Kamal, a boy in the same year, says: “Say I got a girlfriend, I would ask her to write my name on her breast and then send it to me and then I would upload it on to Facebook or Bebo or something like that.” The profile picture on his phone, seen by everyone to whom he sends messages, is an image of his girlfriend’s cleavage. Some of the boys at his school have explicit images of up to 30 different girls on their phone. They swap them like we used to swap football cards. If they fancy a girl, they send her a picture of their genitals. As one teenage girl said after the report came out, sending pictures of your body parts is “the new flirting”. […]
What is the cause of all this? We need more research, the experts say. But to a dismayed parent, it seems like the horrific result of a massive experiment. Thanks to the internet, our boys and girls are the first children to grow up with free, round-the-clock access to hardcore pornography. Porn has become part of the adult mainstream, colouring everything from advertising to best-selling books like Fifty Shades of Grey. Of course our children are affected. […]
As for his sisters, I shudder. I don’t want them to live in a world in which romance means boy meets girl, boy sends a picture of his genitals. Lily and Rose are not their real names, by the way. I’m that afraid of their being drawn in. We clearly need to talk, awkward as it may be.
I’m all for research…but really? How much more do we need? How about some common sense?
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‘Common Sense’ is a funny thing. Most, assuming that most believe in ‘democracy’, would agree that the majority should determine decisions. Unfortunately we live in a society in which decisions are often determined by minorities whether they be ‘experts’, politicians or media powers. On the other hand sometimes the majority is ineffective or persuaded of poor ideas. Ineffectiveness is often seen in environmental issues wherein the vast majority want better protection of the environment but year after year things get worse. This same ineffectiveness is seen in protecting the vulnerable; the unborn, the elderly or the socially disenfranchised. The solution to this problem is partly found in those who would reflect ‘common sense’ becoming experts, politicians and media powers. The other problem of the majority being persuaded of poor ideas is solved in a similar fashion as this majority can become better informed if those they listen to; the experts, politicians and the media have become better informed themselves. All in all if individuals do the research and accept the findings that are good for people and then become involved in education, government and media common sense will flourish.
“Research” indeed, the last refuge of the truly clueless. The Telegrah is completely devoid of a sense of irony–or logic. They ask, actually ask “what is the cause of all this?” but then on the same webpage, they feature a link to a story on their own site promoting (in a lighthearted manner) a book by two sex therapists about “How to Avoid 50 Shades of Grey Injuries,” and another story about how a man was acquitted on charges of assault in a “50 Shades” anonymous hookup gone wrong. Ye gods. We can’t keep porn away from our children until we expunge it from adult society. No research required.