septembern: sorry, but that's just sad. There are plenty of ways to protect kids on the internet and parents should look into them. Many ways to do so are free. Browsers themselves come with built in controls that prevent you from accessing certain sites based on different criteria. It's actually quite easy to do if you try .

And I'm sure there are plenty of other things you can do.

What I meant is that you can't always protect kids on the Internet...they are bound to access it from school at one point or another, and if they go to someone elses house, it is possible that they could use the Internet there...It is impossible to watch the child using the Internet, whereever they go, because you can't stay behind them making sure that they don't search something you don't want to...

I don't think that it's impossible, but it is vary hard to do. If you raise your kid right though then you shouldn't even have any worries about them using the internet poorly.

Originally posted by eliminator96

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I don't think that it's impossible, but it is vary hard to do. If you raise your kid right though then you shouldn't even have any worries about them using the internet poorly.

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But what if they go to one of their friends' house and their friend shows them bad things on the Internet??

Well, how bout saying no to your friend. If he/she's your friend then he/she probably isn't going to force you into doing something you don't want to do or see.

elim: well, looking back at a situation you might think that's how it would be... but in the moment this person who is your friend does something you may not agree with but you still considered them a friend up until this point.... are you really going to throw away a friendship because of some peer pressure?

Things like that are a lot tougher to handle in the moment.

Geeo- definitely...,

Elim- you may not even notice what they are doing until it is too late to say no, because you want the friendship to stay intact, and it is hard to stay "stop it" and such, to one of your friends...

Let me answer this question with a question.

Would you smoke pot with them just because they're your friend?

Would you sleep with someone because they suggested it and they're your friend?

Would you have girlfriends and cheat on all of them because that's what your friend does?

Frankly, If someone wants to do stuff like this, even if I'd known them since Pre-K, they wouldn't be my friend any more.
Sure, it'd be sad, but it's also what's right.

Yeah, but those are extreme...Because if they are looking at bad stuff on the Internet with you there, you are not physically doing something, except watching and maybe clicking the mouse...

The examples you showed below are physical and extreme, no one would do those...

Why are we even trying to protect kids from the internet. The fact is simple (You were once a kid how did you learn about sex, death, hate, racism, etc.) When you think about this statement know ask yourself, do my kids have cell phones, video games, T.V. In human nature all we live for is defiance it seems. We don't want to follow orders from people that matter(feed you, give you a home, buys all your crap,(or created you)).

Older kids teach younger kids about sex in today's society it is just a fact. Hell I know kids who have sex at 10 years old. Life isn't simple unless you make it simple. We have to teach kids from the day they are born what sex is and other important things. If you leave them ignorant to important lessons, fellow kids who know things will teach them and then what. You want your child to be pressured into sex acts while you leave them over another kids house. What is Spin The Bottle?? how are they taught this.

Yes think like this. some younger kids have bigger siblings who know things from (Z-A). Nude magazines, pornographic movies, are not hard to obtain. The internet is not the only source of unwanted sexual advice. My point teach them what sex is, why it's there, when to do and not to do it. If I sound too unreal. than think do you want your 12 year old to commit a sex act that was guided by his friends, who learned from his 17 year old brother.
There is a such thing as a secret okay!!! You know the thing your spouse can do called cheating. "Honey I've got to work late" ---Yeah Right!! you mean "work" someone late!!

We should protect kids, because do you want 8 year olds knowing about all that stuff???, the parents should tell the kids the info when the parents think that they are old enough... If the parent tell the kids, then the kids will know all the downsides of it...but on the internet, it might make stuff sound like they are cool, when they really are not... I think that kids should be protected by limiting time on the Web when they are young, because there are a lot of sites out there that are intended for adults and a kid might accidentally reach there and read everything if he/she clicks an ad by accident or clicks a link on google...

Originally posted by septembern

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We should protect kids, because do you want 8 year olds knowing about all that stuff???, the parents should tell the kids the info when the parents think that they are old enough... If the parent tell the kids, then the kids will know all the downsides of it...but on the internet, it might make stuff sound like they are cool, when they really are not... I think that kids should be protected by limiting time on the Web when they are young, because there are a lot of sites out there that are intended for adults and a kid might accidentally reach there and read everything if he/she clicks an ad by accident or clicks a link on google...

