One thing I love about modern technology is the convenience of streaming television and movies. I mean, how great is it to click a button and watch your favorite show when you want to watch it, not at a set time that the TV network has chosen for you? My kids will never know the pain of missing their favorite tv show because they weren’t home when it was on, or of having to suffer through a painful commercial break. In our house, we have two TVs where we stream with Roku; one has a Roku player and one is an actual Roku TV. The convenience is fantastic. I honestly love our Roku and Roku TV.
Unfortunately, there’s a downside to having a Roku in the house.
One of the advocacy groups I love and follow is the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and today I learned via there website that Roku allows streaming access to many private and hidden pornography channels. Of course, pornography is bad enough in and of itself, but according to the NCOSE, “Much of the pornography available through the Roku system depicts teen, incest, slavery, and incredibly violent themes.” This makes me crazy angry. Roku alone is the streaming service that allows this, its competitors like Apple TV and Amazon’s Fire TV are smart enough to know that allowing porn streaming like this is, while undoubtedly profitable, ultimately BAD for the consumer.
According to the NCOSE, pornographers and porn users are well aware that Roku allows streaming porn and “Pornographers…widely advertise for their private channels and applaud Roku in forum after forum for being the go-to streaming device to permit this material.”
To say I am disappointed in Roku for allowing this would be a giant understatement.
I am more than disappointed. I am disgusted, flabbergasted, and pretty darn angry. Unlike many other platforms, Roku does not have parental controls, making it that much easier for a curious and or persistent child or teen to access and add porn channels to the family Roku.
Moms and Dads, if you have a Roku like my family does, you need to make sure that sucker is locked down TIGHT.
True, there are no parental controls, but you CAN get into your Roku settings and set up a 4-digit passcode that one must enter before adding new channels. As long as your kid can’t guess your passcode, you should be good—so make sure and use one that they wouldn’t guess! That is the only way you can keep your kiddos from accessing films like these.
WARNING: no graphic images but graphic movie titles below!! Actual porn film titles you can access through Roku:
Photo: National Center On Sexual Exploitation
Ummm…Yeah. I can barely breathe after reading that. Beyond VILE.
So, what can parents do about this if they have a Roku, besides installing a passcode?
Well, I am SO GLAD you asked. Thankfully, the National Center On Sexual Exploitation has a whole host of ways you can let Roku know that you’re displeased with what they are allowing in regards to hardcore, incestuous, filthy pornography on their service.
You can sign a Facebook petition asking Roku to knock it off here, and you can send a message directly to Roku here, as well as download graphics to share on social media about this issue, and send Apple TV a thank you for their good working keeping porn off their service.
Since it is going to be rather costly for me to get rid of my Roku TV (the Roku player is not a big loss), I am definitely going to speak up on social media and directly to Roku about this issue. When I do, I will be reminding them, that according to science and the NCOSE:
- Pornography Teaches Users that Women Enjoy Sexual Violence and Degradation
- Pornography Sends a Message that Women Are Less Deserving of Moral Treatment
- Pornography is Linked to Increased Sexual Harassment and Violence
- Fraternity men who consumed mainstream pornography expressed a greater intent to commit rape if they knew they would not be caught than those who did not consume pornography. This is the “milder” porn that what you can access on Roku!
Moms and dads, it’s not time to freak out, but it IS time to speak out! Even if your family doesn’t own a Roku, I bet you good money that many of your kids’ friends’ households do. It’s time to step up in the war on pornography and the war for our kids’ hearts, minds, and sexual health. Once someone starts consuming porn, it is very, very difficult to stop, and the damage to their brains and hearts is done quickly.
Make sure to subscribe to the NCOSE newsletter for updates and action items. Let’s be proactive for our families and tell Roku what we want and that we will accept no less than the elimination of porn from their service!
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