Newer generations and the internet.

I'll give a bit of back story before I get to my question. My aunt has asked me for advice regarding computer related stuff. She doesn't want her 10 year old daughter, who accesses the computer and internet quite a bit, to be exposed to all the NSFW stuff on the internet. She asked me because she knows I'm well versed in the macabre and gruesome. She doesn't want her daughter to be disturbed/corrupted/influenced by what she sees on the internet.

So, should children bear witness to all of the internets glory or should they be sheltered from it (and be completely shocked when they turn 20 and wake up from a hangover to see meatspin on their screen)?

I actually have no answer for this myself. In a way, exposing the children to vile things might give them an awareness of the comings and goings of the world. But 10 is too young. Maybe.

I started jerking off at the age of 10. When I got into high school, porn mags would be the currency of the school yard. Of course, the porn mags didn't have lemon party in them. In fact, most of the mags were just "tasteful" nudes. So nothing too extreme. I had/have to release my load every now and again to maintain my sanity. It's just natural. I can comfortably say that 15 onwards is a suitable age to witness tub girl as a dude (not the weirdest sentence I have written). However, I'm no girl, so I don't know how they will react to the really disturbing stuff on the internet. I can't even empathise with their thoughts on it. I've seen so many mixed reactions from females in response to the memes. A significant amount of them laughed a lot. A few just said "Why am I seeing this?". Only one was disturbed. These women are the same age group as me, and we didn't peruse the internet very much when we were 10 (partly because it was crap back then and partly because all we did was IMing).

Thoughts?

EDIT: If you are unaware of some of the memes I mentioned and are about to google them, I am not responsible for mental anguish/computer damage from vomiting all over the screen and keyboard. Explore at your own peril.

First thing that comes to mind is that you were a completily normal teen, you are supposed to be bleeding and sweating hormones. People shouldn't worry about this kind of stuff there is nothing wrong with it.

My default answer to that comes courtesy of a lady I worked with:

"Do you download porn?"
"Uhm"
"Do you have an internet connection?"
"Yes"
You have an internet connection, you have a pulse: You download porn"
Case solved.

She didn't even give me room for a clever evasion; it will happen, they or others will expose them to it; if they've been taught to respect others and not treat them as objects you just have to trust them to make good choices?

I haven't even see half the things you mentioned and I thought I had quite some idea =P

Don't ISP's packages come with security settings for children these days (I have seen it in place already and it seemed quite good at what it was supposed to do). I'd say turn the ISP's filter on and then turn it off when they get older or whatever. Some of the stuff on the internet is pretty disturbing but in time everyone will learn that 'this is the internet' and how to avoid seeing disturbing things.

NSFW = not safe for women

I think it's good to be sheltered to some degree. Believe it or not, teaching young people that the word is a brutal, unfair, degrading place doesn't really do much to help mould functioning members of society.

There are some things that people just don't need to see, especially children. Regular exposure might not create a resistance, but in fact lead to normalization.

Regarding the comparison in the OP, I'm not talking about the sort of stuff you would see in lads mags - besides my usual moralizing, I don't think that causes any real psychological damage. I'm talking about the really messed up stuff that only the internet seems to host. You get it even on very mainstream, popular sites. I stopped visiting the bodybuilding forums because I got fed up of some of some of the sick 'shock value' stuff the trolls were posting. I would feel sorry for a kid that reads that stuff, I think it's just depressing. And I remain voluntarily sheltered, besides BBC news this is the only site I regularly visit.

If I had kids I probably wouldn't even let them on the internet, I know some parents that have this policy, and they aren't the type to needlessly shelter kids - they let them go outside and scrape their knees and be normal children in the way that most parents don't these days.

Kids are going to see porn and other vile stuff, accept the idea and move on. Fighting it is futile, as kids are naturally curious creatures; and sex is extremely interesting to us all. When you've accepted that fact, you can start figuring out how to deal with it.

Besides, how is it worse to see sex on the internet compared to watching people get killed every night on TV...?

Just keep a close look on social media interactions to keep her away from the pedos and you'll be okay.

