Click here
|
Pornography on the Internet: The Red-Light District Of Cyberspace 5/1/1999 "The invasion of pornographic computer images into the minds and memory banks of computer-literate American society will have a devastating, long-term effect upon our entire culture. Computer pornography is all illegal for viewing by minors, and much of it is illegal even for adult use; yet it is freely and easily available to Internet users—many times being accessed unintentionally."
—Dee Jepsen, chairman of the board of Enough is Enough! The Internet was new and relatively unexplored territory until a few years ago. At first, it was seen primarily as a valuable educational tool. Otherwise cautious parents raced to get their child "hooked up" to this exciting technology. However, parents are slowly learning that through the Internet, pornography has invaded their homes. Internet History Over two decades ago, the Internet started as a communication network for the U.S. Defense Department. It was built with a decentralized structure in order to survive a wartime attack. This means that rather than sending messages through one central computer, each server on the network communicates directly with other servers. At the present time, there are hundreds of thousands of servers worldwide with millions of computers hooked up to them. Each server can produce whatever material it chooses, such as websites. The Internet can be divided into four general areas: e-mail (electronic mail), the World Wide Web, chat rooms and newsgroups. Since there is no single source at which material is categorized and regulated, it is difficult to block unacceptable material. Internet pioneer John Gilmore remarked, "The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it."1 Thus, it has traditionally had no limits on expression, and commercial services linked to the Internet have shied away from policing their customers.2 Dangerous Material The statistics concerning pornographic material on the Internet are shocking. Dr. Robert Weiss of the Sexual Recovery Institute in Los Angeles, California, estimated about 60 percent of all Web site visits are sexual in nature, and "sex" is the most searched-for topic on the Internet.3 In a September 1999 study in the Journal of Cyberpsychology and Behavior, psychologist Dana Putnam reported that there are about 300,000 sex-related Web sites on the Internet.4 Yet, perhaps even more frightening than the amount of pornographic websites, is its accessibility to people of all ages. According to the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families (NCPCF), computer users—including children—can download "soft-core nudity, hard-core sex acts, bestiality, bondage and domination, sadomasochism (including actual torture and mutilation of women for sexual pleasure), scatological acts (defecating and urinating on men or women for sexual pleasure), and child pornography. Types of textual pornography include detailed stories on the rape, mutilation and torture of women, sexual abuse of children and graphic incest."5 Easy Access In the past, pornography users had to deal with negative backlash if others discovered their secrets. Being discovered as a porn addict or distributor was at least a potential inhibitor or intimidation factor. But, with the new wave of Internet pornography, this factor is removed. Abusers can now easily access and/or distribute pornography within the privacy of their homes. The Wall Street Journal states, "Oddly, the porn industry has blossomed precisely because the product no longer has to be viewed in steamy movie theaters in the company of raincoated men, but can be enjoyed in the privacy of the home."6 As a result of this easy access, pornography use has exploded. According to a Newsweek article, 180,000-500,000 people access the "alt.sex" group of Usenet on a monthly basis. Owned by Playboy Magazine, the website receives approximately 4.7 million visits per week.7 There has never been a time in history when such massive distribution of pornographic material has been paralleled. And sadly, because of the nebulous quality of the Internet, currently very few safeguards or age-check procedures are in place to monitor its distribution. Because of the Internet's international nature, it is incredibly difficult to regulate. Even legislation passed in the United States to screen pornography on the Internet has either been watered down or overruled by the courts. If effective legislation ever were passed, it probably would not inhibit or impact the international pornography industry. More Graphic Than Ever Because it is easier than ever to hide pornographic addiction, "soft porn" is only a fraction of the pornography found on the web. "Hard core" pornography use is increasing greatly. Even the most vile sex acts are now transmitted via the web with considerable anonymity. This new generation of pornography is more graphic than ever. With the technology of virtual reality, users can control sexual situations on their computer screens, undress images of women and use simulated sex toys on them. These advances further desensitize the user to harmful and violent situations. In his book, The Soul in Cyberspace, Douglas Groothuis writes: In her newspaper column, Arianna Huffington accurately observes that the plague of pornography on the Internet goes "far beyond indecency—and descends into barbarism."9 Indecent images on the Internet include depictions of child molestation, bestiality, sadomasochism and how to find sexual enjoyment in killing children.10 Porn in Schools Recent controversy has focused on the problem of pornography's availability in public school libraries. In one case, a Michigan second-grader misspelled a Halloween-oriented site and stumbled upon a graphic pornography site at school.11 It's that easy. For example, even if child accidentally typed ".com" instead of ".gov" while looking for the White House's Web site, he could accidentally encounter pornography.
