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Teens looking at porn, and did you know...

Posted on Feb 18, 2008

that they (the boys) pass around porn websites and the girls post nude pics of themselves either on my space or via e-mail or text?  Did you know that the popular game PSP (Playstation Portable) can be used as a computer and surf the net???I have 2 kids, boy 14 (almost 15) and a girl 12.  I have been a stay at home mom for most of my kids lives.  We chose to make that sacrifice.  We do not have a lot of money, if fact we struggle a lot financially!!  My kids don't get everything they want (which is the problem with today's youth in my opinion) but they do get everything that they need. When we can afford it they do get extras, like private music lessons since they each play an instrument. My husband and I have been married for 15 1/2 years and have been together for over 17 years.  We are proactive parents, not reactive!  We have worried about what our kids could get into on the internet and have educated them about the dangers, etc...  They do not and will not have blind access to it.  We monitor what they do on line and have never allowed My Space accounts or even instant messaging.  This past summer my 14 year old son bought (with his own saved up money) a PSP (hand held video game).  I was not an expert on this little "toy" and thought it was just that, a TOY.  Looking back, I guess I had my suspicions because I remember asking my son if the PSP could access the internet.  Of course, he said NO MOM!!  There is NO warning on the box of this game.  Anyway......fast forward to 1/31/08.......My son got very defensive when I asked to see the pictures on his PSP....as I didn't even know that you could put pics on a PSP.  I knew he was hiding something so I took the PSP got my husband and we all looked at the pictures.  I was absolutely horrified when I found PORN on this little "toy"!!!  My little boys innocence, lost!!!  I know that 14 year old boys will look at girls.  I am not naive.  But this................he has seen it ALL!!!  Long story short....he didn't want us to know he had internet on the "toy" so he lied.  He had been looking at porn from August 07 to 1/31/08.  IN MY HOUSE ON MY WATCH!!!  When we had taken all of those precautions!!  BEWARE........all of you mom's out there!! If you have a wireless router in your home.......have it password protected. My husband didn't think we needed to have it password protected. We didn't know our son had a computer (PSP) all to his own in his room.....our computer is in our office and my husband has the laptop for his work and no one else uses it but him, no need for a password......WRONG!! If your neighbors have a wireless router that is not password protected, your kids can still access the internet using their PSP's! I am not a stupid or naive person.....how could I have missed this? Surely I am not the only one in the world that didn't know that this "toy" could ruin all I have worked so hard to protect my children from?
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