PAKISTAN is rapidly advancing in the field of Information Technology with the result that Internet connectivity has increased immensely
Throughout Pakistan, Internet facilities are now within the reach of the common man. ISPs, Internet clubs and cafes provide Internet access for as little as Rs5/-. But are Pakistanis utilizing the best of this technology to the best of their advantage? Unfortunately, no.
Unsupervised and unchecked usage of Internet clubs is causing immense damage to our youth, exposing children and young adults to unprohibited pornographic material. The question that arises: Is viewing pornography harmless fun or can merely looking at porn lead to any disorder of conduct or behavioural or psychosocial changes in an individual?
According to a review study, exposure of individuals to excessive pornographic material has a negative affect on the attitude of men towards women. Females are taken as pleasure objects by those exposed to pornographic material at a relatively young age.
The effects are far more pronounced and the impact more lasting when the individuals exposed to pornographic material are children. When a child experiences reality beyond his readiness, they have no means of processing the material intellectually or emotionally. At that time they will bury the experience in their unconsciousness where it will lurk in the shadows, haunting them possibly for the rest of their lives or result in aggressive outbursts.
Adolescents are especially vulnerable to pornographic material. They are in the most vulnerable period of life. At any give time, they are experiencing changes in their biophysical makeup. They are just beginning to seek information about sex-related issues. Images that impinge on their mind leads to emotional turmoil and they are prompted to experiment themselves.
The media’s portrayal of sexuality has a far more reaching impact on adolescent than in any other age group children. The biological and neurological response of exposure to pornographic material is also more pronounced in young adults and children.
The adrenal hormones, epinephrine, released while watching pornographic material, locks the memories in brain and thus explains why individuals remember pornographic images seen years ago. Chemical opiodes, when released, reinforce the body’s desire to repeat the process and thus a viscous cycle sets in ultimately leading to distortion of personalities and anti-social behaviour.
According to Child’s Rights Convention, ratified by over 150 countries in 1990, signatories were asked to ensure that production, distribution, dissemination, importation, exportation offering, selling or possessing pornographic material are criminilized, if any of the acts are for the purpose of sexual exploitation of children. It should be considered an offence and subject to punishment. Pakistan is a signatory.
Recently the Child’s Rights and Abuse Committee of Pakistan Paediatric Association, conducted a nation wide survey of Internet clubs. The survey was done to determine the dynamics of exposure of children and adolescents to pornographic material at these clubs.
The study found out that unsupervised and unchecked usage of Internet club is causing immense damage to our youth. The study was conducted in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. Teams of investigators visited over 50 Net clubs. They observed and informally interviewed the club owners and Net users (mainly children). The observations and comments by the individual investigators from the three cities were characteristically alike.
Nearly all the cafes comprised of a small dimly lit place, situated in a rather inconspicuous area of a busy market. The exterior of the cafes was not at all appealing, rather a low profile was maintained. Many cafes appeared deserted and closed down from the outside but inside they was full to capacity. The doors of these cafes had coloured or tinted glasses. The interior of nearly all the cafes visited was similarly designed with small wooden or cardboard cabins covered from all the sides containing one PC per cabin.
Between the two rows of cabins there is a narrow passage. A casual visitor will get no idea what the users are doing as nearly all the PC’s face in the opposite direction, the clients sits with his back to the wall. Except for the proxy server, no one else can get an idea what the users are doing. Most cyber cafes were air-conditioned. Few even offered refreshments. But people from all age groups, including children as young as eight years-old were found visiting these cafes. The numbers of female clients were fewer than males.
Most of the cafe owners were very cooperative and provided all information asked. They informed that most of the people who visit their establishments were young people between 20-30 years of age, however, people of all ages visit the club. Ten to twenty per cent of their clients are children of less than 15 years of age. Socio-economic conditions vary in different areas but on an average they spent between two to four hours per visit, three to five days a week in the club and spend Rs 40-80 a day.
The main purpose of their visit is to watch pornographic sites or chatting. Some check their e-mails, play cyber games or watching movies. Very few clients visit academic sites.
Almost all individuals irrespective of age and class visit pornographic sites, said the club owners, and children are no exception. They are usually told by their friends about these sites. Privacy is maintained at all cost in these cafes.
Few club owners interviewed said that they discourage children visiting pornographic sites and admonish them. Other said that they do not interfere with what children are watching as the pornographic movies are freely available on CD’s and cassette and anyone can have an easy access to these movies. So why should they stop their clients and disturb their business?
About 60 to 80 people visited these clubs daily, more during summer vacations. The peak hours are between six and 10PM, though the cafe runs from morning till late in the night.
Some cafe owners, with CD ROM facilities, also get visitors who want to watch movies. They bring their own movies and spend as much as three to nine hours in the cafe.
Internet club owners are of the opinion that the only solution towards banning the pornographic sites is by filtering pornographic material and blocking sex sites at ISP level. They quoted example of Saudi Arabia and other countries were these sites are blocked. One club owner said that often people do not have sufficient knowledge or information about the interesting sites. He suggested that club owners should help guide users and have a list of educational and good wholesome entertainment sites. Another owner suggested propagation and sensitisation of general public through the media regarding the uses and misuses of Internet. Local sites should also be developed in order to attract and divert people from watching wrong sites.
Regarding the role of parents, one owner was of the opinion that they are responsible and should supervise and closely observe the activities of their children.
During their visit to Internet cafe, investigators interviewed over 50 children who were visiting these clubs. These clients were mostly below 18 years of age. Though both young girls and boys were found at the cafes, boys outnumbered females. The children interviewed mainly belonged to middle and high socio-economic class.
The average time spent by these children was an hour and two per day. One boy said that he was in the 15 hours a day and spent as much as Rs100 to Rs150/- a day. This child belonged to a very well to do family and despite having a PC at home enjoyed visiting the cafe.
Almost half of the children interviewed in Karachi informed that they have PC at home but they enjoy visiting the cafe. Some said that they do not have Internet connections or they visit whenever they are short of Internet hours. Still, majority said that they visit the cafe for more privacy, something that they don’t enjoy at home. Though less than 40 per cent children interviewed admitted that they have visited a pornographic site but when asked whether they know of a porno-site, over 70 per cent named a number of sex sites, which were both local and foreign.
Majority of the children do not visit the cafe with their parent’s permission or knowledge.
The result of the study amply demonstrates that these Internet clubs are doing more harm than good. It’s time that these cafes should be monitored and supervised more closely by the government and some measures be taken towards their correct usage.
Filtration of pornographic material at ISP level is essential; cafe owners should be prohibited from allowing anybody to see movies. Moreover it is necessary that children, especially young ones, should not be allowed to visit the cafe without a guardian.
An association of Internet club owners and an enactment of legislation or code of conduct is needed. It is also essential to ratify the CRC protocol that deals especially with child pornography. Laws should be enacted to deal with various forms of child pornography and exposure of children to pornography sites.
Ratifying and filtering software need to be designed to identify content that may be harmful to children. Such software should be installed at source, the ISP. Internet club owners should also be instructed to mark or specify the computers to be used by children.
Parents need to get involved, they should be aware of their children activities and supervise and guide their children in selection of software’s and web sites on Net.
Children and youth should be involved in discussion regarding the hazards of visiting porno sites. Introduce and guide them to academic sites at school and home. Regular teaching or coaching sessions may help in diverting the attention towards more constructive activities. Entertainment web sites should be made in local languages to attract more people. It is time that strict action be taken against this growing menace.
