Kids on the internet

I am, for the most part, against children on the internet. I realize that there is a wealth of knowledge and fun activities available for them in this magical cyber paradise. I am fully aware that there are hundreds of websites devoted to entertaining children. Unfortunately, I am also aware that most children lack the basic understanding that is necessary to remain safe on the internet.

Let's break this down a bit. First, adult oriented materials on the internet. The most "security" offered to prevent minors from accessing these materials? A link that states "If you are not 18, please click here". Riiiiight. If little Timmy wants to see what's on the big boy page, that isn't going to stop him.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I don't really think it's appropriate for small children to have access to this type of material. Then again, I'm also old fashioned in that I think sex should be between two people in a loving relationship, as opposed to a recreational activity.

Point two is directly related to the ignorance of the young mind. I said ignorance, not stupidity, there's a difference. Let's take, for example, the case of my younger sister. We shall call her Ann, since to my knowledge I have no relatives by that name, or at least none I ever associate with. Ann isn't what I consider the brightest bulb of her age group, which I blame in part on the school system, and in part on a somewhat spoiled upbringing. Ann had several friends, and together they joined the internet melting pot known as "Myspace".

Let me make it a point to say that I have nothing at all against Myspace. I think social networking is a useful thing to have, provided the people on it are not ignorant or particularly stupid. Unfortunately, as I've said, Ann falls into that category that is ill-suited to the internet.

This is a breakdown of what happened with Ann... Ann makes a Myspace account. Ann then finds me on "the Myspace", and adds me as a friend. Seeing as I don't feel my then 10 year old sister should be on said website (I believe the terms of use stated 13 and over?), I choose to not accept. Instead, I click on the link to her profile to find it is not blocked. So far we have a 10 year old with a fully public Myspace profile. It gets better.

According to Ann's profile, she is a senior in fifth grade (her exact wording), very athletic, and a very hot chick. I've gone ahead and corrected spelling errors. She goes so far as to state that she goes to Paintchip Elementary (a fictional school I'm choosing, as opposed to her actual school which she listed). She goes on to list sports teams and activities she is involved with, along with pictures of her and her friends and the other Myspace essentials. Her profile also happens to state that she is 19 (hence why it is open, all profiles below 18 are private), she drinks, etc.

So, to recap... 10 year old girl, acting older than she is, giving information on where she can be found and when. And she drinks. This is an example of why I dislike ignorant and stupid people on the internet. My sister became, in less than 5 minutes, a child predator's complete fantasy. She wasn't the only one to fail, mind you.. I called my father and let him know that he needed to rein her in before something terrible happened, and it took several weeks before all the information that should be removed, was removed.

I believe that gives more than enough reason why children shouldn't be allowed to play on the internet. And this is without getting into the kids on Xbox Live and MMO games.