December 14-20, 2008 Issue |
Posted 12/8/08 at 7:04 AM
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Inappropriate
material abounds on the Internet. So do the various technology solutions aimed
to help parents handle the problem of Internet pornography.
“Anything you can conceive of is one
click away,” said Forrest Collier, CEO of InternetSafety.com, makers of Safe
Eyes software and a network filter known as Ether Shield. “The mission of a
company like ours is to try to protect the benefits that the Internet gives us,
but also give parents the tools to put boundaries around the things they find
inappropriate.”
Technology companies are continually
coming up with solutions to try to stay ahead of the pornography industry. It’s
a major challenge.
Internet Safety’s software blocks
not only inappropriate Internet content, but also gives parents other controls,
such as the ability to set time limits on their children’s use of the Internet
and the ability to monitor their use of social networking sites and e-mail.
They can also create usage reports and get an instant alert by cell phone,
e-mail or fax when a user tries to access inappropriate material.
Familink, an Internet service
provider, now offers filtered broadband service as well. Their service providing
users access only to pre-approved sites is now available for more than just
dial-up users.
Various technologies all work in
differing ways. Software products like Net Nanny, CyberPatrol and SeeNoEvil
utilize lists provided by the software companies to actually block pornographic
websites from opening on your computer. Critics say that such products are only
as good as the company’s lists and that the pornography industry is continually
changing sites to circumvent filter lists.
The free software PicBlock Image
Blocker operates somewhat differently. It detects flesh tones in Internet
images and blurs pixels to protect viewers from encountering inappropriate
images that can be viewed simply through Internet surfing and Google searches.
SafeEyes’ parental control software
has created new capabilities that individually screen videos at video-sharing
sites such as YouTube, where users worldwide upload 13 hours of video snippets
each minute. YouTube, while containing educational and humorous videos, is rife
with inappropriate content.
In fact, YouTube recently announced
that it intends to do a better job of policing itself by enforcing a “stricter
standard for mature content.” The company claims that sexually suggestive
videos will be age-restricted, and videos that contain sexually suggestive
content or profanity will no longer appear on its lists of “Most Viewed” or
“Top Favorited” videos.
At press time, though, YouTube had
not implemented significant changes.
However, as wonderful as software
and hardware solutions might be, media experts say they are no substitute for
parental involvement.
Parental Involvement
In the end, though, the most
effective Internet control is a watchful parent and a well-formed conscience.
The Church has consistently and
clearly taught about the dangers of the sin of pornography.
“The use of pornography robs us of
supernatural grace,” said Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo., Bishop Robert Finn, who
authored a 2007 pastoral letter on the subject. “As a person develops a vice of
using images in place of committed relationships, our whole understanding of
the proper way of relating to others is distorted.”
“Parents need to talk to their children about
pornography, just as they do drugs and sex,” said Jill Manning, author of What’s
the Big Deal About Pornography: A Guide for the Internet Generation.
“Filtering
is a minimalistic approach,” said Manning. “Arming youth with truths about the
sanctity of the body, they can be their own filter,” said Manning, saying that
doing so equips them for what they might do while at a friend’s house or once
they move on to college.
Catholic parents Mike and Rosie
Rydberg agree.
“Human technology can’t replace
spiritual discipline,” said Mike Rydberg, a counselor with Catholic Charities
of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minn.
The Rydbergs have never had filters
on their family computer. Instead, they keep their computer in a public place
within their home, employ rules about its use and track the Internet usage
history.
“We recognize that there’s great
good and usefulness with the computer, but also great potential for evil,” said
Rydberg. “We want there to be as much light shining in the darkness as there
can be. That’s why we keep it in our living room. If someone is going to misuse
the computer, they’ll need to do it in the spot with the most traffic in our
house.”
In addition to the computer’s
location, the Rydberg’s also have stringent rules on the computer’s use.
“No one goes on the computer at all
without permission, and no one goes on the Internet without permission and a
specific reason for going on it,” said Rydberg. “There’s a heavy fine for going
on the Internet without prior authorization.”
Another innovative thing that the
family employs is technology which others might consider outdated. The family
utilizes an older, slower computer and dial-up Internet access, Rydberg said,
because things load more slowly, and it’s far more difficult for his children
to quickly access inappropriate material. Because they use dial-up, the
Rydbergs also know when the Internet is being used while the children are home
alone because the phone line is tied up.
“It’s more difficult to be sneaky
and to hide inappropriate activity,” said Rydberg. “Keeping current with
technology is not always an asset to our children.”
That doesn’t mean there haven’t been
infractions. The family currently has two teenage boys and another in college.
“We don’t consider freedom on the
computer as a right. We reserve the right to check history, read any e-mails
and check into where they’ve been when they’ve been on the computer. They know
that, and we remind them of that,” added Rydberg. “We talk about pornography
and pornographic sites specifically with our children and that it’s not a kind
of benign feature on the computer, but something that seeks you out, so there
needs to be vigilance and wisdom.”
“Each of our boys has struggled, as
most men and boys do, but since access to ungodly sites will always be a
temptation, each of them has learned by falling how to stand,” said Rydberg.
“We’re trying to teach our children prudence and self-discipline, which is
their own choice, inspired by God’s grace.”
Tim Drake is based in
St. Joseph, Minnesota.
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