do whatever the hell she wants to do.. but until then, well, I'll invoke the "my house, my rules" clause, just because damnit I was so sick of hearing it as a kid myself ;) (Grew up in a military household.)

[Tom]

Parents should parent. Enough said.

[Vice]

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." - Robert A. Heinlein

Censor your children, not my internet.

[Bryan R.]

My opinion has always been to ban anyone under the age of 18 from using the internet as the pros outweigh the cons.

Who needs open doors to knowledge and culture when there's offensive material out there. Think of the children! :rolleyes:

[Azusa]

Who needs open doors to knowledge and culture when there's offensive material out there. Think of the children! :rolleyes:

As i said the pros outweigh the cons.

[DConnell Member]

I support parents regulating the internet for their own children, not the government trying to do it for people. Just like parents should check what their kids watch on TV or read, they should see what their kids do on the net once in a while. It's called parenting, and too few actually do it.

[McKay]

The kids should have their internet regulated, but at most the ISP's should offer an "Opt-in" service.

[Vice]

The kids should have their internet regulated, but at most the ISP's should offer an "Opt-in" service.

It's impossible to do that. Really you cannot block porn.

ISP blocks porno site, kid access a free proxy site (of which there are thousands) and gets around the block entirely. It's just impossible to block porn without blocking everything on the internet. Any website can be used as a proxy with 10 lines of code. It's just that easy. If someone wants porn they'll find it.