Do Obama and Lieberman think the internet is dangerous?
Does Joe Lieberman hate the internet? Is Barack Obama trying to scare you? Welcome to National Internet Safety Month. Its sole purpose? Reminding America how dangerous the internet is.
I’m not kidding. That’s the gist of an official resolution, quietly signed by 18 U.S. Senators in both parties at the end of May (including Senators Obama and Lieberman). Senate Resolution 207 specified that the month of June provides Americans an opportunity to “learn more about the dangers of the Internet.” Got anything positive to say about the net? Save it for July, pal. June is for commending organizations which “promote awareness of the dangers of the Internet.”
They might as well call it internet-is-dangerous month. But let’s look at some of their examples. What constitutes a danger? If someone puts a filter on your computer to censor it — it’s dangerous to disable it! You can say this about America’s youth — more than 3 out of 10 can de-activate censor-ware, according to the Senators’ own statistics. Congratulations, kids! Whoops, I’m sorry — I mean…danger!!
They’re actually talking about 18-year-olds here, at least in some cases. The Senators cite an age range from 5th grade through high school seniors. I guess we wouldn’t want any of those 18-year-olds thinking for themselves.
Another “danger” is online bullying — although apparently 77% of the students surveyed said that hadn’t happened to them, and that they didn’t even know anyone that it had happened to. And what’s dangerous about your mom knocking on your door asking what you’re doing? Not telling her. Danger! Danger! This calls for a Senate resolution….
Less than a quarter of the teenagers in their sample are even bothering to hide what they’re doing online, according to the Resolution. But that’s good enough for the Senators. And another “dangerous” behavior cited in the anti-internet resolution? Daring to meet someone in real life — ever — after having first met them online. Your virtual friends should never, ever be met. Until you’re 18.
But it’s not just a resolution. A few corporations are actually trying to cash in on this misguided disinformation campaign, including BSafe Online, a Tennessee company which markets a PC filtering software. (I wonder if it’s one of the ones that can be disabled by 31% of America’s teenagers…) Their CEO has an encouraging message for parents about safety on the internet. “This is a battle they must fight everyday with their children in order to keep pornographers, sexual predators and cyber-bullies at bay.” And keeping those pornographers and sexual predators away will cost you a mere $70 a year…
The co-founder of another filter company promised parents “a spike in persistence of online predators” this summer. And as an added bonus, PC Pandora has also added the ability to spy on your partner (in case you’ve accidentally married a sexual predator.) If you want to start worrying right away, they’ve even published a web page with 29 possible possible signs that your partner might be cheating on you. (Which include working late, avoiding you, not avoiding you….) Maybe they’re just getting a jump on National Internet Marital Fidelity Month.
So now you know. Your tax dollars paid for a bunch of techno-phobes to pass congratulatory resolutions about mom, Apple Pie, and the need to keep teenagers off MySpace. (BSafe’s press release specifically touts their ability to squelch all social networking sites.) Here’s a list of the Senators that co-sponsored this resolution.
| Lisa Murkowski | (R – AK) | Joe Lieberman | (I – CT) |
| Sheldon Whitehouse | (D – RI) | Barack Obama | (D – IL) |
| Ted Stevens | (R – AK) | Mary Landrieu | (D – LA) |
| David Vitter | (R – LA) | Norm Coleman | (R – MN) |
| Larry Craig | (R – ID) | Evan Bayh | (D – IN) |
| Kay Hutchison | (R – TX) | Blanche Lincoln | (D – AR) |
| Mike Crapo | (R – ID) | Charles Schumer | (D – NY) |
| Max Baucus | (D – MT) | John Thune | (R – SD) |
| Patrick Leahy | (D – VT) | Pete Domenici | (R – NM) |
But if you think your Senator is more enlightened about the internet, remember — those are just the co-sponsors.
This internet-is-dangerous resolution was passed…unanimously.
