No internet filter mom and dad? Are you kidding me?

In both of my 8th grade music classes I asked the kids if they had an Internet filter on their computer at home. They asked if I meant a pop-up blocker. I said no, then said, "so you can go to any website that you want to?" As best as I could recollect, all of them said "yes." It was an informal discussion. Now maybe some of the kids were intimidate to say "yes, mom and dad have something that keeps me from going to certain places."

I am dumbfounded if this is true. As a father of a boy who loved to be on the web and chat, I had an Internet filter on my computer that was really good (for both of us!). Although there is plenty of great stuff on the web, there is a boatload of trash, filth, and danger there. Now are the parents of my 8th graders naive, too trusting or are their kids angels who'd never go to places they shouldn't go?

Parents, if you think your kids (especially boys) are just "looking around" you are a candidate for Ostrich of the year!!!! Get one of two filters. 1. check out www.besafe.com a multi-tiered provider that offer choices of only a content filter all the way up to anti-virus, spam filter, and a host of other services. Or there is a second service which doesn't block anything but sends a copy of every website visited to another persons computer... one of the parents own choosing. This provides accountability because it all websites are listed.

I believe this is so critical that parents ought to shut down their Internet NOW until they get a content filter set up. If you don't do something like this you are allowing criminals to have access to the hearts of your children. That stuff can suck your child into a web of disaster. Please, please, please do it now!!!