We are now entering an age of computers where people have almost unlimited access to information. There are entire books and encyclopedias that can be purchased for use on personal computers. Information such as stock prices to computer-aided design programs to entire business operations is being used and accessed through the power of the computer. This information is obtained through the thousands of computer programs out on the market, but most importantly, it is obtained by access to what is called the "Internet." The Internet is the term for the ten thousand plus interconnected computer networks throughout the world that enable us to gather and dispense any type of information almost instantly. For the 1.5 million computers and the 10 million plus users, the Internet gathers information easily and quickly by means of messages, newsgroups, discussion groups, and conferences (rmuir, '94). Anyone who owns a computer and has the necessary software and hardware can have access to this infinite amount of information.
This, of course, can include children. Right now children at the age of seven are speeeding down the "information superhighway," accessing an almost unlimited amount of information. In fact, there are schools on the Internet with their own World Wide Web homepages already. Unfortunately, some of this information isn't geared for children and can even be strictly for adults. Just as inappropriate material in books and magazines is regulated, there too should be some form of Internet regulation and ethics because children of secondary schools have access to any and all information including that information which is objectionable and even harmful.
Objectionable materials consist of, but are not limited to, anything containing explicit language, pornography, violence, promotion of illegal drugs, and anything not ethically suitable for children. For example, when searching the World Wide Web server, I came across six documents for the four letter word for referring to sexual intercourse. Also, while searching the World Wide Web, I found twenty documents under the search title "violence." There are also entire homepages that have decoded the pornographic material posted in some specific newsgroups. Several of these newsgroups contain other obvious objectionable materials. While searching a collection of newsgroups, fifty-eight were found containing the word "sex."
Internet regulation is a growing concern for many Americans just as censorship of television and movies is also a growing concern. There are many non-profit organizations supporting Internet regulation for children. The Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) is a main contributor for solutions to the problem of objectionable materials on the Internet. They have e-mail addresses specifically designed to recieve and answer questions about the Internet as well as many other services. The Chatback Trust was also founded in concern with the use of networks to teach children. These as well as The k12 Administration, Parents Helping Parents , Empire Internet Schoolhouse, and The International Society for Technology in Education promote acceptable use of the Internet for children and are concerned with teaching children proper ways to get the most out of the Internet. If a school, either public or private, has a direct Internet connection, then anyone, including students, can access objectionable material. This is why it is important to develop clear policies for use of the Internet. Rules should be set up to enforce behavior and there should be consequences for those students who engage in inappropriate behavior on the Internet. Also, schools should promote ethics for the Internet such as current Internet issues and technology briefs.
At this point, it is difficult to regulate every part of the Internet. This is partially because thousands of people donate information to the Internet every day. However, there are many ways to effectively regulate certain parts of the Internet so that children will be less able to access objectionable material. These parts, in specific, are The World Wide Web, the Usenet newsgroups, and Gopher servers. For classroom purposes, these parts of the Internet are extremely useful for obtaining information.
There are several different techniques to regulate each of these parts for the benefit of classroom use. First, as a basis for classroom Internet implementation, it is necessary to assign responsibility to an adult. Ideally, this would be the teacher of the class doing the Internet studies. There should be student agreements signed by both the student and the parents of the student allowing that student to engage in Internet activities (Morrison and Hoker, '94). Once responsibility for the students actions is assigned and consent has been to the student to use the Internet, then it is up to the teacher to decide what part of the Internet to be used.
One possibility is to set up a menu by means of a UNIX axxount that the reacher would be in charge of. This would give the teacher a choice of what the students would be allowed to view, thus limiting the availability of possible objectionable material. Another possibility, depending on the age of the student, is to restrict access time and to only allow access under strict suprevision. This is not recommended as a sole solution, but when used in combination with a menu-type style of regulation, it could be beneficial.
The World Wide Web, if used as the sole information source, is difficult to regulate. However, there are a couple of things that can be done to remove prurient information. The World Wide Web can only be monitored on a case by case basis. If a person accesses objectionable material, then that person can recommend to the author that the homepage be revised (Morrison and Hoker, '94). Usually the author will put a place where he or she can be reached, such as an address, telephone number, or e-mail address. Also, there are a few homepages on the World Wide Web that can only be accessed by a password. This is not foolproof, but nonetheless fairly effective.
There is also Usenet newsgroup moderation. Newsgroups can be monitored and effectively regulated. If it is evident that there is objectionable material in a newsgroup, then that certain article or articles can be removed from that newsgroup. I propose that these techniques be implemented in Internet classrooms because they are the most effective ways for keeping undesirable materials out of the hands of children.
When used correctly, the Internet can be a powerful source of good information that can be used in the classroom as well as in the home. There are dozens of benefits for using the Internet as a constructive tool in the classroom. The Internet makes hundreds of resources available to students and teachers thus expanding classroom information dramatically. The Internet makes information accessible to students from places otherwise impossible to reach. Benefits include individual and group projects and idea-sharing not found in schools without internet access. Many people believe that Internet access in the classroom is beneficial, including Vice President Albert Gore. In a speech he delivered in early 1994, Gore said, "It was in this spirit that then-Governor Clinton and I, campaigning for the White House in 1992, set as a vital national goal linking every classroom in every school in the United States to the National Information Infrastructure [NII]" (Gore, '94). As of January 1994, there was talk about communication companies voluntarily linking every classroom in their services to the NII.
Since the freedom of speech is a Constitutional right, it allows anyone to express what they have to say, be it good or bad. This means that they have this right on the Internet. I believe that this is an irrational statement. The Internet was designed by the military and has over the years become user-friendly. It was a means of accessing only genuine and valid information. Now, since anyone can use the Internet, one must ensure the validity of the information accessed. Pornography, vulgarity, and other objectionable material has no place on the Internet and should not be tolerated. This is especially true now that children are accessing information from the net.
All in all, there will always be material on the Internet unsuitable for children, and it would be a lifelong process to monitor and catch every bit of objectionable material entering the Internet. The main reason for this is because anyone can deliver and recieve information. Children should be taught how to use the Internet appropriately and constructively. Children should not be able to access this objectionable material just as they should not be allowed to read and view violence and pornography. By becoming more aware of the problem of unsuitable material on the Internet, we can learn how to deal with it more properly. Non-profit organizations like The Educational Resources Information Center have unlimited information, answers, and suggestions for a better Internet that truly everyone will be able to use without the worry of social conflicts arising such as pornography, violence, and explicit language.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kadie, Carl M. kadie@eff.org, kadie@cs.uiuc.edu, http://www.eff.org:80/CAF/cafuiuc.html
rmuir@chs.cusd.claremont.edu FYI, RFC#1578 -Schools and Internet, February 22,1994, http://chs.cusd.claremont.edu:80/www/people/rmuir/rfc1578.html
Abrahams, Janice. Janice's k12 Cyberspace OUTPOST. October 1,1994. http://k12.cnidr.org/janice_k12/schools.html, http://k12.cnidr.org/janice_k12/menu.html
The Family Resource Center in Santa Clara, California, Parents Helping Parents. October 25, 1994, http://www.portal.com:80/~cbntmkr/php.html
Gore, Albert. Speech at Royce Hall, UCLA Los Angeles, CA. January 11, 1994. http://sunsite.unc.edu:80/icky/speech2.html
Morrison, Michael. Computer Writing and Research Center. University of Texas at Austin. Personal Interview. December 3,1994.
Hoker, Delia. Computer Writing and Research Center. University of Texas at Austin. Personal Interview. December 3,1994.