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

Besides, how is it worse to see sex on the internet compared to watching people get killed every night on TV...?

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They're more likely to try it at home as opposed to trying to kill someone.

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Originally Posted by rvg

They're more likely to try it at home as opposed to trying to kill someone.

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And the consequences of them trying sex are most of the time much less of an issue than trying to kill someone.

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Originally Posted by Sarmatian

And the consequences of them trying sex are most of the time much less of an issue than trying to kill someone.

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Doesn't make it a good thing though.

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Originally Posted by rvg

They're more likely to try it at home as opposed to trying to kill someone.

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OH MY GOD ARE KIDS GOING TO HAVE SEX?!!??!?!??!??!!??!

Of course they are. Deal with it.

Sex is awesome, of course the kids are going to want it. With or without porn. The recipe is the same as with social media: set them free, but keep them away from the pedos.

Wrong thread scuzu

Wrong thread, screw ipad it doesn't work

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Originally Posted by Sarmatian

And the consequences of them trying sex are most of the time much less of an issue than trying to kill someone.

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In some parts of the US teen sex is almost as bad as murder. Considering the worst case scenario of both.

What do you mean, you have no answer for this? She says she wants no NSFW content. Is she asking you re: how to avoid it? If you're not certain, consider yourself with a baby girl and what you would want some freak monster exposing her to. You may think 10 old enough, but when it's your child it will still be your baby when it's 25. Aunt is not looking for your opinion on Internet morality. I don't think you' expose yourself to a 10 y.o. - cousin or not. Don't let some freak stranger do it either. There are programs and settings to make the net mostly harmless. Yes, a person can work around that. But let that be a conscious effort on the child's part.

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

OH MY GOD ARE KIDS GOING TO HAVE SEX?!!??!?!??!??!!??!

Of course they are. Deal with it.

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Actually, quite a lot of them do not, because they do not share your values.

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Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

Actually, quite a lot of them do not, because they do not share your values.

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....And if they don't because they don't "share my values", then just what on earth is the danger with the internet...?

Irrelevant point, Rhy. Was your intention to add something to the thread, or was it simply to flag your conservative morals?

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

....And if they don't because they don't "share my values", then just what on earth is the danger with the internet...?

Irrelevant point, Rhy. Was your intention to add something to the thread, or was it simply to flag your conservative morals?

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There is no good reason to expose kids to sex prematurely. None.

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

....And if they don't because they don't "share my values", then just what on earth is the danger with the internet...?

Irrelevant point, Rhy. Was your intention to add something to the thread, or was it simply to flag your conservative morals?

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Um, it was a response to your point, which wasn't really all that relevant either. But threads evolve so there you go.

And regarding your question about why the internet would be bad for those who would want to avoid certain things on it, I would point out that exposure to them is often not voluntary. And children in particular might be more vulnerable in that regard.

I think for a lot of people their first exposure to pornographic material was in the form of unwanted pop-ups, it was for me anyway.

Even at TWC I remember them having threads about that kids ponies show, where they made up stories about it describing horrific torture scenes. Now, a kid could easily come across that if they were interested in TW games or ponies, and read that material. Would I want that sort of stuff filling my kid's heads? Absolutely not.

The internet is toxic to anyone under 14. Period. Extreme parental measures should be taken to make sure that kids don't develop weird psychological issues stemming from seeing a 9 inch snake attached to a man and believing that is "normal".

Also, the internet is poisonous in large doses to anyone between 14-20.

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Originally Posted by rvg

There is no good reason to expose kids to sex prematurely. None.

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Depends on how you look at it, I see sex as a positive thing, not as a vice.

Maybe the both of y'all have a different idea of what "kid" means. Define that, first.

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Originally Posted by Hax

Maybe the both of y'all have a different idea of what "kid" means. Define that, first.

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Not sure. But, somewhere 12+ probably. For me as a 36 old twelve is of course unacceptable, but I don't have a problem untill 18 with a twelve year old or so. After that it kinda starts to feel wrong, but I still wouldn't really have problem with it, certainly wouldn't act on it but turn a blind eye. I don't really know the red line.

