• Monday, June 7th, 2010
• Written By Luke Gilkerson
• Categories: Parenting the Internet Generation
Back to Blog Home

Would you give your kid a stack of porn magazines?

Below is a video of Randy Alcorn, author of The Purity Principle, speaking to parents about how they should think about computers in their homes.

Randy hits the nail on the head with this one. What he said is worth repeating:

“If you have a junior high boy who has…access to a computer in the privacy of his own room, you may as well just buy hundreds and hundreds of pornographic magazines, stack them up in his closet, and say, ‘Hey, don’t look at those, okay?’”

That’s how accessible pornography is on the Internet today. In two equivalent national telephone surveys of 1,500 Internet using teens and pre-teens, unwanted exposure increased from 25% in 2000 to 34% in 2005. That’s just the unwanted exposures.

Of course, more than just good technology is needed to help a young person avoid online temptations. Teens need to be motivated not to look at pornography. They need a motivation that counters the tempting clicks.

Here is more helpful information for parents in this regard:

• ThePornTalk.com – This website is full of practical tips for parents looking for conversation starters and ways of communicating with their kids about pornography.
• “Advice on Having ‘The Talk’ with Your Kids” – Biblical counselor Rick Thomas shares his thoughts on how parents can offer ongoing teaching to their kids about sexuality.
• “Parenting Teens Who Struggle with Porn” – Read more statistics about the damaging effects of porn on kids.
• “A Culture of Accountability: Parenting the Internet Generation” – Learn why accountability is so vital in the home, especially when it comes to this issue.