Underage RPers/cybering

[veronica_rich]

There's a pretty englightening discussion on fandomsecrets about a macro secret involving underage people RPing/cybering with adults. Specifically, this thread (warning: slow loading, image heavy), which has its little share of wank, but is surprisingly conducive to good conversations about the rights of adults versus the needs of teenagers to explore their sexuality in a safe (i.e., NOT skin-to-skin) manner; whether an adult can be charged with a crime if it is learned the RP partner is underage; what can happen to underage people engaging in distribution of pornographic materials to other underage or even overage people online.

We didn't have the Internet back in the cave I grew up in - I'll be 37 later this year. In fact, I didn't even have Internet access until oh, about 11 years ago, and it was a 28.8 KB connection, LOL. I didn't have sex until I was 19 years old. But I read romance novels, sneaked looks into my dad's Hustler and Playboy collection, etc. stuff without a sex partner. My sister, so far as I know, was reading fanfic when she was about 14 or 15, but not getting into doing anything until she was a legal adult. (She'll have to speak for herself if she wishes, beyond that.)

My point is, what do you think of underage people cybering with overage people? Do you think it's OK so long as they don't give their real age and seem mature? Or do you think there should be some measure (such as ...?) requiring they give notice of their age first, to protect a possible conviction against an adult who isn't really a pedophile and doesn't want to have to register as a sex offender for the rest of their life?

Comments

[keechakatt.livejournal.com]

I'm all for having "click here if you are ove 18" option, or making you put your birthday. That seems the only way to protect yourself and even that is risky because you still don't know who is on the other end.

I would hate to see it come to needing a credit card to register, even if they don't charge it. That would seem the only way from discouraging young ones from getting involved in RPing with adults.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think a charge is necessary. Even if it's just 1 cent a month - it would notify the actual cardholder that they're registered on an RP site. You know, for those 13-year-olds who regularly cadge their parents' credit cards for such things. ;-)

[a-silver-rose.livejournal.com]

The problem with the "click if you are over 18" or any similar option is that people LIE. I do kind of like the "register with credit card" option.