Ren3004 said:
Because they'll find a way to circumvent the ban?
Because kids under 18 also need the Internet for school work?
Because it's not fair banning them when the problem is the people who expose themselves?
Because it's just about impossible to do?
Because... okay this has gone on for too long.
So yeah, it's a bad idea. Some kind of vigilance on chat sites could work, but then there's the whole privacy issue.
Well, truthfully it would be very easy to enforce compared to trying to do it piecemeal now. The big issue would be to motivate people in society to enforce the ban, meaning a lot of people would have to be sent to jail and seriously have their lives ruined for letting kids have net access.
While kids would still get online, much like how kids still get alcohol and cigarettes, it would be a lot "better" than it is now.
The key of course being to scare people enough where they become pro-active in their persecution.
As far as "I'm 16 and have a fully functioning brain, and can handle the internet goes" Laws can't have exceptions, so of course there will be people who could handle it whom would be cut off.
Needing The Internet for schoolwork is irrelevent as kids were going to school long before The Internet. What's more when I was going to college they pretty much banned using the Internet as a source for research and such. No electronic "CD Rom" encyclopedias, etc... because part of the point was to teach people to do "real" research in actual libraries. Of course this was well over a decade ago now, and The Internet/computers are more prevelant than they were then.
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Before anyone responds, understand that I'm not saying I agree with banning kids from The Internet. I simply think it can be done, and relatively easily.
As I see things The Internet is a public space, and banning kids from The Internet is similar to banning them from going to a park or whatever.
Also when it comes to things like free speech and expression, I believe part of the point of The Internet is for it to be unfettered enough for people to be "obscene" if that is what they want to do. I believe goverments have no right to regulate this.
When it comes to internet legislation I believe fully in putting the responsibility in parents hands. People who are worried about their young children on The Internet should supervise them, just like they would if they were to go to a Park to play. As far as parents not being able to ALWAYS supervise their kids, it's not like parents can't lock household computers, not only are their password systems, there used to actually be a key-type system they experimented with on some older machines that could be re-implemented for those with such concerns. Then of course there is the matter of parents simply unplugging computers when they aren't around and hiding the cords somewhere, or locking them in drawers.
Nothing is perfect but the excuse of "Oh noes, we can't keep kids off the Internet" is kind of weak to be honest, which is why I disagree with it. Not that I really think The Internet is that big a deal anyway, since frankly I feel most reports of obscenity are greatly exagerrated to begin with. There is plenty of foul stuff on The Internet, but in general as a user I generally do not run into it while involved in routine use. I'd generally have to go looking for it... and chances are if kids are old enough to be looking for stuff like that, your not going to stop them anyway. Chances are if cleaning Jr's bedsheets shows that he's growing up, there isn't much you can do. I think part of the problem is the very common kneejerk reaction of parents who don't want their kids to grow up, realizing your son or daughter is interested in sex, or rather "shocking" things due to their increasing age can be to parents, what a kid walking in on his parents having sex is to them.
