DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have two boys, 12 and 13. They have had computer training at school for years, but my husband and I are computer illiterate.
We gave the boys a computer for their birthday, and now they are locked in their bedroom for hours. People tell me they can't be watching pornography without a credit card, but I am having trouble believing that.
We have no public space in our home we can move the computer into. What, if anything, should we do? -- WORRIED MOM IN PITTSBURGH
DEAR WORRIED MOM: Most houses and apartments have a living room or eating area. Put an end to your boys using the computer while locked in their room. The computer should be moved out into the open. If that's not possible, then insist that the door be kept open, and remove the lock if they refuse to comply.
Also, it's time you and your husband checked into evening classes for adults at your local high school so you can learn the basics about computers. They have become far easier to use than in years past, and you should at least be able to check the computer "history" to see where your young explorers have been spending their time. It's a matter of asserting your parental authority, so please start doing it now. It's really no different than knowing what they're doing at the mall.