Hear me out for a second … what if we require parents to be responsible for their own children?
I was recently reading an article about another state that is asking websites to verify the age of its visitors. And while I get the concept is to “protect the children, but wouldn’t it make far more sense for the parents of said children to do that?
I mean, isn’t that the actual job of a parent — to protect their children?
Mike Stabile recently joked about passing a bill making parents legally liable for activating porn filters on mobile devices, which would prohibit their access to harmful materials.
I mean just think about it for a second. Right now, there are tons of readily available filters to block material parents might find harmful to their children. All that parent has to do is put forth the slightest amount of effort to turn that on.
So why isn’t that the solution to protecting the children? I’m going to copy and paste some of his tweets because, although he’s just joking around, Mike Stabile is not wrong.
“How could parents ever do this exceedingly simple, effective and free thing using the same phone I use every day! Next you’ll be asking me to keep them from drinking the wine in the fridge!”
The truth is that filters are easy to use, and can be easily customized. They can be activated on the family internet. Kids are not buying their own phones or paying for their own WiFi.
Filters are not perfect, but they are 10 x more effective than these idiotic state laws, which have little effect on keeping kids from accessing adult — the loopholes are magnitudes bigger than what’s blocked — but creates huge risks for adults who want to access legal sites.
Everyday, I hear another lawmaker say “Freedom be damned! We have to do something!” One day I’d just love to see the whiplash and backpedaling when a government proposes THEY face the liability.
A parent should be responsible for the safety and well-being of their child.
Why should the burden of protecting that child fall on a 3rd party? Isn’t it the very job of a parent to protect their children?
I agree 100% that porn sites should keep children off of their websites, and the way to ensure that happens is if a parent steps up and does something to protect their children from seeing material their little brains aren’t yet ready for.
Parents need to be responsible for protecting their children.
It is the responsibility of parents to protect their children.
If we really want to SAVE THE CHILDREN, and that is the true intent of these age verification laws, then we need to start at home. We need to ask parents to be responsible for their own children.
If you agree, I have taken the time to draft a letter that you can email to your local congressman to demand that parents step up and take action to protect their children — pointing out the obvious that the responsibility of taking care of a child should fall on the parents. Anywho, here is the letter. I strongly encourage you to email a copy with your name attached to your local congressman and let them know you actually care about the well-being of children and that you want to take a moment to actually do something about it. You want to hold their parents responsible.
Feel free to copy and paste the letter below and email it to every congressman you can find who serves your state.
Dear Congressman [Congressman’s Last Name],
I hope this letter finds you well and serving the interests of our community with the dedication and fervor I know you to possess. I am writing to you today to discuss an issue of paramount importance that affects the well-being and safety of our children: the responsibility of parents in the digital age.
With the increasing prevalence of the internet in daily life, concerns regarding the exposure of children to inappropriate material have never been more pressing. It has come to my attention that some states are considering legislation requiring websites to verify the age of their visitors as a measure to protect children. While the intent behind such initiatives is commendable, I believe we may be overlooking a more effective and fundamentally important approach: empowering and requiring parents to take responsibility for their children’s digital engagements.
The essence of parenting includes guiding, protecting, and teaching our children how to navigate the world responsibly. This responsibility undeniably extends to the digital realm. Technology offers us a plethora of tools and filters designed to block access to harmful content, yet their effectiveness hinges on parental engagement and application.
The notion, humorously proposed by Mike Stabile of the Free Speech Coalition, that parents could be legally liable for not activating available porn filters on mobile devices, underscores a critical point. These filters represent a simple, effective, and accessible means for parents to safeguard their children from content that could harm their development. By utilizing these tools, parents can exert control over the digital environment their children inhabit, much like they do in the physical world.
It is my belief that the solution to protecting our children online does not solely rest on the shoulders of website administrators or through the enactment of state laws, which, while well-intentioned, may not address the root of the problem and could inadvertently infringe on the freedoms of adults. The real and most effective safeguard lies within the home, through proactive parental supervision and intervention.
Therefore, I urge you to consider legislation that emphasizes and supports the role of parents in this digital age. Such laws should aim to educate and empower parents to use the tools at their disposal, rather than shifting the responsibility onto third parties or implementing measures that could have unintended consequences.
Protecting our children is a shared responsibility, but it begins with the recognition that parents are the first line of defense in guiding their children through the complexities of the modern world. Let us empower them to fulfill this role effectively, for the sake of our children’s safety and well-being.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response and am hopeful for your support in championing the cause of responsible digital parenting.
Sincerely, [Your Name]
If you really want to make a difference, here’s your chance. Email your congressman today! You can make a difference. You just have to put in the effort and try. Every email sent. Every phone call made. They do matter. Let your voice be heard!
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