Dark side of the Internet

Without a doubt, one of the most important responsibilities God gives to anyone is the one He gives to parents. Charged with raising their children in the fear of the Lord, theirs is a serious and difficult task. Joy and sorrow often go hand in hand in the mission and task of raising young people.

The challenge of raising children is all the more difficult today because of the Internet. First invented in 1990, it has grown enormously, in ways few predicted when it arrived on the scene. Like most things, there is plenty to enjoy about it. The Internet allows for greater connectivity and for the easier spread of information.

But there is a dark side as well. Human nature being what it is, we will always corrupt and use good things for evil purposes. In many ways, the Internet is a bit like the Wild West in that it remains largely untamed and unregulated. One area that has been a particular focus for CARE is the issue of online pornography. We have become increasingly concerned at the way young people are exposed to adult content online. A major study by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) a couple of months ago showed that more than half of 11-13-year olds said they had seen porn. That rose to 66% for 14-15-year olds.

The study also showed that the vast majority of parents support age-checks on online porn. It’s hardly a surprise. Parents are worried, and understandably so! The consequence, according to the BBFC’s study, is that a child’s view of sex and relationships is then shaped and influenced by online porn. This mirrors similar findings in a study by the University of Middlesex which was completed in 2016 on behalf of the NSPCC, the UK’s major children’s charity.

We give thanks to God for the different ways this issue is now being talked about in the church. In 2016, CARE hosted the P-Word Conference, working with an organisation called Naked Truth. Hundreds came to the event held in central London, clear evidence that people are waking up to the importance of protecting ourselves online. Yet what is missing is anything specifically for parents to help them navigate and think through how best to protect their children online.

Age verification online

In this context, where the Internet is contributing to the sexualisation of young people, it is absolutely right that action should be taken. Children need to be protected online. The Government recognised this and, in its 2015 manifesto, the Conservative Party promised to introduce age-verification on online pornographic websites. In doing so, it committed the UK to becoming the first country ever to make such a move.

The idea was simple. Offline, you need to prove you are 18 or over to buy adult materials. If children are protected in this way offline, then why not online? At first, the Government kept their word. Along the way, there were numerous delays, the last in July because of a ridiculous bureaucratic error. But time, money and resources had gone into getting it ready. We were told it would be launched before the end of 2019. The UK was poised to become a world leader, the first country anywhere in the world to introduce robust age-checks on pornographic content online in a bid to protect children.

Only the Government has done a sudden U-turn and dropped the proposals. Just like that. The argument was that age-verification wouldn’t work because enterprising teenagers would just find a way round the checks. Well, of course that will happen! No-one is saying age-checks are some magic silver bullet that will provide perfect protection. But what it would have done is reduce the number of children accidentally stumbling across explicit, adult content. Surely it is worth it on that basis alone?

At CARE, we are determined not to let this issue fall off the radar. The safety of children online matters. We are living in a digital age and the rules of the game have changed. Our laws are out of date. For the sake of future generations, I hope that the new Government, whoever it is, will recommit to introducing age-checks online as soon as possible.