Should the Net pull up its pants?

The free exchange of ideas on the Internet is something most people support, in theory, until they find something repulsive and even threatening. Those offended then begin advocating restrictions and we find ourselves faced with possible censorship.

Pornography on the Internet falls under the "repulsive and threatening" category in some peoples' minds and is a concern to parents. They don't want their children logging on to sites such as "www.bestiality.com" while parental heads are turned. And they shouldn't. Children should be protected from exposure to cyber-smut. However, censoring the content of web sites isn't the way to do it. And programs that promise to limit childrens' access to porn sites seem to bring more problems than progress.

In 1996, the Communications Decency Act was introduced to keep the Internet safe for children by preventing text and pictures which were deemed "indecent" from being posted. While the Act was intended to protect children, it clearly violated First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court wisely struck it down, but there surely will be renewed attempts by lobbyists and Congress to restrict the flow of information. Limiting the free speech of adults on the Internet is dangerous. Once one restriction is imposed, others are sure to follow; the Internet would become a battleground for conservatives and liberals fighting over what people should be "allowed" to know instead of the free, informational tool that it should be. The simplest and fairest treatment of the Internet is to keep it completely uncensored.

This still leaves the problem of children accessing porn sites. Several online industries are working out filtering technology that parents, schools and libraries could potentially use to block access to explicit sites. Yet there is even controversy over how effective such "Internet baby-sitters" are.

Amid all the techno-confusion and controversy, we must remember that it's not possible to protect our kids from everything we deem evil in the world. Sex, violence, profanity and misery are everyday aspects of life and society. If they want it badly enough, savvy kids are going to hack into steamy sites regardless of blockers. Instead of ranting about the evils of the Internet, let's shift the focus from the technology back to the family. The Internet is an easy target for blame. Families should work to promote values which will guide kids when faced with certain "dangerous" information.

Hopefully, programmers will soon offer effective filters to parents who want them. Regardless of their progress, we need to keep the Internet free from censorship and spend quality time teaching children how to think for themselves.