The proliferation of pornography on the internet and social media has led to a moral crisis, with serious consequences for individuals, families and society as a whole. It is time to acknowledge the problem and take action to prevent its harmful effects.
Pornography has become the main issue of modern society. With the advent of the Internet, the cheap and easy availability of smartphones, the shift of education from offline to online, and the attractive avenues for earning handsome incomes by uploading any kind of material online, the concept of morality has almost eroded from our society. From toddlers to the elderly, the majority of people are sailing in the boat of the Internet, particularly on social media sites and YouTube. Though being the need of the hour, it has aggravated the problems of indecency and the instances of crimes.
If we talk about indecency, apart from spurting sexual desires in people, particularly among teenagers, it has introduced them to harmful and immoral pornography. Pornography is such an evil that it has the potential to throw the present as well as future generations into the dark world of self-destruction. There is hardly any person in the present world who is not addicted to this evil. From the release of pleasure-giving hormones to becoming indifferent to the most important responsibilities, it leaves a long-lasting impact on the psyche of people. Apart from mood swings, pornography results in the objectification of the opposite sex. The male folk objectify the female folk and vice versa. Moreover, it reduces the horizon of life, full of diversity, to the narrow goals of self-pleasure and sexual thirst.
Recent studies have made it amply clear that, with the advent of high-speed Internet and the omnipresence of smartphones, half of teenagers have been exposed to nudity and adult content. Being unaware of the repercussions of this dark world, they blindly jump into the endless pit of pornography and begin to superficially quench their sexual thirst. However, this virtual sexual stimulation and ejaculation damage the stability of the brain, and like seawater, the more you drink, the thirstier you become. Now the question arises: what are the causes responsible for this evil? In the following lines, let us discuss some causes briefly.
As mentioned above, the first cause is the negative side of science and technology. Modern science and technology have begun to spread their toxic roots in the nook and corner of the world, resulting in the moral degradation of society. It is a fact that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. In the same vein, nudity, vulgarity, and obscenity are in no way anti-social and anti-human activities for some people. For them, pornography is no crime at all. Everyone is free to enjoy his or her life. Why stop someone from doing a particular act? Having said this, it becomes quite clear that it is we who have to set our sails in the ferocious storms and floods.
The second cause is modern foods. Modern foods stimulate sexual desires, and when there is no way of quenching the sexual thirst, people resort to pornography and begin to visualize virtual pornography in the real world. In this way, for the time being, the desires remain hidden and raise their heads at regular intervals. A well-known monthly magazine, “Rafeeque-e-Manzil,” in its June issue, has shed sufficient light on the challenges faced by youngsters. Apart from discussing numerous issues, it talks at great length about the concerning issue of pornography. On page 20, it states that some foods are responsible for heightening pornography. Fast foods and chocolates should be avoided at the earliest.
The porn industry is a giant industry, with its branches spread deep as well as far and wide. It is an easy source of income and provides jobs to many who are engaged in the business. Like prostitutes, it is a well-developed evil institution that fills the coffers of many giant corporations. If we do a Google search, haunting facts are readily available. A reasonable person shivers at the name of pornography, let alone enjoy and engage with it.
The fourth and last cause is an orthodox society. In our society, the word “sex” and its related terms are never to be uttered. Sexual urge is a natural part of life; however, channelling it in the proper direction is our responsibility. From the very beginning, a child is attracted to certain parts of its body, which we call the private parts. We expose them to the binary of private and public. With the passage of time, this privacy strengthens its roots in the minds of children, and they become obsessed with the world of sex. There is a dearth of experts who may have done their part to set things right and save society from falling into the bottomless pit of negativity and orthodoxy.
Having discussed some harmful effects of this evil at the very beginning of the article, we must wake up to the reality and steer through the whirlpool of pornography to the safe shores of decency. From reducing one’s time on the Internet to taking an interest in the real world, we must find a balance between legitimate and illegitimate sex. The fine line of demarcation must be installed strongly in the hard ground to save our society from a doomsday scenario. Recently, the deluge of HIV cases in Tripura has set all tongues wagging. For more than a decade, thousands of students have become easy targets for anti-social elements. There are apprehensions that pornography might have played a role in this. Once addicted, it doesn’t leave its stronghold on the prey. To soothe their nerves, porn addicts resort to drugs and ultimately get destroyed.
Morality must be practised both at home and in educational institutions. Porn addicts must be counselled. Misbehaving and cutting them off from the mainstream can be dangerous. Friend circles must be productive in nature. Healthy foods should be consumed to remain away from the chemicals that modify brain chemistry. A lot of work is to be done in this regard. Though the road is full of thorns, treading carefully and sensibly can do miracles. The ball is in our court to set things right. Let us fight against the evil of pornography with foresightedness and without losing sight of the coming future in the process.