Pornography Goes On-Line

ALL OVER THE WORLD, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE USE THE Internet every day. Many log on to conduct business, to catch up on world news, to check the weather, to learn about different countries, to obtain travel information, or to communicate with family and friends in various parts of the world. But some—married and single adults as well as a surprising number of children—will be going on-line for a very different reason: TO LOOK AT PORNOGRAPHY.

COMPUTER PORNOGRAPHY, also called cyberporn, is so popular that it has become a multimillion-dollar business. The Wall Street Journal observed: "Find a Web site that is in the black [profitable] and, chances are, its business and content are distinctly blue [pornographic]."

The Journal went on to explain why people turn to the Internet for pornography: "Customers can view racy fare without having to slink into a sleazy bookstore or even visit the back room of the neighborhood video shop. Customers can peruse raunchy fare in the privacy of the home—or office."

Pornography and Children

Sadly, many of cyberporn's viewers are children. Youngsters who are prohibited by law from purchasing pornographic literature or from renting pornographic videos can gain access to these in their own home with a few clicks of the mouse. The choices are endless.

Many children regularly visit Internet sites without their parents' knowledge. In fact, The Detroit News states that "more than two in five children have subscribed to a web site or other service online even though nearly 85 percent of parents have rules against doing so."

While most children—and adults as well—are careful to hide the fact that they dabble in pornography, not everyone sees the need to do so. Some consider the practice to be a harmless form of recreation. Others concede that pornography is not good for children but reason that what adults do in private is their own business.

In some countries the controversy over pornography has turned into a full-scale political battle. On one side of the argument, free-speech proponents campaign in favor of pornography, and on the other, family-values advocates lobby the authorities to ban pornography.