The availability of immoral contents such as pornography on the internet has led to massive limits to children’s’ freedom of navigating the internet and acting on free will. The limitations that are implemented are as a result of the increasing use of the internet by both children, young adults, and older people. The current technological advancement has led to increased access to contents that are not suitable for underage children. It is for the reason that almost everyone owns a technological devices as well as have access to internet connection. Thus, most people are uploading immoral videos and photos that do not appeal to the general public as well as encourage irresponsible behavior among children. These have led to the implementation of strict restrictions that prevent children from accessing such content from the internet. The restrictions that have to be employed to prevent access by children include rating a site as requiring authentications details that only adults are able to provide. In turn, children have been prevented from accessing a lot of sites that may be of importance to their day to day activities such as school projects due to the implemented access restrictions. However, internet and pornography lead to increased immoral contents on the Internet that can encourage children to behave badly. Also, internet pornography has the possibility of encouraging child immoral behaviors and child pornography (Akdeniz, 2013).
Child pornography deprives the children of their freedom to choose what to do with their life as well as infringe their rights as human beings. The utilitarian point of view that an act is ethical provided the end outcome does not harm the individuals who are involved support the fact that children are psychologically harmed by being forced into child pornography as well as being deprived of freedom of free will (Hayry, 2013). According to a libertarian point of view, people are free to choose the way they live their own life provided they respect the equal rights of others (Boaz, 010). Thus, child pornography and the increasing internet contents on the internet are not favoring children’s moral behaviors rather it disrespects the dignity and the rights of children through forced participation in pornographic films and photos (Akdeniz, 2013). Additionally, the increased freedom of uploading and downloading contents from the internet is another factor that has fueled the implementation of the limits on children’s access to numerous sites on the internet. As a result, children are not able to access some sites that may help them in their day to day tasks such as information websites.
Immoral Behaviors among Children
The increased access to the internet has resulted in the availability of numerous contents of different facets for the general public. According to a utilitarian’s point of view, pornography is accepted for the fact that it creates jobs and money that benefits a great number of people who are involved in it (Barrow, 2015). It means that pornography from utilitarian’s point of view is ethical provided the outcome, or the result does not harm the participants. Therefore, with regards to the availability of pornographic contents in the internet, children can easily access them provided they have devices and a network coverage. However, children are not able to control the psychological impacts of pornographic contents on them thus they may view sexuality as a means of self-satisfaction. As a result, free and available access to pornographic contents by children on the internet will result in increased immoral behaviors such as children engaging in sexual behaviors and young boys forcing girls or their age to engage in sexual intercourse with them as they may regard them as sexual objects. Also, according to utilitarianism view, pornography as ethical as long as the result benefits the participant prompt young girls to engage in commercial sex working with the aim of earning extra income (Barrow, 2015). Also, children will start sexting as well as exchanging nude photos over the Internet with their peers or other people who degrade the moral conduct of teenagers in the society. Thus, under such circumstances, children should be restricted from accessing some internet contents that are related to pornography. This limits the freedom of children for free access to all the resources on the internet. Also, censoring of internet contents to ensure they are free of pornographic subjects leads to limitations to children’s freedom for accessing some of the contents on the internet.
Child Pornography
According to Libertarians’ point of view, people are free to choose the way they live their own life provided they respect the equal rights of others (Boaz, 2010). Therefore, some people may argue that child pornography is ethical as long as the child performers participated on their conscious mind and free will. However, the increasing contents on the internet are the major influencers of children’s compulsion to engage in child pornography. The increasing freedom for uploading and downloading contents from the internet has led to increased pornography contents which lure children towards believing in the fact that pornography is good. As a result, will be lured by people who are business minded into becoming child performers in the porn industry. Therefore, despite the fact that child pornography comes with financial benefits to the child performers, it violates the rights of the children and should be considered illegal. Thus, to a greater extent children may be forced by their parents or any other person to engage in child pornography for financial gains which infringe the children’s free will. Most child pornography performers engage in such practices without their consent which violates the child’s freedom of choice and free will (Akdeniz, 2013). Therefore, it is important for the authorities of enact strict measure on individuals who are found participating in forced child porn as well as those that the children are there on their free will.
According to Kant’s moral standards, the performers of pornography should be accorded the autonomy of whether they want to or not. Thus, pornography is considered ethical when it is done under free will and does not violate any equal rights of individuals. However, with children the legal age for engaging in such activities is 18 years which is way above the consent age of 16 years. Therefore, in itself child pornography be it forced or under a free will is unethical since it is exploitation of minors for financial gains and also limits the child’s freedom of choosing the way they should live their life. Also, Utilitarianism argues that an act is ethical provided the outcome, or the result does not harm the participants (Mulgan, 2014). With regards to this point of view, forced child pornography psychologically harms the children who are the business against their will and consent. As a result, child performers are not able to enjoy the freedom of free will. Another, outcome of child pornography in relation to the limits of freedom is the restrictions on access to some sites on the internet. The increasing pornographic contents on the internet has prompted the implementation of numerous restrictions and censoring on some websites that contain porn-related contents. As a result, children are not able to access these sites despite that fact that they are doing it under their consent. It deprives the children of the freedom of accessing contents from the internet that they utilize in their day to day activities such as school projects and assignments.
Access to Information Contents
The presence of pornographic contents on the internet has resulted in massive restrictions on all websites that contain any pornography-related contents. As a result, some of the sites that maybe educative fall victims of these restrictions. Hence, children are blurred from accessing sites that may be informative and could help them gain knowledge that can help them in their day to day lives. Accessing the internet is out of the child’s consent and free will. Therefore, censoring and employing restriction strategies on some websites deprive the children their freedom of access out of free will and consent. Thus, the authorities and other concerned parties should prevent such contents from being uploaded to the internet or a given domain.
Hence, it is evident the availability of immoral contents such as pornography on the internet has led to massive limits to children’s’ freedom of navigating the internet and acting on free will. That is that there are limits of freedom that result from child pornography and the internet accessibility. Forced child pornography is common, and it deprives children their rights of free will and freedom of choice. Therefore, despite the fact that child pornography comes with financial benefits to the child performers, it violates the rights of the children and should be considered illegal. Thus, to a greater extent children may be forced by their parents or any other person to engage in child pornography for financial gains which infringe the children’s free will. Also, in increased pornographic contents on the internet has resulted in increased restrictions that prevent children from freely accessing numerous sites that contain informative information.
References
Akdeniz, Y. (2013). Internet child pornography and the law: national and international responses. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd..
Barrow, R. (2015). Utilitarianism: A contemporary statement. Routledge.
Boaz, D. (2010). Libertarianism. Simon and Schuster.
Hayry, M. (2013). Liberal utilitarianism and applied ethics. Routledge.
Mulgan, T. (2014). Understanding utilitarianism. Routledge.
