[sphinx]

What do you think the real problem here is? Do you think a 10 year old should be allowed all the unsupervised time it takes to download pr0n? Where are the parents in that house?

I think you already know the answers/arguments on this, so I'll be brief. Parents cannot supervise children 24/7, not when the radio, television, internet, even (in many places) the schools are all suspect. So the broad question is whether society is going to be child-friendly or child-hazardous. Since America kills a quarter of its children before birth, we already know the answer to that, don't we?

When I was growing up in the 50's and early 60's, society outside the home was, by and large, child-friendly. It supported parents. The schools were safe places. Television was safe. The radio was safe. Libraries were certainly safe. There was no internet, but had there been, it too would have been a safe zone. Newstands, including the racks at the grocery story checkout counters, didn't shout sex at you. I can recall the discussions along about in junior high, when some of the boys were discovering Playboy, about where you could get this mysterious magazine (under the counter at a couple of stores, and you had to ask for it).

A different world. People who wanted porn could get it, but it was an opt-in type of thing; you had to go looking just a bit. Now the public culture is sex, sex, sex 24/7, and parents basically have to put a bag over their kids heads and lock 'em up to avoid five and six year olds being barraged with sexual messages. Does anybody really think this is better?

[forktail]

Parents cannot supervise children 24/7, not when the radio, television, internet, even (in many places) the schools are all suspect

Well you as a parent you can raise your child morally. It's like teaching you child not to smoke. If you do a decent job when the temptation comes up you simply have to hope your child knows enough not to do that.

I grew up in the 70s and 80s and while I realize that TV is "pushing the envelope" more and more I also realize I can make a choice not to be involved with it and especially to keep my children from it. This is no trivial task it is difficult. I grew up in a single Mother home and then when my Mother remarried after being a widower for 5 years I was a "Latch Key Kid". My parents had already instilled enough sense in me to be respectful, safe and honest. AND MY PARENTS SMOKED DOPE! If those two could raise me to be "normal" I wonder how it is that so many children are allowed to run rampant, even with one parent at home. And of course the answer is they are poor parents.

I don't lay the blame for the slope we're going down soley on the deterioration of parenting but that must be part of the blame.

And of course a great case can be made for all the "safe"ty leading to the explosion of repressed sexual feelings. But seriously that is a whole other thread ;)