Internet pornography and its accessibility to children has been perhaps the longest-running moral panic of recent times (Grayson, 2004, http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2455). It is this widely held belief that has caused great concern within society.
Cyber-porn is a real threat to families and has quickly become an alarming issue for parents who want to protect their children. Any child who clicks on a home computer can see lurid images of loveless sex, sexual positions, and rape (1995, http://www.antipope.org/charlie/journo/cyberpanic.html).
Other lurid images that can be found on the Internet include pedophilia, bondage, sadomasochism, urination, defecation, and sex acts with barnyard animals (1995, http://www.antipope.org/charlie/journo/cyberpanic.html). This sums up the type of pornography that is being exposed to users of the Internet.
The introduction of the Protection of Children from Computer Pornography Act of 1995 has minimized some aspects of pornography on the Internet, however, not all viewers are safe from this exposure. Pop-ups for all sorts of sexual acts and favours still do exist and are uncovered for all to see, even without purposely looking for it.
While there may be a lot of [Pornography_And_Internet_Technologies | pornographic]] content available on the Internet that people of all ages can access, there is one reason that may put a concerned parent’s mind at ease in regards to this issue. This has to do with the fact that many people are not willing to go to the trouble and expense of putting pornography up on the Internet and then just let anybody have access to it without some kind of compensation (2004, http://www.bensenville.lib.il.us/pp/ppfacts.html). Like every other business, money is the driving force behind those people who display and post pornographic sites. There is no reason to provide free entertainment, especially if there are no beneficial aspects.
So while action has taken place in order to minimise pornographic images and websites, there will always be the notion that pornography does exist within a virtual reality, and that it can still be easily accessed.
Grayson, H. (2004) Society's Moral Panic Attacks - all grist for the media mill, retrieved October 25, 2004, from http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=2455
Moral Panics on the Net (1995) Retrieved October 26, 2004, from http://www.antipope.org/charlie/journo/cyberpanic.html
The Facts About Pornography on the Internet (2004) Retrieved October 26, 2004, from http://www.bensenville.lib.il.us/pp/ppfacts.html
Katie Johnson 09:26, 29 Oct 2004 (EST)
