Kids can bypass internet filters.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

The threat of pornography to children and teens is even more serious than indicated in research results reported by the University of New Hampshire, Durham, to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, Ill., according to a veteran specialist in the field. "The UNH study [that 42% of Internet users ages 10-17 surveyed said they had seen online pornography in the previous year. Of those, 66% said the exposure was unwanted] is welcome and useful, but we believe the percentages are even higher," asserts William C. "Skip" Mathews, president of Integrity Online, an Internet filter provider.

"The data is already outdated; other studies have shown higher exposure, and our own experience says otherwise. Plus, children and teens often don't respond openly and honestly to researchers, especially discussing something as uncomfortable as pornography. I've been the father of three teenage boys, so I know what the realities and challenges are."

Mathews points out that the data in the UNH study is almost two years old. "This is the nature of research, but two years should be looked at like 'dog years' in Internet time," he maintains. "Think about the rapid transition to high-speed Internet access from dial-up, and how the volume of page views is increasing exponentially. Rapidly advancing technologies--such as IPODs, the latest cell phones, and Internet-ready gaming devices--have created even...