Related Posts:
June 6th, 2007
I’m Karen Jenkins, Marketing Director for Bsafe Online, that company which is trying to “cash-in” on Internet Safety Month. We actually only charge $49.95 a month for the filter, not $70. That’s less than $5 a month, far less than you pay for Internet access.
I believe the gist of our press release was to remind parents to be cautious of their kid’s online activity every month of the year, not just June.
We all agree the Internet is a wonderful thing- but turning a blind eye to the real dangers of the Internet is not only irresponsible it’s foolish. Before this job I was a news reporter and in just the past couple of years I covered several stories of young people being mislead and solicited online by predators. My niece has been cyber-bullied and it was pretty devastating for her. I haven’t even begun to talk about the thousands of pornographic sites being added to the web daily. My gosh, our lawmakers finally find something on which they can all agree and you want ridicule them for doing so. And by the way, our filter is NOT one of the ones that can supposedly be disabled by 31% of American teens. To date we’ve never had a report of anyone circumventing our filter without the password. I encourage your readers to make up their own mind about filters by visiting our website, http://www.bsafe.com
June 6th, 2007
The internet really is a very scary place! I think internet filters are great but education about internet safety is really needed when a child or teen is online. I really like NetSmartz411, it is a great resource for parents and teens. We have to do all we can to keep kids safer online!
June 7th, 2007
“Dangerous? And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord. And Aragorn is dangerous, and Legolas is dangerous. You are beset with dangers, Gimli son of Gloin; for you are dangerous yourself, in your own fashion.” –Gandalf, from JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings
June 7th, 2007
Karen, you were a reporter. How much could you really know about anything?
I can’t remember when it became acceptable to have government waste tax dollars on matters of common-sense.
June 7th, 2007
Pete Domenici is a republican not a Dem
June 7th, 2007
My opinion:
Karen Jenkins, my gosh, you obviously have no knowledge whatsoever of technical issues involving computers. They hired you because you are ignorant, and can be expected to do what they want.
Here’s one of the many, many ways of defeating your company’s software:
1) Get a free Ubuntu Linux CD.
2) Insert the CD into the CD drive of the computer.
3) Turn on the computer.
4) When the question is displayed, “Press any key to start from the CD”, press the ENTER key.
Result: Freedom from those who want to censor, but haven’t thought carefully about the negative side effects.
So, don’t ever say this again: “To date we’ve never had a report of anyone circumventing our filter without the password.”
You can be sure that your company’s management would never let such a report get to you. You can be sure that those who disable your software don’t call up your company and report that.
_____
One way those who want corruption in government achieve their goals is finding ways to prevent intelligent people from being elected, and helping un-intelligent people be elected.
We are seeing now the effects of years of effort by the forces of corruption. The people who are supposed to be leading our country are ignorant and mentally weak, and don’t even hire smart people.
This resolution says, “We in the senate are stupid, and we think you are even more stupid, because we think we can manipulate you to get votes.”
June 7th, 2007
Karen and Bee,
Give me a break. The parents that don’t watch their kids activity online are the same lazy souls who let them go out to movies and go drinking without ever asking “what, who, when, and where” of their kids plans. Just like plunking a kid in front of a tv is not parenting, neither is installing some silly filter. Do you also cower in fear that your niece may experience real bullying? Does she know how to respond to such events? Or do you hire a bodyguard or wrap her in bubble wrap to protect her in the real world?
Study after study has shown that the majority of kids online are never bullied (77% according to the study quoted). They show that something like 90% of sexual abuse is from a known person in the real world. Because some minority experiences problems, lets punish the majority.
I wonder how much I have to spend to buy Congress to make a month for my company; Anarchy Online or maybe Amnesty International.
There are tons of ways to bypass Bsafe. A few simple google searches will reveal them. It’s software. It can be defeated with other software.
As John Lennon used to sing, “I’m talking about revolution…”
June 7th, 2007
Please keep in mind that there is a big difference between a resolution which “passed unanimously” and one that passed “without objection” as this one did. Passing unaimously implies that votes were recorded and that all such votes were in favor. Without objection just means no one spoke up to oppose it.
