Topher and I attended a conference last week that was put on by the Utah Coalition Against Pornography. If anyone is interested in purchasing the complete conference on DVD, you can do so at
http://www.utahcoalition.org/. The DVD costs $25. The sesions were very informative, and I thought I would share a few of the things I learned with any of you who are working to protect your families.
1. Do you have a filter on all of the computers in your house? You can download a free filter from
http://www1.k9webprotection.com/ or
http://netnanny.com/. These tools are user friendly, customizable, and allow you to monitor web-activity accessed through your internet browser.
2. Most internet filters (including the ones above) are NOT comprehensive. Pornographic files can be downloaded from Peer to Peer applications (Napster, Bear Share, LimeWire, etc.) and the files will not be blocked by most internet filters.
3. The number one use of Peer to Peer applications is the distribution of child pornography. Peer to Peer applications access files by connecting to other computers and downloading files directly from those computers.
4. Gaming Consoles (XBox, PS3, Wii) have unfiltered internet browsing capabilities. Children who are playing games on consoles that are connected to the internet can also access the internet.
5. In order to protect better against the possible danger of Peer to Peer Applications, and internet browsing through Gaming Consoles, it is necessary to have a filter on your internet router. This type of filter can be purchased through
http://www.pandorashope.com/.
6. Patrick A Trueman (US Department of Justice) called cell phones "porn in a pocket". Some cell phone providers will filter the internet. Others do not. Call your cell provider to see what filtering tools they can intall on the phones your family uses.
7. "Sexting" is a new trend. Children and teens are now producing and distributing child pornography (of themselves) via their cell phones. Monitor your children's text and picutre messaging. It was recommend that cell phones and computers not be allowed in bedrooms. All cell phones should be plugged into a charging dock in the evening so children aren't text and picture messaging in the night.
8. Do you know the laws that protect you and your family from indcency in our society? You can read some of the key laws here:
http://www.strengthenthefamily.net/law_legal_def.php. Sadly, many of these laws are not being enforced. Did you know that it is illegal for hotels to sell "hard-core" pornography from hotel rooms? It is. Under the Obaba administration, these prosecutions, along with many other prosectuation against the illegal distribution or pornography have stopped.
9. Read the Harmful to Minors Law in the link above. As citizens, we can respectfully approach business owners to request that they adhere to these laws. Many sexually explicit and indecent magazines are displayed at children's eye level. Many popular magazine titles sold in grocery stores are acually owned by the sex industry. Magazine owners purchase their spots on the racks, and they place these magazines where children will be exposed to them purposely. The objective is to hook young children on sexual material. This is a similar tactic by the sex industry that we once saw with Camel cigarettes marketing with a cartoon to incite children while they were young. This week I spoke to the owner of a gas station about the magazine rack that was displayed and children's eye level. I thanked him for putting some of the indecent magazines on the back row of the rack where the title of the magazie was visible, but the pictures on the front were not. I pointed out one magazine that I was concerned about being visible to my son. I found that he was receptive to me, and respectful of my request to move the magazine.
10. Here are some articles you can read about promoting decency in our communities:
http://www.strengthenthefamily.net/index_model_city.php.
11. When an individual has a gaming addiction, it can be much easier for them to become addicted to pornography because they have learned to meet many of their basic psychological needs through a virtual reality. This link:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=afee15e67b5b2210VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD will take you to an article that discusses how to identify gaming addictions.
12. MMPORPGs (mass multi-player online role playing games), such as Second-Life and World of Warcraft are housed on the internet. These types of games are highly addictive. Additionally, child predators also flock to these sites because of the chat capabilities.
13. Pornography addictions are no respecter of persons. Men and women and boys and girls of all ages and social classes are suceptible to this new highly addictive "drug".
14. Children should be taught not to interact with anyone on the internet that they and their parents do not know in real life. They also need to be taught what type of information is appropriate to share online.
15. Check out the resources tab on
http://www.utahcoalition.org/.
While there are many things we can do to protect ourselves and those we love, the most important protection is spiritual. We need an internal personal filter. Sadly, we can no longer wall ourselves or our children off completely from exposure to sexual material. I hope the information in this post will help though. We have a lot more information. Contact Topher or me if you have questions. We are happy to share more.
