Well, Winter has definitely hit us with a freezing blast from the Antarctic & what the Weather Bureau is calling a ‘cyclonic bomb’ at the moment on the east coast of Australia, so to stay warm out of the pouring rain & howling winds we’ll have our cuppa indoors.
So let’s grab our cuppa’s, a treat & get comfy. I have a lovely warm area in my study where you’ll find me sitting with a large mug of French Earl Grey tea & a gf slice of Date & Almond Loaf.
Now we’re comfy let’s begin…
Relinquishing Parental Rights & Control
There’s a debate in Western countries at the moment in regards to what children should be allowed to access on the internet, with Western governments beginning to crack down on Social & Visual media sites with their explicit & inappropriate content for children.
To monitor this, governments are proposing or already have introduced face recognition access to these sites, so that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will apparently recognise & seperate children (under 16 years of age) from adults. Prohibiting children from gaining access to these sites.
While this may sound wonderful news for those of us who have been concerned for many years in what our children & grandchildren can freely access & be exposed to online, I also see many problems surrounding this proposal/ordinance.
For example, will a child’s photo need to be registered with these sites & constantly updated? How will this affect privacy, accuracy, and the potential for misuse?
Recent concerns also raised the lack of transparency in how facial recognition data is collected and used, the potential for identity theft and stalking, and the risk of algorithmic bias for various marginal groups. Hmmmm…
Thus this boils down to AI & the State making judgements for parents & monitoring children’s access rather than their parents.
The following ethical question is begging to be asked & to be seriously pondered;
How much parental control are we willing to hand over to the State through AI?
It’s a huge question & one not to be taken lightly for once it’s handed over, the ability to get it back may well be way more difficult than we could ever have believed or imagined.
At present, while the testing of these AI facial recognition Apps have shown flaws in their ability to recognise the differing age groups accurately & is often out by some 18 months. I’m sure there will be those working tirelessly to rectify these issues & introduce these Apps as soon as possible.
Now, please don’t misunderstand me here, I don’t think it’s okay for children to be able to access or be exposed to inappropriate content online at all. And as an experienced Clinical Counsellor I’ve seen what this exposure can do to young minds.
No, what I’m highlighting here is that State control over our parental roles is not okay!
It’s not just on this issue either, it’s in many areas.
You see education systems are also a place where what children are exposed to is becoming (& has for a long time) questionable.
Only yesterday in this country a push to remove ‘certain words & language’ from the classrooms in State Infant & Primary schools, (5 yrs – 12 years old) was highlighted by the same underlying group pushing the agenda behind last week’s post, A Robust Tea Discussion.
Words & language like girls & boys, he, hers, his & she are now to be known as the collective ‘humans’ in the classroom.
I shared my professional experience concerning this topic in;
Our Children are Gifted to us with great responsibility…
Let’s make this personal
When two of my daughter’s were attending a State school in Infant School (5 yrs – 8 years), I noticed the reading material sent home for homework was inappropriate for any age group between 6 -12 years, my daughters were 6 & 8 years old at the time. In our Australian educational system that meant one was a first grader & the other a third grader.
So I contacted their teachers to gain clarification as to whether my daughters had chosen these books from the school library themselves or were these a part of the classroom reading curriculum.
I was appalled to learn that it was a choice the Head teacher had made for this particular Infant school under the broad guidelines of the State Curriculum at the time.
I expressed my concerns, as did many other parents. However, the Head teacher would not change her stance on the subject despite our concerns.
Thus as a parent, I found a school that aligned with God’s principles & from that point enrolled them into that school. A school that would not expose them to inappropriate content as they went through their schooling years.
We have to be constantly Vigilant in ALL areas of life my friend, as Jesus said in the following;
Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5: 8 GN
And the enemy will try to get to our children anyway he can, as history has shown us down through the ages.
Our role as parents, grandparents & great-grandparents to the forthcoming generations is so very important.
May we be very aware & cautious in handing over any God given parental role & rights to the State or AI for their decisions & judgements on what may or may not be appropriate for our children.
But rather as parents & grandparents, first & foremost, making sure our children & grandchildren are protected from all inappropriate & explicit content wherever it may be!