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I guess "not" teaching you kids about STDs early is a great idea. Especially when herpes, mumps, etc., can be obtained just by kissing right. Yes it's 'alright' though keeping a child ignorant to something . I guess not hurting their feeling is important. Well your wrong. The year is 2010 (not 1930) something. the information is easy to obtain. Right know if your child was told about a word called "sex" or whatever else. Then the friend of the kid tells them to look it up on Wikipedia or something else then what??

A phone used by your child is sent a picture of nudity. The friend then tells them about sex and describes it to them. "Don't tell your parents or well get in trouble". What now? Your kid is holding on to a secret you don't know anything about!!

Like I said if a kid can learn about life and death at an early age. They sure need to hear about sex, war, hate, and whatever else the world has to offer. This way they are less likely to make a mistake that they didn't know was a mistake. The 'age' requirement for this knowledge "when they learn to read, write, spell".

Willow: I think there is a big difference between monitoring your kids on the internet.... and not talking to them about anything ever.

I plan to let my kids know about sex and drugs and violence... but I'm not going to let them look it up on the internet when they are 6 or 8. I also plan to have a better relationship with my kids so that when they do hear something at school they don't understand they will ask me about it and I'll tell them about it instead of not talking about it. Most kids are just curious and if you give them even part of the truth about what they ask about then you will usually kill anymore curiosity they might have about the subject.

I will address all the parts of your post Willow...
1. "A phone used by your child is sent a picture of nudity. The friend then tells them about sex and describes it to them. "Don't tell your parents or well get in trouble". What now? Your kid is holding on to a secret you don't know anything about!! "

First of all, most kids don't have phones by age 8 or 9, they usually get them at age 10, which is also the age when parents give their child "the talk" about sex, drugs, and violence... Secondly once you teach your child a certain set of beliefs, such as not hanging out with certain kids that cuss a lot or act disruptivly, they are unlikely to become friends with a kid that sends nudity or talks about sex... thirdly, usually parents can find a good school where none of that is there... usually a small school where kids don't cuss or anything... If the parents find a good school, then there is an even less likely chance that your child will find about that stuff before you give them "the talk"...

2. "I guess "not" teaching you kids about STDs early is a great idea. Especially when herpes, mumps, etc., can be obtained just by kissing right. Yes it's 'alright' though keeping a child ignorant to something . I guess not hurting their feeling is important. Well your wrong. The year is 2010 (not 1930) something. the information is easy to obtain. Right know if your child was told about a word called "sex" or whatever else. Then the friend of the kid tells them to look it up on Wikipedia or something else then what??"

First of all, parents usually inbuilt morals into their child from a very young age... if you teach you child right, then they won't kiss far past the age of 8 or 6...
Secondly, by the time they do kiss they will know all about STDs from the talk the parent gave them at age 10, so they know that they might get an STD if they kiss, which will make them not want to kiss at age 13, but more like age 17 or so... thirdly, if somehow the child wants to know what "sex" means and you restrict their use on the Internet, then they will be less likely to do it and be more inclined to ask you, even if they have to put all the blame on their friend to prevent them from getting in trouble... then the parent could tell the kid not to hang out with their friend and give the kid "the talk" early or say that it is a bad and vulgar word and never to say it... then the parent could choose to complain to the school principle about the incident and make sure that the principle catches the kids that are talking about it and tell their parents, so that the parents know and deal with their kids.

3. "Like I said if a kid can learn about life and death at an early age. They sure need to hear about sex, war, hate, and whatever else the world has to offer. This way they are less likely to make a mistake that they didn't know was a mistake. The 'age' requirement for this knowledge "when they learn to read, write, spell"."

First of all, we are talking about 6-8 year olds... they won't be too scared of death till they are 12 and they can really understand the gravity of it all... I don't think that 6-8 year old need to hear about sex till they are at least 10-12 years old... Secondly, you classified "sex" with war and hate... That is a mistake... kids from a early age need to know about hate and to love instead of hate and by the time they are 8 they will also know about war and people killing each other... Sex is totally different... it is not even like any of the other two. Sex is not necessary to know about until the kid is in 6th grade or 13 years old, when they sexually mature, because until then, the kid probably will not have had much of "the talk" yet, and in some schools, it is not until age 11-13 till the kids talk about sex...

