The Internet is an important place to learn and explore

Dundas Review
Sunday, June 15, 1997
page 4
(Opinion)

The Internet is an important place to learn and explore

I am writing in reply to the person who wrote that the Internet at the library should be censored of bad pages. I am twelve years old now and I go on the Internet all the time, on average 1/2 hour per day. Of all the time that I have been using it, (more than four years now), I have never seen or heard about any pornography pages or sites. I have never even come across any words that were racist or sexist. Even swear words are uncommon. In chat rooms, people who use inappropriate language are kicked out.

I think that the Internet is a place to learn, enjoy, and not to find bad pages to print out to all the public. Ever since we have been privileged enough to have the Internet, my grades have gone up so much that my brother and I are both grade A students. To me, the Internet is a way to explore the world without going anywhere. When I am on the Internet, it is my responsibility to pick and choose which pages are appropriate for me. If you are worried about your child's choices, explore it together.

The only people, I think, that explore the pornography pages are sick minded and they obviously don't have anything better to do. When I heard about the Internet being opened in the Dundas Public Library, I was glad to see that all people would be as privileged as my family to venture through the Internet.

I'm sure that if people looked for pornography, they could find it, but the library's computer stations have been designed to let other staff members in the library see what the user is looking at. Why waste time on the Internet looking for junk when you can use it to learn and enjoy it?

-- Jackie Blonski, Dundas