From the link you gave I picture a senate chamber with only three sentors in attendence. Since this is not a law, many senators may not have even been in town for its ‘passage’ and may not have felt the need to discuss it.
Now the list of co-sponsors is disturbing, but please don’t blame the whole senate just because they were doing real work when this was discussed for 5 minutes on the floor.
June 7th, 2007
“# abb3w:
June 7th, 2007
“Dangerous? And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord. And Aragorn is dangerous, and Legolas is dangerous. You are beset with dangers, Gimli son of Gloin; for you are dangerous yourself, in your own fashion.” –Gandalf, from JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings”
Very good point. In fact, if you really think about it, nearly everyhing is dangerous. I think water killed more people than the internet did or will ever do…
June 7th, 2007
Great to see the Ubuntu getting a mention! By the way Karen, you’re completely clueless.
June 7th, 2007
@Karen Jenkins
Ahm, listing yourself as a ex-reporter does NOT help your case. The media has a bit of a reputation for taking rare cases and twisting them into common scares to get their ratings up.
Reporters seem to rarely care about getting things even vaugly correct and seem pretty happy to ignore facts, not bother checking their data, or outright lieing.
So you’ve gone from twisting data for a living to,.. twisting data for a living? Same profiting off fear as ever I guess.
June 7th, 2007
Actually, after reading the text of the resolution, it seems pretty mild compared to a lot of “Internet safety” crap I’ve seen. And, you know, there’s lots of people out there who don’t know what they’re doing on the Net and how to keep themselves safe. I’ll be the first one to defend the Net against accusations that it’s evil, but on the other hand it’s also not some bright shiny utopia where nothing bad or dangerous ever happens. People do need to be aware of that, and lots of people aren’t. Stuff that seems like common sense to Net nerds like us never occurs to them, they don’t know any better. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to encourage them to educate themselves.
My senator co-sponsored the bill. I’m not ashamed of that. *shrug*
June 7th, 2007
The anger being spewed here at Karen is unjustified and undeserved. As a parent I’m glad there are products like the ones her company sells (and I am not a company hack — I use a different product from a different company). Believing that “Education” can stop someone from engaging in risky behavour comes out of a rationalist mindset that is incredibly naive. We are partly rational creatures, but we are also emotional, irrational, and passionate and make decisions that go against everything we know factually. So, just like you keep your fence shut tight so your 3-year-old doesn’t irrationally wander into the street, installing a filter for the internet is an example of responsible parenting, not lazy parenting.
June 7th, 2007
Common sense is danergous! If you, or your child is getting cyberbllied, there is the option of just turning off the computer, you know. Or, simply not going to place were your getting bulied ( or signing in there).
No one makes you go to pornography sites.
Or, rather, no one make syou go the safesex sites, or the BBC, or blogsites.
There has been no report cases of anyone hacking your progarm because, who would report it if they did hack it? I know I wouldn’t.
It’s only $49 USD People! Geez, don’t slander the ‘good’ company by saying it is $70. Shame on you.
June 7th, 2007
We actually only charge $49.95 a month for the filter, not $70. That’s less than $5 a month, far less than you pay for Internet access.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so which is it? 49.95 or 5 dollars per month.
June 7th, 2007
From one of the above comments: “As a parent I’m glad there are products like the ones her company sells (and I am not a company hack — I use a different product from a different company).”
Those programs only serve the purpose of making the parents feel safe, and it’s false! There are many ways around them ranging from simply boot a LiveCD to down right hacks. And yes Karen et all, they are cracked… every single one of them.
Your 16 year old is not stupid. The so called ‘warez’ sites, ‘black hat’ sites etc changes URL very frequently. This cause the beautiful paradox that pretty much the only thing these programs can’t block is the sites that teaches your kid how to circumvent it.
Want your kid to be safe? Be a parent and own the responsibility. No computer program will ever be able to raise your child nor protect him/her. Only you, as a parent, can do that.