In conclusion, it is not impossible to not let your child know about sex until they are 10-13 or so... but it is hard to protect them from it after they reach 10 years of age... this also proves that after 11 years of age it is not possible to protect you child from the Internet...

Why do we even need to protect our kids if they probably already know if someone either talks about it at their school
and bet those kids know its bad to do those things?

When I was 6-8 years old everyone talked about GTA and everybody in first grade played it like crazy but they knew common sense?

If you have kids just tell them they are bad things that are fiction and should not be done in reality.

Kids view alot of violence on the internet and arent doing anything in real life.

Dont be like Jack Thompson.

Did you even read my post? I am not talking about GTA or videogames or even violence. I am talking about protecting the children from the knowledge of sex when they are 6-8.
Read my posts next time before you post!

Originally posted by septembern

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Did you even read my post? I am not talking about GTA or videogames or even violence. I am talking about protecting the children from the knowledge of sex when they are 6-8.
Read my posts next time before you post!

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(Nevermind345) THANK YOU! for the info my young intellectual. Septembern why are you responding to the 12 year old like that come on man show some respect for his insight on the topic at hand "Protecting kids on the Internet". He wasn't responding towards you if he did wouldn't he have quoted your reasponse? This topic isn't just about sex although GTA does talk about Drugs, Sex, Murder, and whatever else parents feel kids should know about (well except sex)I guess? Yet sex is the greatest evil to mankind right? Do you see what this young man was getting at. A whole lot of kids know or played GTA. If they played GTA what advice can this game give children? the internet isn't the only thing (like I said) where a kid can learn about sex, violence, drugs, etc.

Davideo7 title shouldn't just apply to the internet. It shouldn't just apply to sex. This topic has far more meaning to it than what we turned it into. This topic should Read: "Protecting kids from negative ideals" To Nevermind345 and those who read his post, tell people what fellow kids said about "Grand Theft Auto" did they say it had the message of "peace" in it?

WillowCrystalis responding of your responce consisting of...

Originally posted by WillowCrystalis

(Nevermind345) THANK YOU! for the info my young intellectual. Septembern why are you responding to the 12 year old like that come on man show some respect for his insight on the topic at hand "Protecting kids on the Internet". He wasn't responding towards you if he did wouldn't he have quoted your reasponse? This topic isn't just about sex although GTA does talk about Drugs, Sex, Murder, and whatever else parents feel kids should know about (well except sex)I guess? Yet sex is the greatest evil to mankind right? Do you see what this young man was getting at. A whole lot of kids know or played GTA. If they played GTA what advice can this game give children? the internet isn't the only thing (like I said) where a kid can learn about sex, violence, drugs, etc.

Davideo7 title shouldn't just apply to the internet. It shouldn't just apply to sex. This topic has far more meaning to it than what we turned it into. This topic should Read: "Protecting kids from negative ideals" To Nevermind345 and those who read his post, tell people what fellow kids said about "Grand Theft Auto" did they say it had the message of "peace" in it?

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Here we are having a debate, so not only should Nevermind address the topic... he should also address what the last person had posted.

Also, Willow, seriously come on! That was Nevermind's 8th post! Do you expect him to know how to quote? Also, it seems as though less people agree with your answer, because you now have -11 thumbs ....

My view on violence is that it is not too important, because nowadays, it is not bad at all to play violent games... Also children who play it probably won't really think about doing it if they are mature enough. That is why in my previous posts I have stressed the importance of parents protecting their children till a certain age, such as 10.

It is up to the parents to monitor what the kids do on the internet. You cannot rely on big business to watch your kids for you. They only have a skin of caring because that will help them sell their products.

Protecting kids on the internet is like protecting kids in real life. Let the child get online when you think he is mentally and emotionally ready. I have seen countless youtube videos of kids having fun and so on and most of the comments on there seem to just be hateful, ex. "WTF is this sh**, get the f*** of the internet, you are not wanted here". Things like that can put kids into mini depressions making them seem the are not wanted in society while in reality, it is just some guy trolling this poor kid to get a few thumbs up and a laugh or two. Also, when it comes to porn, kids are always going to get past the age-block tool, so what I think needs to be done is that all porn sites need to charge a one time fee to get into the said site, that gets kids off those sites and gives parents a knowing that the kids will be off of all of the main porn sites. Now chan sites such as 4chan and 7chan will always have porn but you can always get an internet blocker and block those sites from your children.