Dangers: Unfettered Curiosity

Unfettered access to the internet can be problematic to users of all ages.

However, the curious nature of children creates an exponentially dangerous situation since they may be viewing something without a frame of reference present in adults.

We all know that children are exposed to things at school and on television. Some of this is harmless or assists in their development. However, some of this information is not age appropriate or even potentially risky and damaging. More to the point, we're no longer in a world where children need to ask their parents or teachers for clarification on this type of information.

In our online world, it's often easier and less embarrassing to simply type the curious phrase into a search engine and let the non discerning machines provide the answers. Children will do this. This problem somewhat compounds when we realize that the age of sexual curiosity lowers while access to hardcore pornography has become insanely instant.

While it is not uncommon for those under 13 to have intimate knowledge of oral sex, it's unfortunate that their initial curiosity can be handled by a search engine taking them to a porn movie designed for adults that are desensitized to regular sexual activity.

The old movies from health class are significantly different than the movies filmed to target the 40yr old online gamers that don't have healthy sexual relationships with an unpaid partner.

Sexual curiosity is just an obvious example. There are many other things that children will no longer have to ask about. It's as easy to learn how to build a birdhouse as it is to learn how to prepare a back back bomb. Information is not necessarily the problem. However, unfettered access to each and every curiosity might be.

As parents, we must find a way to inject ourselves into the process of seeking out information that may not be age appropriate. While we shouldn't necessarily hid our children under rocks, we should provide the safest learning and growing environment possible for their development.