[NSFW] If you had a child 13yr to 15yr and they were dabbling into adult content on Fluther what would you think or do?

I’ve wondered about this, and thought about posting such a question myself. We do have the requirement of using NSFW tags, but that does nothing to prevent the 13 year olds who are permitted to join this site from reading those threads.

Frankly the way I see it is, not my problem. It is the parents responsibility to monitor what they deem to be appropriate or not for their child. I can’t say I’d personally have a problem with my child seeing something like that at that age but then again I have no say at all beings as I have no children. I think if you can be mature enough with your children and talk about things then none of it should come as any surprise when a stranger talks about it.

When I was 13–14, I was already reading raunchy gay porn. I knew what rimming was before I’d even kissed a guy. I don’t think I’d care much about it. They could be doing worse things – smoking, drinking, drugs, crime, having sex instead of just reading about it, etc.

Normal sex stuff wouldn’t bother me, even sexual jokes. But I wouldn’t feel comfortable with my girls reading things that were either borderline or full-blown raunchy/perverted at that age.

A girlfriend stole her mom’s copy of The Joy of Sex, when we were about 11–12, and let me borrow it. I wouldn’t freak out if I found out my twelve year old had seen that book. But I would be concerned if she saw some of the things posted here on Fluther.

That being said, I feel that the age restriction should be fifteen instead of thirteen, but how do you possibly enforce that? Anyone with half a brain can lie about their age.

When you get right down to it, it’s the parent’s job to monitor their child’s online activities, and not ours. This ain’t a Disney website.

@livelaughlove21 They could be doing worse things – smoking, drinking, drugs, crime, having sex instead of just reading about it, etc. If statistics are close to accurate they are into the drugs, drinking, etc, by the time they are teens if not mid-teens. Reading about how mind blowing sex is, being drunk or high might make sex more likely.

I have a 15 year-old and 13 year-old and, while neither is super active here, they both have Fluther accounts. I pay pretty close attention to what they are doing online and frankly while what you mention is pretty risqué, it is positively tame compared to what can be found very easily online by typing a single word into google – and it will be served up with photos! I am not naive enough to think that either one of my boys is not interested in sex. So I don’t get too worked up about policing their Fluther activity. I am not convinced that reading about mind blowing sex will make them run out and start trying to seduce girls. I think it is more likely to make them think they are amateurs, the bar is pretty high, and make the thought of having sex even more terrifying. I also don’t think that reading about drinking and drugs is going to make using any more alluring. Most kids are curious, some will experiment and some won’t.

We have always been pretty open about discussing sex, drugs, and other tough topics. We don’t sit down and bring it up on a regular schedule, but when they come out with a question or some crude word or comment, we discuss it. We figure it is best that they know what they are saying/hearing means and are learning it from us not some other sexed up adolescent.

I totally agree that it is my job to monitor my kids’ media intake and no one else’s.

If I were that parent (my kids are nearly twice that age now, so it’s a moot question for me), I would encourage them to ask away on Fluther if they were uncomfortable talking about it with me. But don’t tell Mom, because she’ll freak, and nobody wants that.

And if you hear something that seems incredible, silly or just plain wrong, then first, tell me who you heard it from, because I might agree that’s it’s probably wrong or mis-written just knowing who the source is, or let’s check out the Google and see what it has to say. (No, I wouldn’t say “the Google”.)

I was reading a lot worse, that is “more graphic”, than Fluther when I was that age; I don’t think it harmed me too badly.

Thirteen? Much too young in my opinion. Fifteen? I would use it as a jumping off place for conversations.

@Hypocrisy_Central I’m not quite sure what you mean. Statistics show that all children are into drinking and drugs by the time they hit their teens? I’ve love to see a source on that one…

And if they’re already getting high and drunk by 13, I’d say they’re already having sex regardless of their reading material. I hardly think Fluther would be the culprit.

Considering that this is reality, I would say that any such stuff on Fluther is extremely tame compared to the rest of the Internet, or to the world away from the computer. Kids were drinking, doing drugs, and doing each other since humanity discovers alcohol, funny berries, and genitalia; any rise in statistics is merely a rise in awareness.

And the thought that reading about it makes it more likely is outright fallacious. People only really read about stuff that they are interested in anyways. Note that back in the ‘80s when many were saying that Heavy Metal music causes suicide, the kids that were killing themselves were messed up before they got into any music at all. But no, you can’t blame depression or an abusive household, or being chronically bullied; it was all Ozzy’s fault!

Most importantly, if the kid gets any bright ideas from reading that sort of stuff on Fluther, the parent went wrong somewhere in the years leading up to them being here.

I wouldn’t really do anything since I know that anybody who isn’t locked in a cave with no media access or societal contact will come across far worse things in their daily lives.

My daughter’s 13 & sometimes reads through a few questions with me, mainly for the lulz, but she’s also quite fascinated by what “those Americans” have to say…some of you anyway.
One time, whilst scrolling down the question list, she stopped to ask what nsfw meant, now me being a good dad I told her it was “grown up” stuff & not something she’d wanna dwell on.

Her being the mature/smart girl that she is, wasn’t wearing it & insisted I show her an example.
With the warning “on your head be it” ringing in her ears, I reluctantly clicked on a question & held my breath. After only a few seconds & following what must have been a particularly explicit response, she calmly stated that she’d seen more than enough & claimed that nsfw must stand for Not Sure Fluther Works…mature, but still a little girl at heart, that’s my girl!

All three of my children have been members here since they were 13 years old. When they were younger, I told them to stay out of NSFW threads because they were inappropriate for them. I’m sure they didn’t always listen, but it never much bothered me…I’d rather they stumble upon this kind of thing here than nearly anywhere else. Frank discussion about anything and everything is part of our lives anyway.

By the time my son is 13 – 15 I won’t be surprised if half of his friends are parents themselves. It’s really not that big a deal.

@livelaughlove21 Statistics show that all children are into drinking and drugs by the time they hit their teens? I’ve love to see a source on that one… I have not forgotten you on that. For some reason I could not get the link to work. But…..there were several others which spoke similar stats, I will try ti update you with those.

I doubt the content here is any worse than the chat at school that peers often share. I agree with @uberbatman that internet policing is the parents job.

Sadly not many parents do that job well. I reckon at that age they are learning about life, sex and all sorts of things, it is probably a bit safer to do so on Fluther than on sites such as Brazzers and other reality adult sites that totally distort sex.