Sexuality

300 words

This discussion question is broad in its scope. I expect some of you recall a time when actors on sitcoms slept in separate beds and there was no such thing as the Internet or cable television. The only access to pornography was the Sears bra and panty section and the National Geographic magazine.

Kids today have much greater access than kids, even 10 or 15 years ago.

Do you think pornography is a social problem in the U.S.`?   Do you agree more with the conservative or liberal approach to pornography?

Pornography has long presented challenges to American culture. Defining what pornography is, regulating its consumption and distribution, and limiting its subject matter have all been the subjects of complex legal and moral arguments. And the Internet is proving to be a fruitful new ground for those arguments.

Should the Internet be treated like a print medium, which would give it strong precedence for legal protections under the First Amendment?

Or is the Internet like a broadcast medium, like television or radio, whose content can be regulated?

Do you think this content on the Internet should be regulated? Why or why not?  If so, how should it be regulated?

How did your parents, or how will you as a parent, limit/protect or otherwise monitor the access your children have to cyberporn? 

What about access to cable television and shows containing explicit nudity on HBO SHOWTIME and SKINAMAX?

If you do monitor your children at home, what can you do when they have access elsewhere?

Do parents use the available software that limits what sites their children visit?

Are some kids more computer savvy than their parents?

Below is a link to some of the most recent pornography-related Supreme Court decisions:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/porn/prosecuting/supreme.html

Lastly, how problematic is "sexting" (texting sexual content) among our youth?

With newly established laws, many youth are being litigated and convicted as sex offenders in the United States.  

Should we prosecute these kids? 

If not, then how should we handle these cases?