Decius wrote:

On the Internet, of course, it is readily available from any computer terminal, and a lot of minors today are a lot more sophisticated in the use of computers than their parents. The ability of parents to monitor and supervise what they are doing is greatly impaired by this difference in computer aptitude.

"I can't say much more than that, but it is a difficult question. And I think there needs to be additional effort in this area, probably by all branches of government, so that the law fully takes into account the differences regarding communication over the Internet and access to materials over the Internet by minors.

Alito, on the other hand, seems to be of the opinion that because old people are less likely to understand computers then young people (is that really still true, last I checked I'm nearly 30...) perhaps the First Amendment shouldn't be as broadly applied to the Internet as it is in environments where adults are more comfortable.

I'd say it doesn't really matter whether it's true or not that there's a deficiency of comprehension with internet use among certain sets of of the populace. It's a dangerous precedent to start letting people say "I can't keep up with this... restrict it!" I'm skeptical that it's relevant anyway. Do new mediums for transmitting material change the basic way we train our kids to deal with various material, indecent or otherwise? I have a hard time finding arguments that answer that question in the affirmative.

Even taking a pragmatist stance, it's silly to start applying reasoning like the above now, when today's minors will be adults in a handful of years. It's a call for legislation that will be obsolete almost immediately.

RE: Alito Weighs in on Internet Porn - Broadcasting & Cable