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Not sure. But, somewhere 12+ probably. For me as a 36 old twelve is of course unacceptable, but I don't have a problem untill 18 with a twelve year old or so. After that it kinda starts to feel wrong, but I still wouldn't really have problem with it, certainly wouldn't act on it but turn a blind eye. I don't really know the red line.

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I might be reading you wrong, but are you saying you don't see a problem with a 17 year-old sleeping with a 12 year-old?!

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Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

I might be reading you wrong, but are you saying you don't see a problem with a 17 year-old sleeping with a 12 year-old?!

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Well yeah, I don't have a problem with that. Did it myself actually.

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Originally Posted by Fragony

Well yeah, I don't have a problem with that. Did it myself actually.

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So, who was the 17 year old you banged?

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Originally Posted by spankythehippo

So, who was the 17 year old you banged?

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She could be your psychiatrist if you have one.

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Originally Posted by rvg

There is no good reason to expose kids to sex prematurely. None.

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Yeah, heaven forbid they actually develop a healthy attitude towards it. That would be horrible!!

No, let's treat it as a sin and watch our kids commit suicide later. Much better!

As if the internet constitutes anything close to education. Do you guys even want to see what the actual argument is, or just pretend we are all religious prudes that want our children to save it until they're 28?

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

I'm just saying that in today's world your kid is gonna know way too much already by the time they're even 10. Unless you want your kid to be totally subverted by the prevailing culture then you had better start talking to them like adults early.

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Nope, nope, nope. This sentiment just reeks of laziness. Absolute laziness among parents or soon to be parents.

Contrary to popular belief, the internet is not "everywhere". It is located entirely on computers.

Computers which can be placed in the living room instead of the child's bedroom.
Computers which can be password protected in order to get to the desktop.
Computers which have built in parental controls. Using browsers with built in controls. With available add-ons to provide additional parental controls.

Despite what you may think, there are still dumb phones which do not have 5 inch screens and internet available for young kids. Let's even disregard the "silly" notion that kids under 14 don't need a phone at all. There is no reason why we must accept that children are going to be seeing 9 inch penises, enter the cosmetically enhanced vagina's of surgically altered women before they even hit puberty.

Treating children like adults will only bring about a society that knows nothing about the concept of innocence, which only spells disaster for our collective concepts of morality and social health.


Lazy parents, all of you.

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Lol the internet has nothing to do with it. Other kids at school will do the trick.

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You are telling me that 10 year olds are going to be watching BangBros on smart phones during recess?

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Maybe not, but South Park, YouTube, and games like GTA V, sure. I've seen it. Date an older chick with kids and you'll see. Frightening shit.

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That's why I am saying that parents shouldn't give them smart phones in the first place.

Also, it's disingenuous to claim that attempts to parent your child are futile because of the dreaded "other kids". There are always "other kids" and the degree to which they effect your child depends on your parenting to begin with.

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

I'm saying no matter how hard you try, you'll either treat them like adults or you'll lose their attention to thing or people that do. Kids are smart, shelter and patronize them at your own risk.

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No one is asking to patronize them. All I am saying is to have common sense and treat them their age, nothing more. Asking to treat a 10 year old as an 18 year old is the radical position in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Worked for my mom. :shrug:

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Yes, but you are smarter than most, since you are here. Other people are not as smart, hence they are not here. Commence the circlejerk.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

You are telling me that 10 year olds are going to be watching BangBros on smart phones during recess?

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Actually, yeah.

Why is everyone talking about sex and porn again?

There are videos of actual murders on the Internet. This should be required viewing for most any 10-year-old.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

Treating children like adults will only bring about a society that knows nothing about the concept of innocence, which only spells disaster for our collective concepts of morality and social health.

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How do you know?

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Maybe not, but South Park, YouTube, and games like GTA V, sure. I've seen it. Date an older chick with kids and you'll see. Frightening shit.