June 7th, 2007
Mama G, I noticed that too. So much for “facts” :)
June 7th, 2007
When I was younh, I lost a leg to the internet. So. . .I know all about dangerous.
June 7th, 2007
When I was young, I lost a leg to the internet. So. . .I know all about dangerous.
June 7th, 2007
@WillF:
“Installing a filter for the internet is an example of responsible parenting”… With all due respect, that is very, very ignorant.
First of all, all filters can be bypassed with trivial ease by any number of methods. I am a programmer, and I can tell you that a typical 16 year old knows far, far more about computers than his/her parents. Most of all, they know how to get around any filters. The LiveCD is one; but there are many, many others. Heck, I can think of a few that don’t require rebooting, and leave no trace whatsoever on the computer.
Second of all, and far more important, what will your child do once released from this parental cocoon? Assume your filter worked 100% and your child never got to see anything bad their whole life. Then they turn 18, go to college, and – WOOOPS! They have no way to cope with anything out there. Net result is that they spend 5 or 10 years learning coping skills they should have learned when they were 9 or 10, instead of when they’re 19 and 20.
You’re far better off working hard at being a *PARENT*, not a nanny, and keeping the lines of communication open with your kids. Talking to them about those bad sites, giving them coping tools and guidance, is the essence of parenthood. Hiding behind some silly feel-good piece of crapware is avoiding your responsibility as a parent.
June 7th, 2007
oh yes the internet is so dangerous
the evil routing tables allowed haxo0r to capture my packets and now my boss knows i like bdsm whatever do i do
June 7th, 2007
internet is dangerous, just as life is dangerous.
Censure life then? Oh yes, let’s put little V-ships in our children’s brains so that they can’t say bad words!
Let’s completely kill the social life of our kids, because if they get in contact with other people they might get bullied, right ?
Good education is the cure.
Kids are curious. They WILL find out what porn is and how to download illegal stuff.
How your children deal with this stuff is , as a parent, your responsibility.
By censoring the internet, and therefore a part of life itself, your kid will get very curious and will most likely never learn how to deal with the ‘dangers’ of the internet (life), wich will make your kid vulnerable and ignorant to these dangers.
You have the power to educate your kid.
You want a vulnerable and ignorant kid ? Then go on and censure the internet (and life).
You have the power to educate.
Use it right.
If needed, visit these ‘chatboxes’ and show those porn sites to your kid so he learns about them in a safe way and not just randomly.
Educate your kid!
And no, censureing internet isn’t ‘Lazy parenting’.
It’s Bad parenting.
June 7th, 2007
Why are we wasting our time with this? Isn’t their something MORE relevant our government could be doing?
I grew up when the internet was a brand new shiny thing. I seem to have grown up to be just fine.
As far as the argument for bsafe.com …. they have a product that is 49.95 and 69.95. So both accounts are correct.
While I appreciate Karen’s belief in what she is doing I think it is somewhat misguided. As a certified ethical hacker you would be amazed at how easy it is to bypass security. And yes there is nothing you can do about the live CD problem mentioned here really.
Also, does your kid have a jump drive? It is easy and possible to create a windows environment on a jump drive that is a self contained operating system.Do you check the contents? If you have a filter and another kid doesn’t what is to stop you from going to that friends house to download stuff (like Porn)their onto it?
And isnt filtering content filtering free speech? Will Bsafe block all website that speak badly abut it or how to get around it?
June 7th, 2007
Working late? Avoiding my spouse? Story of my life.
June 7th, 2007
Laws, filters, “software security programs” are good tools to fight the dark online evil guys but this is the best -KNOWLEDGE.
Go to http://WWW.hackerhighschool.org and download the “Security Awareness for Teens” course; and teach them -buy, download for free- the GNU/Linux freedom software / Open Source Software Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu (for Kids).
June 7th, 2007
What an outrageous post!
June 7th, 2007
As many others have said, there’s really no way to censor the Internet perfectly short of cutting the cable. I can think of at least ten ways of bypassing the bsafe software, and that only took me two minutes. The LiveCD’s probably the easiest, but there’s plenty more.
