Should the Internet Be More Closely Monitored to Protect Children?

The Internet is quickly becoming one of the best sources of communication for people, and one of the most efficient business systems. The Internet is home to just about every business you could ever think of, and one can lookup just about anything on the Internet that they want. This is where the real problem comes in, in the fact that anyone can look up any information that they want. Children access the Internet every day, and are exposed to inappropriate information, media, and people. The threat to children on the Internet has remained constant since the invention of the Internet, but people are now becoming more aware. The Internet is a social place, but needs to be monitored more strictly for children to be safe.

If our kids under 12 are conversing in sexual conversations with people they don't even know over the Internet, wouldn't this propose some obvious threats to the children on the Internet (Children's internet protection)? Of course it would. These children are subject to several horrible things in talking to people that they don't even know over the Internet.

Not only are children subject to finding people on the Internet that may be interested in engaging in sexual conversation with them, but children are also very likely to run into inappropriate media. Porn is a very large business on the Internet. It's very easy to come by, even by accident. If a child around the age of 12 or younger were to be downloading music, browsing through some videos, or even looking for images Online, the chances of running into pornographic or obscene material is extremely high. This needs to be stopped, because media such as this is definitely giving a negative influence to our children of today (The Internet).

Most children are innocent when they get on the Internet. They're not looking for pornographic material in almost all cases, and they very rarely are actually interested in engaging in sexual conversations, or conversations at all with strangers that they met over the Internet. The fact is, it happens, and it's usually by mistake. Children have no bad intentions when they get on the computer. They usually run into these problems on accident, and they have no fault in the action. The real problem is that it's so easy to run into these things as a child. This problem needs to be taken care of to make the Internet a more safe place for kids to meet new people, play games, or do work (Children on the).

There are several ways to do this. But the bottom line is, something needs to be done. More filters, more security options in computers, or maybe even more security in sites that require logins. Children are currently not safe online, and they must be monitored much more strictly. As a parent, sibling, or anyone who can monitor children on the computer, you must do so to keep the children safe while on the Internet. The Internet is a social place, but needs to be monitored more strictly for children to be safe.

Sources: Parenthetical Citation Given

"Children's Internet Protection Act", Federal Communications Commission,
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html

"The Internet. A new front in the so-called War on Terror", The Cedar Lounge Revolution,
http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2007/11/06/the-internet-a-new-front-in-the-so-called-war-on-terror/

"Children on the Internet", Department of Computer Science
http://www.otal.umd.edu/UUPractice/children/