Is it normal age restrictions?

I think I don't, but I'm also really biased because I started on IIN when I was 16, meaning for the first two years of my life on IIN I was threatened with being kicked off.

The age restriction rules here do not exist to prevent spam or annoying posts or teenage trolls or anything like that. People who post those things often get banned anyway (no matter what age they are) so the age limit serves no purpose in preventing them. The rule doesn't exist to protect the community from kids who are annoying, because other rules already exist to protect the community from everyone who is annoying.

Udi has strongly implied before that the age restrictions really exist to protect children, to keep them safe from anyone who might use this site as a platform to hurt them. This site appeals to the demographic of insecure, vulnerable young people who are perfect targets for abusers, so it's important to keep young people out of the danger zone. I get where he's coming from, because I'm sure he'd feel a lot of guilt if something did happen to a child here because he didn't use his power to protect kids.

Udi's explanation accounts somewhat for the rule, but (no offense, Udi) it doesn't wash with me entirely. Why wasn't I banned, and the numerous other people who have openly admitted being under 18? We might have sounded mature enough to protect ourselves, but I don't think we were honestly any more or less vulnerable to predators than any other young person here who has been banned for being too young. The rule isn't applied that way. It is either selective or random, definitely not blanket.

And even then, I don't know if I agree with "better safe than sorry". There are kids who need this site more than anyone. I'm very grateful that I wasn't pushed away from here when I was younger, regardless of the "danger" to me. As a society, we prevent kids from enjoying themselves by being excessively risk-averse.

I still don't know. I'm edging towards not agreeing, but it's the sort of issue I can easily have my mind changed on.

I don't like any of your options on this poll...

I agree with the age restrictions, I disagree with their implementation (or lack thereof, rather).

I'm curious what the specific legal requirement people are talking about is. If big sites like Twitter and Tumblr, both of which allow actual porn as well as other potentialy disturbing content, can get away with not having any specific age limit or setting it at 13, why does comparatively tame IIN need a higher limit?

Yes, the age limit is a legal requirement. However I don't believe the site owner is so heartless to only put it up for those reasons. I dont care how mature you think you are or how well you can assimilate into the culture here, without some restrictions and limits this site would crumble.

It doesn't bother me but I just hate those questions written by an obvious 13 year old that's about "crush problems" or how much they hate school.

If someone is mature enough to WANT to be on here then they will be, age restriction or not. They will figure out a way.

i think there should be age ristrictions every where like no one under 18 allowed in any store with out being accompanied by a parent

Teenager logic is not the same as adult logic. Teenager logic is "Me me me whatever I think is right, whatever I want I get, and if you don't agree you are stupid".

A lot of kids think this way and so I do not think its very helpful when most of them give good advice. Since they are too selfish and stupid.

I do however this it is generally more helpful when they can ask random adults for help. Its also a danger for kids since I have read "Is it normal I am a High school teacher and want sex with my students"?

So its clearly not safe for children to be here when there is pedophiles asking if its normal to be a pedophiles who will try and manipulate them.

Well it's not like the rule actually prevents anyone from anything, right?

Yes.. We should keep the age restriction.

I need to gather more cats to make more burger and burrito meat.

I'm a child.