Until next time,
Jennifer
You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook
Or
In Prayer
© 2025 Jennifer M. Ross, All Rights Reserved. Photos by Google Deepmind at pexels.com
Featured at Paula’s Sweet tea friends link-up
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Happy September Jen, I’m just popping back over to let you know I’ll be featuring your post at our September Sweet Tea & friend’s Link Up.
xo
Awww, thank you Paula that’s a lovely surprise this morning! 🥰
Amen Jen. I’m so glad you talked about this today. Things are really getting out of hand. There are some schools here though not in my area that aid kids with gender assignment and hormones and they don’t need parental consent to do so. I am so sickened by the evil. It’s not okay to pass over parental consent.
Thanks so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friends this month.
Yes, it’s happening here too Paula. Very concerning indeed 🙏🙏
Jennifer, this is such a great and very important topic. I am fortunate that my girls are able to school at home; it has helped us to see exactly what they are learning and be hands-on. Today’s world is scary. AI has gotten a bit out of hand as well. I’m not a fan of it. Thank you for sharing such an important topic with us.
You’re most welcome Stephanie 😊
Amen! Amen, Jennifer! All 6 of my grandchildren were homeschooled in different states in the U.S. because of some of these very concerns you outlined. It was a huge commitment but all of them benefitted and did well. The 3 oldest have graduated from college and one of these from medical school. Two others are moving toward completing a college education. Parents need to be alert to what their children are being exposed to at every level. It is not a responsibility that can be passed off to educators or others.
That is wonderful to hear Pam. Yes, unfortunately in our western society’s educational system often the educators are seen as it’s their sole responsibilty to educate the children in their care when it’s actually ours as parents.
Back before the industrial era, children were taught in the home or village, skills that would serve & lead them into a working life ahead. Either in the home, on the land or continuing their father’s trade as Jesus was with Joseph.
Blessings to you sweet friend…
I agree with you also, Jennifer, especially this: “We have to be constantly Vigilant in ALL areas of life my friend, as Jesus said”. And as a Grandma, I lift my loved ones to the Lord, daily placing them into His hands. This world is too much for us to handle on our own. We so need His discernment! Thank you for sharing your wise words. I’m glad you are safe & warm inside during the storms. You’ve been in my prayers dear friend.
Thank you Bettie, your prayers were graciously answered we were kept safe in the weather bomb. Praise God! The Sun is shinning again. 😊
I agree with your following statement dear friend;
“…I lift my loved ones to the Lord, daily placing them into His hands. This world is too much for us to handle on our own. We so need His discernment!” I also do the same.
Blessings to you sweet friend ❤️
It was after my daughter spent time consulting in public schools that she decided to home school her children. They are bright, inquisitive teenagers who eventually went to Catholic high school. Sadly the gender insanity took over with “chest feeding” names for nursing. The pendulum seems to be swinging back here. Thank goodness.
It’s got to a level of insanity here Elizabeth. But it is great to hear that things there are swinging back again. Hopefully that will be our forecast too!
As an educator, assistant director of a childcare center, mom of two grown children and grandma of a toddler I have a unique perspective.
I agree 100% that parents should monitor what their children are exposed to whether it be online (websites/video games), books, or other media (tv/radio). However, I am also appalled at the number of families that I meet who are blissfully unaware of the evil that lurks within certain gaming platforms simply because they have innocent sounding names.
When you add the “security” of having a child’s picture online for hackers to sell to online predators….ugh it makes me shudder.
Our children are in danger!!
Joining you from Grace & Truth.
Yes Barb I agree, our children are in danger. And many parents are very naive when it comes to the internet & what their children are being exposed to online.
Much more parental education & awareness is definitely needed on this issue. Every parent needs to be continuously monitoring what their children are doing online.
Jennifer, thank you! I wholeheartedly agree with you. Our only child went to a Christian school. I am so thankful our daughter-in-love (who is a math teacher) and our son decided to homeschool their children. This coming school year she will be homeschooling three of them with our youngest being only a few months old. I have been appalled at what has happened in our schools, with parental rights being taken away.
Blessings,
Pam
Blessings to you too sweet friend.
Yes, my daughters didn’t go the State Schools route either & placed my grandchildren into Christian schools as they themselves had been in. One of my daughters actually decided to homeschool her three sons too.
I do agree with you wholeheartedly on this topic. We have seen that when we give government an inch they take a yard. And then it becomes impossible to retract. We homeschooled our girls for this very reason.
Thank you my friend. Yes, one of my daughters has chosen to do the same in homeschooling with three of my grandsons for this same reason too. So lovely to have you join me here. 😊