If China, which spends an insane amount on internet censoring software, can’t stop people from visiting websites that are forbidden, what makes you think a private company can?
June 8th, 2007
First of all parents should never let the internet involve so much of their kids life that ‘cyber bullying’ is even an issue.
And yes the senate was doing more important things like trying to pass there Internet Tax bill… but thats another story.
This all seems like a waste of time but who knows, something like this might start getting parents to pay attention to there kids when they realize filtering software is a joke.
June 8th, 2007
I’m sorry, but I don’t even understand how, as one who has used the internet fairly regularly since mid 1995, it is in fact, dangerous. How? Its far less dangerous than real life! Real people can attack and kidnap you! Identity theft is just about the only significant danger I can think of which results from internet usage. But that’s not something which any of these silly blocking programs can address. What is the argument here in the first place?
June 11th, 2007
I was one of the first kids in school to get the internet when I was little. I grew up with all its unfiltered evils, and yes, I did get into things I probably shouldn’t have. Kids can and will find a way to find things when they’re curious – they’ve been doing it long before the internet even existed. And as for the rest, talk to your kids about the harm that downloading some programs can do to their computers. If they’re that addicted to the computer, they won’t want to risk plugging it with viruses. And talk to them about not meeting ‘friends’ off the internet. It’s all common sense, and kids are, in fact, intelligent. They’re going to see a lot of the same types of situations in real life as they will on the internet, so you might as well teach them how to handle them responsibly.
June 11th, 2007
Anyone ever hear about the Circumventor program? Bsafe and all you out there, we’ve gotcha! While I agree with the intent of a filter (to an extent–it’s embarrassing to accidentally end up on, say, a BDSM site when you meant to be searching for Asian foot binding at school), it is ridiculously naive to expect a filter to keep most children from the bad, evil things online. However, I also am reasonably sure, as an earlier comment said, the Senate spent about five minutes on this and there were no objections–not necessarily a unanimous vote. Kids will end up where they shouldn’t be, and education helps. Also, getting the crap scared out of you once or twice helps a lot, too. (For example, ending up on a site late at night, and having your anti-virus program begin sounding alarms as if the world were ending…). Kids–for the most part–know what’s what out there, and stay away from the really bad stuff.
Also, as a side note, is the Internet any different than, say, recreational drugs? If a kid wants to do it, s/he will do it, no matter the restrictions and frequently because of the restrictions placed upon her/him. You can lock her/him up except for school, and s/he’ll get it at school. You can educate her/him about it, and s/he’ll factor that into the decision to do it, but not to a big extent. It happens.
June 11th, 2007
All of this is too true.
It’s a shame that most parents don’t realize it and believe that these little blocking programs actually work.
With this blocking software, won’t that make kids more curious about what’s being hidden and make them more determined to get around it?
And like an earlier post said, if you want to do it, you’ll do it, regardless of the restrictions. Besides you can’t be addicted to porn and social network sites so much that it has to be blocked. It’s not like their interest in it’ll stay for that long. Let them satisfy their curiosity, but they need to be educated on it first. It’s better to see it early on and learn how to tolerate it rather then be sheltered for what, 10 or so years of their life and be completely unprepared for life, which is much worse then what the internet can dish out.
Basically, if you feel the need to install a filter, also take the time to explain what you’re blocking and why.
Remember, there’s always a way to get around anything. The sooner parents and government officials figure that out, the better.
Two other thoughts:
How is it that predators can get children anyway? If a child is stupid enough to give out their home address or plans on meeting someone without the parent knowing, then they shouldn’t be on the net.
And is there a way to remove said software? Getting around it is fine, but in order for people to learn how easy it to mess with that software, you gotta remove it. Educate your parents and other blockers. Maybe they’ll finally learn something.
