As technology becomes an increasing part of all households, safety and monitoring the internet becomes an important role for parents. Kids no longer need a computer to get on-line, as they can access the internet through their phones, gaming devices and Ipods. Ninety percent of kids ages 8-16 have been exposed to pornography on the internet, most of the time while using the internet for homework. Curiosity often keeps them exploring. Thirty-five percent of teen boys and eight percent of teen girls have intentionally visited sexually inappropriate sites. Pornography has lasting affects on kids. It changes their outlook of healthy sexual relationships. For boys, attitudes toward women changed. Kids often become more aggressive and develop sexually dysfunctional attitudes. The human brain does not fully develop until early adulthood. By viewing pornography, adolescents are changing the structure of their brain, expanding pathways that will never go away and can be cued many years later.
It is important for parents to talk with their kids about healthy sexuality. There are numerous programs that can be placed on your computer to block inappropriate sites. Parents can also make monitoring internet usage easier by keeping the computer in a central location in the home. Programs are currently being developed which can monitor internet usage on cell phones. Pornography and sexuality can be a difficult topic for parents to discuss; however, by ignoring the problem it may only get worse and has the possibility of developing into an addiction kids will not know how to handle.
Alicia Bell is a licensed professional counselor who has extensive experience working with children and adults with sexual addictions. She is a therapist at One Counseling and Wellness.
