In a globalized world, it is difficult to monitor what Internet sites children have access to. Despite the dangers of pornographic sites and efforts exerted by the concerned authorities to block them, they have become readily available. Al-Riyadh Arabic daily explored the depth of the problem in a recent report. Links to pornographic sites can land in your e-mail in the form of spam and even social media sites have accounts that show adult content. Some studies have put the number of Internet users who access pornographic sites at 28,000 users a second, the majority of whom are between 18 and 24. The percentage of people above 55 who visit such sites stands at 32 percent. Experts say the real problem lies in the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult for families to lay down rules for how their children use the Internet. Dr. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, associate professor of psychology, said pornographic sites are no different from other sites that have marketing policies that try to reach the largest number of visitors possible. The problem is pornographic sites target teenagers because they are easily influenced. "Teenagers usually cannot control their instincts like adults. Besides, they pass through a phase where sex hormones start to kick in and control their bodies. If a teenager watches these sites frequently, he will become addicted to them," he explained. According to Dr. Al-Qahtani, the more a teenager watches pornography, the more exhausted he will feel physically due to the fact that he is being constantly aroused. Over time, the teenager will feel mentally exhausted and will lose the ability to focus on school and homework. "Watching too much pornography will make a person turn into an introvert, feel sad and depressed, become less productive and reduce communication skills," he added. He called upon parents and teachers to raise students' awareness by talking to them about the dangers of watching pornography. "The concerned authorities should exert more efforts to block these sites because they turn teenagers into perverts," he added. Self-control Dr. Salih Al-Aqeel, a criminology professor, likened pornographic sites to drugs and crimes, all of which he said are spreading in Arab societies at alarming rates. "The people who run these sites do not care that they are having a negative impact on children and their actions are shaking well-established social values. We need more serious mechanisms to prevent these sites from permeating the culture of our society. We need to strengthen self-control among members of society. Teenagers and even adults should realize that these sites are impermissible in Islam and that Allah is watching them," he said. "Enhancing self-control is not going to be easy; it needs a lot of effort and patience. Teenagers today lack self-control and their parents can no longer keep a close eye on them because both parents are working and do not have enough time for their children. If parents raise their children to fear Allah, children will never turn to these sites and they will have more self-control," he added.
