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I frankly don't understand why people get so worked up about kids and the internet. I definitely watched plenty of online porn when I was kid. I spent lots of t

I frankly don't understand why people get so worked up about kids and the internet. I definitely watched plenty of online porn when I was kid. I spent lots of time on IRC, chat rooms, vent, forums, and in games talking to and playing with people who were significantly older than me. I had a great time, at no point was I "in danger", I was able to explore issues and questions I had in private, and I found the experience to be a great way to learn and interact with adults on a more equal footing. I think the only time kids can get into trouble is when they intentionally reveal their identity. As long as everyone remains anon, I think the internet is a perfectly safe place for kids on the whole.

GhotiFish 11y ago
I absolutely agree, when you and I were growing up on the internet, it was an obviously safe space because the norm was pseudonyms and anonymity. Now it's all about tying everything you say to your full name and current living address so it can follow you around for the rest of your life as a permanent record. Kids can do serious harm to their future selves by acting like the self absorbed little shits that we all once were. The public view is that staying anonymous is some kind of "protection for criminals". It's very difficult to explain that it's "protection for your child". In my view, this pressure to publicly identify is a huge problem online.