Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfwreck
What do you mean, "accessed by?" Children can't legally buy from Amazon; they can't agree to be bound by the TOS, and they can't have credit cards.
Also, there is no legal age limit on erotica texts (nor any other kind of text) in the US. You are welcome to decide what's appropriate for your children to read; you are not welcome to decide what my children should have access to.
I'd prefer if my kids weren't exposed to books with overtly Christian themes until they're 18--think I can get local bookstores to agree to keep those books behind the counter? After all, a parent has the right to direct a child's religious education--doesn't that mean nobody should provide religious materials to a child against the parent's wishes? (Certainly they often think so when it's Pagans providing literature to children from Christian families.)
I am, however, unconcerned about my children reading about sex. I'd much prefer they read about it than experimented blindly. Even reading bad depictions of sex (lurid purple prose with anatomically impossible positions) is less worrisome to me than reading graphic depictions of violence--which we've established can give them nightmares. Yet nobody seems to be willing to remove trauma-inducing books from my children's view. 
Of course, there's a collection of erotica available for free at Project Gutenberg. Do you steer people away from that site so that kids don't discover it? |
I don't steer anyone towards or away from any ebook sites but the local library unless they are looking for a particular book.
I am not pro censorship and not against erotica. I don't like to see books that are depicting exploitation as a good thing and this is not limited to erotica.
Frankly I would prefer that they did not exist,
but I am not going to boycott sellers or discriminate against people that read them, because of this.
I also don't think that the vast majority of children/teens are going to be damaged by reading about sex or violence, or even religion if that is their desire.
I admire your interest in your children's reading/activities. Not easy to be a concerned parent.
And while minors may not be able to open an Amazon account they do indeed get gift cards for ebooks. Most have to go through an adult to use them, but many will figure out a way to use them as they wish.
I must agree with you for the most part. There are far worse things than even the most exploitative ebooks. I still would not give a minor a gift card to a site carrying them but I don't think that makes me an extremist.
Helen
PS: BTW children can have credit cards in some circumstances and AFAIK can buy vanilla type credit cards or receive them as gifts. Perhaps there are laws restricting them from using them but online who is to know?