Internet Usage

ie # 1: The filter will help in the fight against child pornography.

Lie # 2: The filter won't slow connection speeds.

Lie #3: Conroy's filter will stop your kids viewing harmful stuff online.

Lie #4: The filter has been proven in Government trials.

Lie #5: This plan is no different to what is already done with books and films.

Lie #6: The ISP filter is similar to ones in other Western democracies.

Lie #7: The filter will not make the internet more expensive.

Lie #8: If you're anti mandatory filtering you're pro child porn.

Lie #9: The filter would be impenetrable.

Lie #10: An ISP filter is the best option out there.

Internet filtering and the adolescent gay/lesbian patron

San Jose State University

School of Library and Information Science

San Jose, CA, United States

September 2006

Abstract

With the recent passage of the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and its constitutionality subsequently affirmed by the Supreme Court, libraries are faced with challenges presented by Internet filtering, and the obstacles to access it poses for disadvantaged patron groups. This paper discusses the ramifications of Internet filtering at public libraries on sexual minority youth and how this may translate into a negative health impact on this community and a restriction on intellectual freedom. Topics discussed include filtering technology, the risks it presents to equitable access, the disproportionate effect on the gay/lesbian community, and how filtering impairs the creation of online communities for this minority group.

Introduction

The emergence of information technology has had profound effects on the gay and lesbian civil rights movement and the way it organizes itself and constructs its communities. The Internet represents an invaluable resource where sexual minorities can freely discuss their issues, concerns, and problems without the fear of community reprisal. This is particularly true for gay youth, who may find the Internet and its online communities the only conduit through which they can reach others like themselves and access health information that addresses their particular issues and needs. These adolescents contend with environments often without sufficient social networks, such as empathetic adults or friends, and may face daily discrimination due to their sexual orientation. Because of this, national health organizations such as the American Psychological Association recognize that access to important health information is essential for public welfare as it enables adolescents to make healthier decisions about their sexuality and their bodies. The emerging problem of Internet filtering, however, jeopardizes the role the Internet plays in the lives of sexual minorities and threatens the confidentiality and privacy essential for the Internet as an effective health information resource. The filtering software, mandated by the Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA), poses significant health risks to gay youth left without access to important health and safer-sex information, and to online communities such as forums, chat groups, or other collaborative online mediums.

Internet Use among Youth

In order to understand the implication of filtering, it is important to recognize the significance of Internet use among all youth. In 2002, a study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 74 percent of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 17 reported having Internet access at home, with 31 percent having access in their bedrooms (Rideout, 2001). Along with an increasing reliance on the Internet in general, adolescents have increased their use of online resources to answer their health questions. In fact the Kaiser study found that some 70 percent report they have used the Internet as a health information resource. Among these, 50 percent were found to use the Internet for information on general health topics such as cancer or diabetes, with 40 percent also using it for information about sexual health topics ranging from teen pregnancy and birth control to STD transmission. For issues such as depression and mental illness, 23 percent reported using the Internet as an information resource. The Internet ranked higher as a resource for health information above even friends