While parents can install filters on their home computers, they do not have the same freedom to protect their children in libraries and schools. Many parents were surprised that computers hooked up in their child's school library were not monitored, thus giving students unlimited access to pornographic material. Outraged parents have called for filtering devices to be placed on computers. In response to parental outcry, the Loudoun County, Virginia, library board installed the X-Stop filtering software, which filters out pornographic sites, in every computer terminal. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) responded by suing the library system claiming that the system was infringing first amendment rights.12 However, such material is not constitutionally protected. In case after case, the First Amendment has not protected all pornographic content. That did not stop District Judge Leonie Brinkema's decision to prohibit filtering software in libraries—a decision the American Library Association (ALA) applauded.13 In April 1999, the Loudoun library board voted 7-2 not to appeal Brinkema's decision.14 Hence, Loudoun County's children are once again more vulnerable to pornography at their local library. Access to pornography in public libraries has had negative repercussions. David Burt conducted a survey of nearly all the nation's libraries. Only 29 percent responded, but their reports revealed the rampant problems in libraries today. Burt's report included the following, which occurred from 1997-98: 15 Unwilling Viewers Regulating the Internet through the use of filtering devices is one positive step. However, personal monitoring by adults is also necessary for children. Many times, pornographic sites are unintentionally accessed during routine searches. For example, a search for the White House's web page brings up a pornographic site with a similar address. Considering the large number of young people on the Internet, you can see the danger in unregulated sites. Another dangerous phenomenon that has recently surfaced is "virtual sexual abuse." This occurs when online sexual predators accost unwilling participants in chat rooms, forcing them to participate in lewd conversations. Feminist cultural critic Anne Balsamo observes that "the anonymity offered by the computer screen empowers anti-social behavior such as … MUD-rape (an unwanted, aggressive, sexual-textual encounter in a multi-user domain)."16 Saving Innocence Creating a "safety net" for your kids on the Internet is a concern of many parents. But since the Internet is increasingly difficult to regulate, what can a parent do? Zachary Britton, author of SafetyNet, suggests the following: "You can strategically take the basic tools for blocking unwanted material and weave them into the strongest possible SafetyNet. You will need a combination of components: filtering software, a good Internet Service Provider (ISP) and solid family rules for computer use."17 Britton developed the following "Net Rules" to guide parents in creating rules for their household: Destroying Souls The number of Americans exploring cyberspace is rapidly growing, and thus, the problem of pornography must be addressed. The widespread distribution of pornographic material on the Internet has serious societal implications. Pornography is a problem which affects men, women and children. It disrupts marriages and wrecks lives. This societal ailment must be taken seriously. [For general information on the plague of pornography, see CWA Policy Concern #19PC-001, Poison of the Mind and Heart: Pornography and Its Impact on Civil Society.] The Internet is a valuable tool for communication, research and education. But, in the wrong hands it becomes a harmful tool for evil. As parents and concerned citizens, we must endeavor to protect our children and loved ones from the harm of Internet pornography. Always monitor your children's Internet use. And remain closely involved with their school, urging mandatory adult monitoring in addition to filtering devices. Together, we can protect our children's purity.
|
|
Concerned Women for America 1015 Fifteenth St. N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: (202) 488-7000 Fax: (202) 488-0806 |
Feedback / Questions? || Problem with this page? || Archives
