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Rules for Teenage Internet Access?
Kent Brewster writes "Despite dire warnings, we've gone ahead and put computers with Internet access into our adolescent (11, 12, and 15-year-old) childrens' rooms. We've got a nebulous set of rules, which include several like these: Keep the door open when you're on the computer. Don't quickly exit from everything when we walk past. Don't ever lie to us about what you're doing. Unfortunately we've had instances where all of these rules - especially that last one - have been broken, so now we are looking at getting more specific. We'd be very interested in hearing from both sides of the fence: parents with Net-connected progeny, and those who are chafing under their rule. Parents, once you're past making the huge mistake of actually letting the kids have computers in their rooms, what's a reasonable set of guidlines? Non-parents, what are the rules that chap your hide the worst? Do they actually make a difference in your behavior, or do you just sneak past them anyway? Finally, and this is sort of a meta-question from an exasperated dad, does everybody lie about what they're doing on the Internet?"
BAN MSN MESSENGER!
We played dungeons and dragons for 3 hours.....then i was slain by an elf
The only potential problem that comes from masturbation to pornographic images is getting in to bad habits (you know, trying to come real quick because your parents might find you). Trying to come too quick, masturbating too hard, etc. I'm speaking from a male perspective as I am male.
If you have a son, but them The Multi-Orgasmic Man. Buy one for yourself, too.
If you have a daughter, buy her Sex For One. (Again, buy it for yourself, too).
If your brave, buy them sex toys. A Fleshlight for the boys, and Hitachi Magic Wand for the girls. Get to know queer people...they tend to be kinky and healthy at the same time (at least the ones I know).
As for other things, I'm sure Slashdotters agree that MUDing and IRC and whatnot are Good Things.
must... resist... urge... to make.... hot grits... joke!
"Quoting famous computer scientists out of context is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming." - K
This is the best advice I've read in this discussion yet. I know most people here are saying you should just trust your kids, respect their privacy, don't shelter them, they'll just get porn somewhere else, blah blah blah... Keep in mind that the majority of Slashdot readers are probably porn addicts themselves, as well as politically liberal, favoring unrestricted access to this stuff (claiming "free speech"), and in any case are not a representative sample of the population. Generations ago, when sex was really taboo, did people grow up dysfunctional because of that? Of course not. We live in a disgusting society where sex is glorified and commercialized. This treatment of sex is what is unnatural and wrong, not sex itself.
Porn IS harmful because, among other things, it really does change the way you look at and think about women, in a bad way. Children are especially vulnerable to this, and I'm glad you're taking steps to protect yours. Shame is indeed the best weapon. Even if they hate you for it, talk to them about these things. Frequent communication is so important to family relationships. Make them understand how pornography harms everyone involved, and that you are protecting them, and this is because you love them. If your son stops responding to the shame tactic, get a few girls his age from school to sit in on your talk and tell him how sick and degrading porn is to women, and that they would never date someone who looks at porn.
If you raise them with good values, they will turn out fine. Ignore all the idiots here who think embarrassing them will make them gay.
I'm not gay.