I spend a lot of time reviewing how people reach this website. The majority, arrive via search for specific solutions or problems– phrases like porn blocker, stop gambling, pornography addiction.

What I find interesting is that most are not looking for a web filter or help in creating a healthy Internet environment, but for a solution to a specific problem they are having with the Internet — they want to block porn from a child’s computer or to help themselves stop gambling online.

I understand. You recognize that there is a problem in your home with the way someone is using the Internet so you go online to seek a solution. Optenet PC is a great solution for these Internet use problems and there are many good and helpful solutions out there for filtering, monitoring and managing Internet use.

But my question is why are so many families reaching a situation that is so urgent that they are literally running to find out how to block pornography. I can see the urgency in many of the emails I receive and many forum discussions. There is a sense of losing control — parents have lost control of their children, adults have lost control of their own behavior, couples have lost control of how to have a healthy relationship, etc.

The Internet is playing a significant role in many changes that are taking place today – for good and for bad. The problem is not the technology. It is in how we use it. When we allow our children to spend hours in their room alone playing on the computer or as adults, we fall into the habit of socializing more online than in person or develop habits like frequently viewing pornography even though it makes us feel bad about ourselves, we are misusing the technology.

My suggestion is that you learn to ensure that you don’t need to frantically search for a porn blocker after discovering your 16 year old is watching porn every night while you are sleeping. The Internet should be a healthy part of life and it can be. But you have to make the effort and not just hope that your family figures it all out or somehow knows. If you don’t set the limits and enforce the rules, no one else is going to do it for you.

With all that said, I still believe someone has to keep making noise about the problem of the vast amounts of inappropriate Internet content available. Join me in my personal efforts to advocate for a healthier Internet: http://www.facebook.com/SherylSitman