this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2023
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I think everyone can agree that child safety is important. But the fact internet as it stands is not safe for kids is completely undeniable.
As always, however, censorship is not the solution, especially not if it's headed by government. I'm honestly not sure what the solution is.
Parents can childproof their homes, buy car seats, etc.
But when you say "child safety is important", all I hear is "the government needs to childproof the country", and all that means to those in power is "yes, more police state powers for me, thank you very much"
I know that's not what you're intending, but when you give an inch, like your comment did, they'll take a mile. Don't give an inch.
I appreciate the comment!
If you've ever been a kid with stricter parents, you'll know that there's always a way around child-proofing. It's an unfortunate reality. Additionally, if you've ever been in a school, you'll know that if you add 'unblocked' to the end of your Google search, you'll find exactly what you wanted to find. Restrictions can only go so far. (Sorry, I don't mean this to sound snarky.)
I believe there is a fine line between censorship and limited availability. For instance, many of the internet's 'big brother' algorithms will recommend suggestive content right off the bat. I think, (and this is my personal opinion) that larger services such as social media sites, search engines, etc. should be held responsible for the content that their platform shows to children. I definitely think that a little checkbox saying "I'm over 18" is a token effort at best.
I'm conflicted on this matter, as I believe strongly in privacy and anonymity and in the open, collaborative nature of the Internet; but, on the other hand, allowing children unfettered access to said Internet has been proven to be a bad idea. So, I'm somewhat undecided on the issue as far as the role of government or the role of service providers.
Parental roles are clear, however. Thanks for your comment ant have a lovely evening.