Many families have more than one computer, and as a result, teenagers find themselves in the lucky position of having almost unfettered access to the World Wide Web. Cautious parents use firewalls to protect against viruses or filters to prevent certain sites from being viewed, but among many teenagers, there is a black market of information on evading such systems. Despite the plethora of protective technology available, the average 11-year-old boy has already seen pornography, probably more than once.
The internet is as safe as having the world in your backyard, and frankly, if the world were in my backyard, I wouldn’t let my child out the door without him being firmly strapped to my arm. Teenagers are smart, but they are not wise; which means that just like a three-year-old can figure out that a table knife fits inside the slots of a toaster without realizing why she might not want to try it, a 14-year-old can figure out that looking at certain sites online makes her feel warm inside, without realizing that pornography is addicting and mind-warping. And internet filters, while helpful, only go so far. Continue reading The Protective Power of a Pair of Eyes