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So, lately there's been a big topic of minors on the internet. There's a lot to unpack here, so I'm going to go through this a little this morning, because I feel good about it. First off, if you're a minor, after reading this, unfollow my twitter -- it's not for you.
There's a habit of telling people whom are minors 'You're too young' without going into a full explanation of why this matters. It's important to note that exposing adult material to a minor is against the law EVEN IF YOU ARE A MINOR. This point is important.
Now, Minors in the US are partially protected. They're not considered to be responsible individuals capable of making their own choices under the eyes of the law, so when they break those laws, the judiciary system has to determine if the parents or the youth end up punished.
This places extra responsibility in the hands of the parents, not JUST the youth. Every time that young person breaks the law, the parents could end up being fined, or even spending jailtime and having the child removed from custody.
So anytime a minor engages in adult activity online, they are not only putting themselves, but their parents at risk. It goes further. Since parents are legally responsible for their wards, they also hold a responsibility to supervise their actions.
This means that, regardless of how the minor feels, the parents can press charges against companies and individuals whom engage with minors, even if they aren't aware they are engaging with minors. This could lead to someone being placed on an offender registry. For life.
This conversation doesn't go into the ethical and moral implications of minor-adult interactions on the internet. However, being an adult means understanding that your actions may have unintended consequences and accepting the responsibility for them as needed.
This means recognizing that someone else acting as a guardian can act outside of a minor's will and enforce their own choices, which could include hurting the very people interacting. For life. It happens on a daily basis, all across the United States and many other nations.
In conclusion -- No matter how 'mature' a minor acts, until they are able to interact without a legal presence threatening those interacted with, maybe hold off for a few years, or look for communities fostered as a safe-space for minors so that they can interact.
Lastly, when finally allowed into adult areas. Watch. Learn. Engage with questions and Listen. It's an exciting world out there, and there's more than just sex and porn and mature content. It'll still be there when the time is right.