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I'm not worried about kids seeing stuff like GTA or South Park, I played/watched them myself while still in primary school. I'm talking about the really messed up that only exists on the internet. And I don't mean exclusively porn stuff either, indeed I already said some of the worst stuff is the sick torture and murder fantasies that are pasted across even mainstream boards.

Heck, I don't like anything that gives a distorted view of the world. I'm not trolling or being ridiculous here, but watching the news the other night, I noticed that the majority of stories were about the various types of people abusing children (priests, celebrities, etc). And I thought to myself that this presented such a horrific and distorted vision of the world, that I would rather have kids play GTA than watch this. I don't mind shoot-em-ups and that sort of thing, but some things are just really messed up and depressing.

My problem with HoreTore etc is this - you say you want kids to have a healthy view of the world and to know how it works - and you think that modern media is a good medium to achieve this! As if the internet is somehow an accurate reflection of normal social interaction.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

You are telling me that 10 year olds are going to be watching BangBros on smart phones during recess?

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

Actually, yeah.

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I don't doubt is happens but I suspect most kids avoid it, I certainly did.

And some don't, porn isn't very classy, normal people keep it under the sheets. But there is nothing wrong with it, we kinda have a fundamentally different way of looking at things here. Don't hurt me if I go wrong here, abstaining from sex seems to be mistaken for discipline for some, what does that say about someone. With finding the discipline to abstain from sex you cannot deny it is seen as a bad thing to have sex. It isn't, it's cute, it's harmless.

I guess I was the only kid to just drink my Capri Sun and play kickball everyday.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

I guess I was the only kid to just drink my Capri Sun and play kickball everyday.

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More than enough time, you aren't supposed te be adult untill you are 50.

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Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

I guess I was the only kid to just drink my Capri Sun and play kickball everyday.

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Nah, I was the same. But I'll admit I did like smuggling a Game Boy into school so I could run over as many civilians as possible in GTA.

Still, I find the way some people talk about school here to be pretty hilarious, you would think it's 50% red light district and 50% gangsta's paradise.

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Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

My problem with HoreTore etc is this - you say you want kids to have a healthy view of the world and to know how it works - and you think that modern media is a good medium to achieve this! As if the internet is somehow an accurate reflection of normal social interaction.

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Where on earth did I say I believe modern media should be responsible for sexual education....?

I wholeheartedly agree with GC on this - sexual education is the parents responsibility. It's part of the parenting job.

And in today's world, that means this parenting has to take account of the fact that kids look at nude stuff on the internet. Pretending it doesn't happen and trying to brainwash kids with the sinhammer is only going to screw the kids up.

It's like telling them not to touch their nono's. They're going to do it, and if you play the sin-card and make them ashamed you'll only end up screwing them up.

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Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

Nah, I was the same. But I'll admit I did like smuggling a Game Boy into school so I could run over as many civilians as possible in GTA.

Still, I find the way some people talk about school here to be pretty hilarious, you would think it's 50% red light district and 50% gangsta's paradise.

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To be fair, the average 14-year old isn't that bright. A naughty google image search is as far as many of them get.

Still, I've had students who have made extremely detailed powerpoint presentations on various approaches to masturbation, with a guide of appropriate objects to use. She was 13 at the time. And she's a quite normal kid.

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

To be fair, the average 14-year old isn't that bright. A naughty google image search is as far as many of them get.

Still, I've had students who have made extremely detailed powerpoint presentations on various approaches to masturbation, with a guide of appropriate objects to use. She was 13 at the time. And she's a quite normal kid.

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Wait what? This was a project for school?

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Originally Posted by AntiDamascus

Wait what? This was a project for school?

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It was her take on "transition from child to adult", a topic which is about career choices and added responsibilities.

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

It was her take on "transition from child to adult", a topic which is about career choices and added responsibilities.

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You failed in responsibility then, you should have stopped her from doing that for her own sake. Can haunt her for years and school is a cruel place.

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Originally Posted by Fragony

You failed in responsibility then, you should have stopped her from doing that for her own sake. Can haunt her for years and school is a cruel place.

