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The "think of the children" nonsense was so annoying as a child. Paternalistic bullshit that tried to stop me from using the Internet meaningfully. Fortunately,

The "think of the children" nonsense was so annoying as a child. Paternalistic bullshit that tried to stop me from using the Internet meaningfully. Fortunately, everyone decided to comply with pointless age gates and, as a child, I had a full and complete experience. I'm a well-balanced individual now and I always wondered how people who were once kids and had loads of fun would lock down shit to other kids when they grew older. Now I see this shit live. We used to think it was the previous generation that mollycoddled kids and instead we now have the perpetual hovermom because people are flipping out over this "think of the children" crap. Imagine if I had had to have had an ID mailed in to register on sites just to discuss sci-fi just because someone might mention sex there. Wow, not living in America, I might never have even been able to discuss anything.

mixmastamyk 7y ago
Children are under our protection, and don't yet have full rights. It's annoying to tweens, but not a bad thing. Personally due to age I didn't get on the internet until age ~25 or so. And what I saw there I'll never "unsee" if you catch my drift. Would I choose expose that to my ten year old self now? Definitely not. It's just not necessary. We may have survived intact, but the better question is, was it beneficial to you? I can't say that seeing those things at ten would have improved my life in any meaningful way. Didn't even mention the predator angle, while overblown, is a thing. Data harvesting FTW. Less is more.
- scarejunba 7y ago
  Of course "less is more" for everyone else. That's been the mantra of every group of people restricting rights to individuals. "Don't play video games. It'll make you violent" ; "You can't watch that movie. It'll make you a rapist" ; "Don't read that book. It'll turn you into a traitor" No, thanks. I had the Internet from the time I was 10. It made me the capable person I am, gave me the incredible career I have today, and showed me all the things I could become. Horizons were crossed that I never dreamed possible. Many of the people I knew never saw these things and they would kill to have my life. I am absolutely committed to a free and open Internet. Of course, the puritans are against this. The puritans are establishmentarians and authoritarians. You can never do anything because they're protecting you. Oh so very precious, the protection. No, enough with the shackles. The next generation has a right to grow without you cutting their legs out from under them.
  - mixmastamyk 7y ago
    Oh please, we're talking about children, not adults. As I said I got on the internet at 25 and had a front row seat to the explosion of the web. Took to it like a duck to water. Considering all the time wasted, I didn't miss a thing waiting. It didn't harm me one bit. You know what else I did in my twenties? Saw the world. Was much more compelling than online friends can ever be. Recommended. You sound young, give it time and your perspective will change.
    - scarejunba 7y ago
      Are you trying to act sophisticated and condescending on the Internet? The added perspective of your travels should have taught you not to do that, surely.
      - mixmastamyk 7y ago
        Not after I listened to your diatribe about exposing children to filth and data tracking. Get outside was the point.

mixmastamyk 7y ago

Children are under our protection, and don't yet have full rights. It's annoying to tweens, but not a bad thing. Personally due to age I didn't get on the internet until age ~25 or so. And what I saw there I'll never "unsee" if you catch my drift. Would I choose expose that to my ten year old self now? Definitely not. It's just not necessary. We may have survived intact, but the better question is, was it beneficial to you? I can't say that seeing those things at ten would have improved my life in any meaningful way. Didn't even mention the predator angle, while overblown, is a thing. Data harvesting FTW. Less is more.

scarejunba 7y ago
Of course "less is more" for everyone else. That's been the mantra of every group of people restricting rights to individuals. "Don't play video games. It'll make you violent" ; "You can't watch that movie. It'll make you a rapist" ; "Don't read that book. It'll turn you into a traitor" No, thanks. I had the Internet from the time I was 10. It made me the capable person I am, gave me the incredible career I have today, and showed me all the things I could become. Horizons were crossed that I never dreamed possible. Many of the people I knew never saw these things and they would kill to have my life. I am absolutely committed to a free and open Internet. Of course, the puritans are against this. The puritans are establishmentarians and authoritarians. You can never do anything because they're protecting you. Oh so very precious, the protection. No, enough with the shackles. The next generation has a right to grow without you cutting their legs out from under them.
- mixmastamyk 7y ago
  Oh please, we're talking about children, not adults. As I said I got on the internet at 25 and had a front row seat to the explosion of the web. Took to it like a duck to water. Considering all the time wasted, I didn't miss a thing waiting. It didn't harm me one bit. You know what else I did in my twenties? Saw the world. Was much more compelling than online friends can ever be. Recommended. You sound young, give it time and your perspective will change.
  - scarejunba 7y ago
    Are you trying to act sophisticated and condescending on the Internet? The added perspective of your travels should have taught you not to do that, surely.
    - mixmastamyk 7y ago
      Not after I listened to your diatribe about exposing children to filth and data tracking. Get outside was the point.