This archive report was first published on 19 August 2019.
Published on August 19, 2019, a survey by Sunday Times titled 'Porn Survey 2019' revealed the far-reaching consequences of internet pornography on young minds.
According to the report, internet pornography has a devastating effect on young minds, altering how they perceive human sexuality and inhibiting the growth of normal relationships.
One of the most disturbing effects of internet pornography is its addictive nature. Thousands of youngsters, who are hardly 22 years old, need help to recover from pornography addiction.
Moreover, internet pornography destroys gender relations and mocks the gains made for respect of human dignity. It makes girls accept, as normal, what is obviously misogynistic activities and behavior towards them.
Research shows that the age group most affected by internet pornography is that below 22. Many researches on this subject report that most of our children receive their sex education from porn sites, and what might shock parents is that these children consider porn real.
Internet pornography also instils a sense of inadequacy in children about their bodies. The videos bring to the youngsters the so-called 'beautiful' models who are always slim, without stretch marks, perceived as the standard for beauty.
Furthermore, research shows that male youth hardly 35 cannot 'get it up' due to porn because reality disappoints them. They would rather operate within the fantasy world of porn than relate with their partners in heterosexual relationships.
It is high time we engaged in a national dialogue and strategized on how to help our children find meaning in life outside porn.
Prof Kabaji is a specialist in Literary Communication and consultant on strategic management.