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First of all, it wasn't in my class(it was in Norwegian class). Secondly, it was something she was "inspired" to do on her own time. It's rather hard to control what students do at home. Thirdly, she already has high status and this thing certainly didn't lower that status(remember that status in this age group is heavily linked to acting above your age).

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Originally Posted by HoreTore

First of all, it wasn't in my class(it was in Norwegian class). Secondly, it was something she was "inspired" to do on her own time. It's rather hard to iih that status in this age group is heavily linked to acting above your age).

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I trust your judgement but not her's, what carreer-choice was it supposed to be. Question, do you know the poem 'Not waving but drowning', being totally misunderstood until it's too late. Can you be sure she isn't kinda troubled and reaching for a hand?

Some of the biggest dangers on the WWW (as opposed to the internet) do not just come in the form of pr0n, violent videos or extremist websites.

The omnipresent "Social Networking" is the bigger, more pressing problem facing today's child/teenager. That's where kids see "what everyone else is doing" and either wants to emulate that, or get depressed when they cannot. It's where young and impressionable people get manipulated, bullied and controlled by other more devious characters. Kids should be able to get home and leave school behind - unless it's homework. This is the time when they should interact with and bond with their families and siblings. Instead, they are enslaved to a screen, learning nothing useful, not reading, playing or being entertained, but instead reading banal chit chat and bullshit about what other people, including celebrities, are supposedly doing.

Years ago there were forums, like this one, or bulletin boards and for the most part people remained anonymous - to protect themselves from the local nut jobs and because it just seemed "wise" or "common sense"... Remaining anonymous made a lot of sense from a security and privacy perspective. In the "facebook age" we have people who expose their true identity, their circle of friends, their photos and even their employment history - freely - online for all and sundry to peruse - because "everyone's doing it". But also on these sites we have people who keep their real identity a secret and operate under a pseudonym - so like a forum, you have the anonymous users - unlike a forum you also have real people with real photos and their relationships with other real people. For kids, navigating this minefield, separating fiction from reality is almost impossible. Just as pr0n is deceiving kids about what sex is all about, Social Networking is giving them a warped idea of life in general.

For most kids there's not much choice other than to be on one of these sites - most likely facebook - or be an outcast. 80's an 90's parents had to worry about about whether to send their kids to the party "everyone else is going to", today's parents have a bigger problem - and it doesn't involve setting one foot outside. If all parents said "NO" - problem solved...

The smartphone has compounded this issue and safety worries, "pester power" and peer pressure has meant that kids under 10 are running around with these things - unrestricted and uncensored - mainly because the older generation are less technically savvy than the next and because computers in general have become so dumbed down and automated that many people are just trusting the "defaults". When it turns out that their kid was being bullied or watching pr0n, they will blame the service provider, the handset manufacturer or the OS vendor, but never themselves of course.

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Originally Posted by caravel

Some of the biggest dangers on the WWW (as opposed to the internet) do not just come in the form of pr0n, violent videos or extremist websites.

The omnipresent "Social Networking" is the bigger, more pressing problem facing today's child/teenager. That's where kids see "what everyone else is doing" and either wants to emulate that, or get depressed when they cannot. It's where young and impressionable people get manipulated, bullied and controlled by other more devious characters. Kids should be able to get home and leave school behind - unless it's homework. This is the time when they should interact with and bond with their families and siblings. Instead, they are enslaved to a screen, learning nothing useful, not reading, playing or being entertained, but instead reading banal chit chat and bullshit about what other people, including celebrities, are supposedly doing.

Years ago there were forums, like this one, or bulletin boards and for the most part people remained anonymous - to protect themselves from the local nut jobs and because it just seemed "wise" or "common sense"... Remaining anonymous made a lot of sense from a security and privacy perspective. In the "facebook age" we have people who expose their true identity, their circle of friends, their photos and even their employment history - freely - online for all and sundry to peruse - because "everyone's doing it". But also on these sites we have people who keep their real identity a secret and operate under a pseudonym - so like a forum, you have the anonymous users - unlike a forum you also have real people with real photos and their relationships with other real people. For kids, navigating this minefield, separating fiction from reality is almost impossible. Just as pr0n is deceiving kids about what sex is all about, Social Networking is giving them a warped idea of life in general.

