No filtering software or ISP can block out all pornography successfully, because children are more knowledgeable about technology today than ever before. There are numerous ways to circumvent current filtering softwares and Family-Friendly ISPs through the use of certain websites that provide a cloak for the Internet user. One such site is known as The Anonymizer.(Anonymizer, 1999) This site allows the user to be anonymous to anyone that is monitoring their actions from a remote location. For instance, if I want to view a website that is not allowed by Web Sense on the Toccoa Falls College Internet server, I would simply surf over to www.anonymizer.com and enter the address that I want to visit anonymously. The frightening part is that this service is free of charge to anyone who has Internet access. However, if parents take up the task of monitoring what their children view on the internet, not only will they have control over what they see, but this will also force the parents to spend more time with their children, which is, to use an old cliche, "Killing two birds with one stone." This is a perfectly legal way to control minors' access to pornography. On the internet today, all a minor needs to do in order to access pornography is to click on a disclaimer at the start of a pornographic web page, stating that they are 18 years of age or older, and that pornography is not illegal in their community. I liken this method to the current system that exists for keeping alcohol and tobacco from minors. It all rests upon the person that is selling the alcohol or tobacco: it is up to them if they ask for proper identification or not. A study done in 1997 by the University of Michigan found that "1 in 2 (46%) twelfth grade students report drinking monthly."(Johnson, 1997) Granted, the government does attempt to stop underage drinking by cracking down on retailers of alcohol and tobacco, but the government has its own limitations and can only do so much.
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