Mah's is not the unfounded concern of an overly protective parent. Pornographic websites are as pernicious as weeds and just as twisted. As of last May, there were some 500,000 porn sites on the Internet pandering to just about any prurient interest you would rather not imagine. Last year, one quarter of American youths who went online strayed into areas that are supposed to be adults-only. Mah says she and her husband monitor their kids while they are using the computer, but it's nearly impossible to keep an eye on them all the time.
Help is at hand.
Software programs designed to watch your kids' online excursions when you can't are readily available. Programmers employ two basic techniques. Parents periodically download updated lists from the software company. But some smut purveyors split the defense by switching addresses frequently. Moreover, with 160,000 new websites registered each month, some porn slips through the net.