For most kids there's not much choice other than to be on one of these sites - most likely facebook - or be an outcast. 80's an 90's parents had to worry about about whether to send their kids to the party "everyone else is going to", today's parents have a bigger problem - and it doesn't involve setting one foot outside. If all parents said "NO" - problem solved...

The smartphone has compounded this issue and safety worries, "pester power" and peer pressure has meant that kids under 10 are running around with these things - unrestricted and uncensored - mainly because the older generation are less technically savvy than the next and because computers in general have become so dumbed down and automated that many people are just trusting the "defaults". When it turns out that their kid was being bullied or watching pr0n, they will blame the service provider, the handset manufacturer or the OS vendor, but never themselves of course.

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The whole Social Networking thing can be easily thwarted. Kids aren't smart. They always leave telltale signs of their shenanigans. A simple google/facebook search might be enough to find them. Kids that use social networking tend to be extroverts. They won't leave their profile hidden. If you are a parent that has facebook, add (force) them as a friend. Then watch all their friends say how lame your kid is.

Kidding aside, if you truly want your kids to stop being reliant on technology at an early age, then you need to restrict all technology access, and reward them for good behaviour. Buy them something (not something too luxurious) when they get good marks in school. Kids are animals, treat it right, it will what the boundaries are. Treat it wrong (give them what they want, whenever they want), they become sated miscreants when they grow up. Ungrateful bastards who will cling to their parents wallet like dried Weet-Bix to a cereal bowl (and that shit is hard to get off). Without discipline, kids move in any direction they desire. More often than not, the direction they move towards is ultimately destined for some kind of ruin, be it mental or financial. But too much discipline will unhinge them. They will see how easy their friends live their lives, with their brand new iPhones and become bitter people. They will hate you, as a parent, and everyone around them, since they have so much more than them.

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Originally Posted by caravel

When it turns out that their kid was being bullied or watching pr0n, they will blame the service provider, the handset manufacturer or the OS vendor, but never themselves of course.

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Tee hee hee. I did that. The porn, I mean. I was very devious and careful with my porn watching habits as a kid. In a way, I was practicing my planning skills. Some would say I was very extreme in my planning. Almost on the level of the Home Alone movies. Most other kids always had the getting caught story. I was never caught.

http://cdn.ientry.com/sites/webprone...oonmwa_616.jpg

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Originally Posted by spankythehippo

Tee hee hee. I did that. The porn, I mean. I was very devious and careful with my porn watching habits as a kid. In a way, I was practicing my planning skills. Some would say I was very extreme in my planning. Almost on the level of the Home Alone movies. Most other kids always had the getting caught story. I was never caught.

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Your father either didn't read his router logs, or you both had the same taste. ~;)

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Originally Posted by AntiDamascus

Wait what? This was a project for school?

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I had this sort of stuff in school too, when I was 12 or 13. I was under the impression mostly anyone did, for the longest time.

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Originally Posted by Sp4

I had this sort of stuff in school too, when I was 12 or 13. I was under the impression mostly anyone did, for the longest time.

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A presentation of a 13 year old about masturbation tools? Doubt it. I am not even against it really mind you

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Originally Posted by spankythehippo

The whole Social Networking thing can be easily thwarted. Kids aren't smart.

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Originally Posted by spankythehippo

Tee hee hee. I did that. The porn, I mean. I was very devious and careful with my porn watching habits as a kid.

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A small contradiction there... Kids are smart, often smarter than their parents when it comes to computing. Leaving traces is not restricted to kids, accidentally leaving history or not deleting certain files has probably exposed many an adult's pr0n habits or even affairs, etc.

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Originally Posted by spankythehippo

Kids that use social networking tend to be extroverts.

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I have to disagree with this. Introverts who are not comfortable with face to face socialising would find social networks much more comfortable.