June 12th, 2007
Wow, after reading some of these comments directed at me, someone you’ve never met, I can now say I’m in that small percentage of people who have been “cyber-bullied”. This will be my last comment as I’m sure we all have better things to do with our time. But I do want to say that we at Bsafe never suggest putting a filter on your computer and saying “oh, we’re safe now.” Parental guidance is always the best and most effective way to keep children safe in ANY situation. An internet filter is to work in conjunction with good parenting skills. For those who believe we are “censoring” I realize I’ll never win this argument because we have different philosophies.
June 15th, 2007
Umm… i dont mean to be rude or anything but thats all wrong I’m only 14 and i can disable any internet blocking software you throw at me. I would tell you all how but i dont want to give kids any ideas
I live in australia and atleast 60-70% of our school can disable blocking software, it costs our school tons of cash on trying to stop us and it can all be bypassed/ disabled. the only way to stop people from seeing certain sites is to pull out the plug!
Internet blocking software is useless, it is VERY easy to bypass and Simple to disable, and VERY useless
June 15th, 2007
I don’t think anyone here has considered the unintentional benefits of blocking software.
Sure, most kids can get around such software, I myself recall subverting more primitive versions of such software 10 years ago when I was a teenager.
But by installing such software you
1. Protect your child from accessing objectionable content until he is old enough to figure out how to subvert the software.
Let’s be realistic here, I’m sure everyone would agree that children under a certain age don’t need to be looking at porn.
Likewise, we can rant about “responsible parenting” but given the prevalence of online activities these days, it would be a major burden to observe a child or young teenager every moment they are on the internet.
2. It teaches children useful technical skills that they obtain as a result of learning to subvert the software. They learn about proxy IP addresses, or installing and using software, or dealing with new operating systems. Things many adults today still can’t figure out.
3. it teaches childen that if they really want something, they have to work to get it.
and yes, I am being facetious if it’s not somewhat obvious already.
June 16th, 2007
All you folks who think that six year olds should be able to access porn are about 90% of what is wrong with this country. That said, any parent who installs a filter and thinks that is enough parental guidance is an idiot, but that does not mean that a filter should not be installed. Filters are just tools – nothing more, nothing less. They are not perfect, but that does not mean that they do not have value in the right situation.
It’s pretty clear to me that a lot of people on this site are simply talking out of their a$$es. I venture to guess that the majority of the commenters fit into at least one of the following categories: (a) those who do not have children and (b) those who have never had a filter.
It is too easy for kids to find porn, even when they are not looking for it. Just to give an example, if I want to do a search for Britney Spears (a fairly common search for young girls, at least a few years ago) using my Google tool bar, guess what “suggestions” pop up?
“britney spears no underwear”
“britney spears crotch shot”
“britney spears”
What curious kid is not going to click on one of them?
June 18th, 2007
For the folks who responded vehemently to Karen:
Is it better to persuade someone who disagrees to your point of view, or just to make them mad?
Are bystanders more impressed by your winning a reasoned discussion or by your ability to construct zingers?
If I’d started this with some variant on “Dear A-hole,” would you have even read down this far?
I don’t agree with her, but there must be a better way to show it.
June 19th, 2007
I am the PR guy for the other company mentioned. There are many interesting opinions here… and also many people just talking to hear themselves talk. I, unfortunately, live in the real world. Argue all you want – there is a need for parents to monitor/control their kids Internet usage. Just like when we were kids and our parents told us not to talk to strangers — same thing here… only instead of a playground, it’s your living room… and instead of a stranger with a van and some candy, it’s an anonymous character hiding behind a child’s profile (in many cases, not all). Filters are worthless – most kids are way smarter than their parents and can get around them. If you want to really KNOW what they are doing – watch them. Give them respect and privacy, but watch them. and TALK TO THEM. Just like our parents did to us. They let me go to the playground, but they would often drop by and would always ask who I was playing with. Same thing here – and that is the bottom line of the product we offer. Not a week goes by without somone being arrested for soliciting a kid. Until weeks DO go by without incident, there are still creeps out there. And let’s be serious, of all the studies done, do you really think kids are admitting when they are approached? I guarantee the number is far greater, just not reported. That’s not to say kid aren’t becoming more savvy… it’s just saying that is happens on a constant basis.
