"With the click of a mouse any child can find themselves in a world of instant porn free of charge" (Bol 1). .
At any age, any sex, and any race can access pornography on the Internet. Even using common search engines to look for quite innocent information often brings in links to pornographic sites. There are millions of consumers on the Web, and pornography can be easily downloaded. It's also not easy to figure out who is distributing and downloading child pornography over the Web. .
" The widespread use of the Internet to distribute pornography in general, and child pornography in particular, the ease with which computerized images can be transferred electronically and downloaded, and the difficulty of identifying and apprehending actual users led to calls for legislation to specifically deal with child pornography on the Internet" (Bol 2).
The government has recently passed the Child Online Protection Act. This act mandates the use of blocking technology on public libraries, however no existing technology effectively protects children against the harmful material on the Internet. Just like homes, computers are also available in the libraries. The Internet is becoming a widely used tool in the school and libraries. "Librarians also offer special classes and programs to ensure children have an enriching and safe online experience" ("ALA Challenges Children's Internet Protection Act" 1). This is a good way to teach children to stay away from harmful, pornographic web sites. .
As Internet use grows, so do the risks of children being exposed to inappropriate material, in particular, criminal activity by pedophiles. While the benefits of the Internet far outweigh its potential drawbacks, these dangers cannot be ignored. If left unanswered they pose a threat to children and will become the struggle to future Internet use. .
Another concern of most parents is pedophiles, which are people who look to exploit children sexually over the World Wide Web.
