Porn addiction among children is getting worse - MAP
SHAH ALAM - Pornography addiction among children under the age of 12 is a major concern as it has not shown any positive change over the past few years.
Member of the Malaysians Against Pornography (MAP) Secretariat, Abdullah Azzam Sufyan said what was most worrying was the normalisation of viewing pornography at such a young age.
“It’s common knowledge that Google Trends statistics report that Malaysia is ranked eighth as the country with the most pornographic content.
"The world is becoming more sophisticated, access and search tools on the internet is also becoming easier.
“Not only that, the number of children in primary schools who have smartphones nowadays has also increased. This is one of the things that worries me,” he told Sinar Daily.
Abdullah said some of these children were addicted to watching pornography because they have seen their parents and older siblings watching it on their mobile phones and television.
"Children in primary school are still in the development phase, they are curious and want to try things.
“They know what is right and wrong but due to the fun and excitement, the children continues to watch pornography.
“This normalization occurs when they directly commit wrongdoing without any guilt, ”he said.
Abdullah said children who were addicted to watching pornography faced various side effects, including effects on mental health, which is a key aspect of the learning and social process with peers.
He said some of them spend time alone and stick to their gadgets to watch pornographic content instead of going out to play with friends
He said parents should not be completely blamed as some had already taken efforts to limit their child’s access to the internet.
However, he said some parents were in denial and refused to accept that their children have been watching it online.
"We do not want to blame the parents completely because some of them are really trying to ensure that their children cannot simply search for things on the internet but some are also in denial that their children have ever watched pornography.
"This scenario will not be getting any better and is even worse if their children continue to watch and are not rehabilitated," he said.
Abdullah said various efforts were carried out by MAP in combating pornography such as providing an education syllabus for children and parents.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, he said they would go to schools and had discussions with parents to ensure that their children do not get involved in this.
He said now they organise online courses and produce videos to educate the public on the dangers of pornography, self-care of one’s personal space and the cyber world,” he said.