I don't think the issue is really kids using social networking covertly, though that is also a problem, it's kids who feel obliged to sign up to these sites due to peer pressure, get hooked in at an early age and then find it almost impossible to quit. In fact unless their parents deny them access to every device and watch them 24/7 they probably won't... this is a new problem, a product of the last decade or so, we don't really know the effects yet and won't for at least another decade.

Just as someone would not want their kid hooked on alcohol or tobacco at an early age, they would surely not want them chained to a compulsive website which has absolutely no benefit whatsoever? A website which even has adults reaching for their phones first thing in the morning or as soon as they board a train - to ensure they're not missing out on something. A website which is not really entertainment, is not educational, is not really social - it's about feeding primitive urges, urges to know what someone else is doing, urges to be involved or be part of a group, urges to be wanted, appreciated and heeded. Sitting at home alone pressing buttons on a phone is no more social than sitting at home alone playing a game online. Going out with friends to social events where people can interact directly is a social thing, "social" networking is not, in spite of what those selling it to the masses may claim.

The problem is that in many cases the parents are directly or indirectly encouraging this. In many cases the parents have accounts themselves, which does not put them in a very strong position when trying to preach to their children that they on the other hand can not participate. If a parent is already hooked into social networking, they will only perceive a small percentage of the dangers - e.g. being exposed to malicious people or unsuitable content - the other complex social and psychological aspects will likely go over their heads. They will not consider that their child (and in fact they themselves) is not much different to a child "addicted" to gaming - I would say worse off, but that's clearly open to debate.

I need to comment on one issue here:

A website "which has absolutely no benefit whatsoever"...? Social media? Human interaction isn't a benefit...?

I should have been more specific - I don't believe online social networking sites are at all beneficial to children/teenagers. I'm not so sure it's beneficial to adults either. There are many other means of achieving the same end, both conventional and otherwise.

One of my main points is that, at some point the interaction should stop - people, especially kids, should not be reachable 24/7 and bombarded with what their 2000 friends are having for dinner, who shagged who, or what music they're listening to every minute of the day.

I see something like video chat as useful. Families overseas and people working away from home can keep in touch with relatives, classic social media however is just a text based medium, which is mostly made up of comments, one liner text chatter, people clicking on like buttons, "following" some celebrity or sharing photos. It's not really a social thing - in the sense that a group of people come together, talk, make eye contact and none of them can pretend to be something they're not - I'm not sure it's meaningful human interaction - but it probably presses the right buttons in the brain. A forum, where the overwhelming majority of members are anonymous, there are a staff who oversee it and ensure that it doesn't turn into an idiot-fest and it allows for debates like this one, exchange of ideas and for those with common interests to come together.

Yes, 10 year olds should see everything on the internet. I come here every day and read these terrible opinions. My only solace is knowing that many of you will be shuffled into IT work were you can't harm or influence actual people. I am grateful for that.

The internet is terrible for kids. It makes them socially retarded introverts with giant Egos

Source: me

I've been safely "shuffled into IT" for several years so you and the world can rest easy...

For what it's worth I'm not pro censorship, quite the opposite, I simply think that children on unsupervised social networking, chat rooms, etc is as big a problem as pr0n, extremists, suicide sites, etc. It's for parents to take responsibility for this, but sadly people are getting more and more dependent on the state to police the web for them - in fact many parents demand this instead of taking responsibility for their children's actions, behaviour and whereabouts. The state (to use a general term) are of course happy with this turn of events - thus the current trend of censorship/surveillance, etc...

You would not let a child go and play a mile away in a park after dark with strangers, why would you leave them completely unsupervised with unfettered internet access...?

Well that is the best filter: supervision.

Apart from that whilst video calls are great I live in different timezones to family and friends so social media allows me to keep tabs on the overall pulse.

I too am in IT so I don't influence people either :)

This is just silly http://ktla.com/2013/09/27/teacher-u...#axzz2gBIYLgEz

I love you Americans I really do, can you please rid your place of idiots.

And improve your sports-programs are that supposed to be biceps. Where.

Wait a guy not having a top on now counts as a nude picture?

Although since he is skinny-fat I don't know why he is flexing as if he has muscles...