Sure you can use it to check on your suspicious spouse too… to that I say, you only have beef with that idea if you are one who has something to hide!
:)
And our software (PC Pandora, by the way) is $50 for a ONE TIME fee — or as I call it: peace of mind.
Bottom line is safety of your kids. We provide a tool to help acquire that.
June 30th, 2008
I have to agree with everyone who is against the usage of internet filters. It simply isn’t going to work. Guess what? I’m only 14 years old. Why am I on here? I wanted to compile some ‘arguments’ to persuade my parents to free up the internet for me, by examining these arguments.
I figured out how to defeat Bsafe a long time ago, with several different methods. I didn’t attempt to remove it though. Why didn’t I remove it? I want to show my parents that I’m trustworthy. I discovered most of the ‘evils’ of the world when I was merely 10. I admit that I used to go to less that reputable websites, and I have been ‘cyber-bullied’, and it scared me back then. But I learned from it. I’ve gained an enhanced sense of common sense, and I’ve bucked up and no take any and all ‘cyber-bullying’ like a man.
My parents were aware of this, and had educated me about these things when they found out. Bsafe was their answer to all of it. I actually requested that Bsafe be put on my conputer, because, at the time, I didn’t trust myself to resist the ‘temptations’.
It worked, keeping me from it all, but it also made me want out. So many innocent sites are blocked by it- I want my freedom back.
Now I want it off. I’ve grown up since then. i’ve reached a much more logical and reasonable state of mind. I have common sense, and I am fully aware of all the ‘evils’ of the world.
I’m not the average teenager though, I admit, as my parents seem to comment that I am much more aware than most kids my age. Please pardon the ‘arrogance’ of that last statement of mine, but it is true.
I have a great relationship with my parents, but, the whole problem has always been propoganda. The problem is a ‘generation-gap’ of sorts. Many parents seem to be out of touch with the modern world as it is veiwed by the youngest of our generation.
Age is of no solid relevence to a person’s intellectual developement and capability. So I’m only 14. I guess I had that ‘maturity spark’ a bit early. Hopefully my proficiency in speakign is evidence of this. I know that I’ve learned a lot from being in many multiple social communities across the internet.
If everything on the internet was out of my reach back then, I would not be where I am today. I would not be the person I am today. I’ve learned nearly 40% of everything I know (Besides the basics such as math and english) from the internet, I estimate.
Now, I’ve become a man of knowledge and reason. An agnostic, athiestic leaning, independent, liberal leaning person, who is highly aware of all the things going on in the world.
My parents already allow my to watch whatever TV I want now, be it R or even M rated. They have realized that I am mature enough to veiw such content in enetertainment and games; so the next step is internet freedom.
I seek reason and knowledge, but I must also have freedom. Freedom to go to sites such as youtube, and the massive plethora of innocent websites Bsafe has flagged ignorantly with tags such as ‘Free host, and R-rated games & news’.
I simply want to enjoy life. To be able to watch hilarous Youtube videos such as the ‘red vs blue’ comedy series for Halo, and whatever else I so please. To be able to go to Comedy Central’s website, so I watch reruns of the ‘Daily Show’ and the ‘Colbert Report….’
After all, there are several great Human rights we should all have under the Consitution’s bill of rights.
December 26th, 2008
Filters are a bad idea for computers accessed at home by adults. Determined teens can and will bypass the little buggers.
There are places for filters.
They can prevent embarrassment for some who might accidentally trip on something in public, be it school, or workplace. AGMLego’s Chinese foot-binding/BDSM dilemma is blush-worthy.
For very young children (6 and under) filters can be an aid against ‘tripping’ provided that the parent parents by placing the PC in the living room-public area of the home. Filters are an AID, as they are imperfect and not every naughty site is easy to track. Some sites fall under the raidar, such as ProAnna’s.
Some parents only allow internet to be connected for limited amounts of time or only allow locked laptopss 24/7 access while the children learn on a stand alone PC.