Assignment #1 - Protect Children from the Internet

Write a short essay(roughly 300 words) about some topic related to computing and/or the Internet that interest you that has social and ethical implications. Describe the background, then identify the ethical and social issues, problems, or questions that you think are important. (Don't make make your essay be just an argument for one point of view. You may express your views, if you want to, but first explain what the issues are and why there is a problem or controversy.)

Negative issues has appeared along cyberspace not long after its existence. Although the Internet has brought us countless benefits, it also served as a catalyst for illegal activities that has long existed as we, human beings, started to abuse media. One big issue about illegal and abusive use of the Internet is something that I consider far worse than that of pornography, the existence of pedophilia or child trafficking in the World Wide Web.

Pedophilia as depicted in the TV movie 'The Boys of St. Vincent'

Using children or minors for sexual arousal is considered a deed of a pedophile and is considered a criminal activity that is against the laws of almost, if not all nations. The struggle against this 'illness' is still very much on-going on our present society. However, the Internet has served to be a catalyst to conduct the activities of certain pedophiles. They use the Internet to perform acts faster and better, for example creating communication structures, distributing child pornography, and archiving their collections. The WWW pages, e-mails, FTPs, newsgroups and IRCs enables pedophiles to congregate at virtual locations change according to circumstances allowing them to avoid detection. In other words, these people has taken advantage the global nature of the Internet, changing ISPs and making mirror sites.

Whether children are victims trapped by pedophiles they meet on the Internet disguised, or their parents themselves use them, it's still the same, criminal acts. Because in anyway you look at it, it is against the right of the children to be used at such activity.

Here in The Philippines, the truth on the existence of pedophilia is real. Have you ever caught the TV add showing a little girl ordered by her mother to undress in exchange for PHP 200? Shocking, yes it is. Much more shocking is that, when I was researching with this issue on pedophilia and the Internet, I came across a certain Yahoo! newsgroup that perform activities that of pedophiles, and its in Tagalog!

Many private and government owned institutions had long been finding ways to eliminate these doing, yet have they failed. As I see on the present situation of our country, change is in need. Educated individuals, especially cyber citizens, have realized the need to protect children on the Web. This should become a basic. On the other hand, the 'emotional side'(perhaps that would be the term), many organizations have been formed to advise parents on how to teach their children to avoid the traps of Internet pedophilia. Another is that Parent/Child communication is the main key to avoid many major problems. Parent should teach well, know well and live well what their children are experiencing. Being open would avoid minors being dragged by pedophiles that they meet on the Net.

But what if their parents traffic them into the Net. How would they have protection.

I guess the World Wide Web is full of evil beings lurking and waiting for thier victims. Pure evil, that is. I guess the Net was always never safe, and never will be.