Nudity Exposure: Understanding the Dangers of Adult Content

How it has started to impact our thoughts?

It is hereby notified that the following content might be sensitive and adult to some people, so if you don't like it, you can skip this article.

Influence of social media:

Our religion: Islam is a complete code of life and we have this firm fidelity. In the midst of the 21st century, we all are surrounded by the whirlpool of societal evils. Every day its roots are getting stronger and now it has become a part of our life. To a large extent, our social media is predominantly the source prevailing these elements. The one I have area of interest is nudity. Research undertaken by the students of mass communication from the University of Benin in March 2024, regarding the "Exposure to Social Media Sexual Content and its Influence on Sexual Behavior" has a complete description of how social media is affecting the life of students, particularly undergraduate students. Subjects in this research have a strongly agreed opinion on the negative impact of social media on student's life. I have provided the research link in the references, so you can easily skim it.

Gratification Theory:

Before diving into the depth of our course let us vividly view the gratification theory and answer this question, does media content really tempt us, or is it just the people with vicious minds who elevate it? Indeed, this topic is debatable. The use of the Gratification theory was created by Elihu Katz, Jay Blumler, and Michael Gurevitch in 1974: also called Utility theory. The uses of the Gratification theory focus on what people use the media for, rather than how the media affects people. This theory tries to answer certain questions, such as:

1. What are the things that people want to get by using media?
2. How do people use different forms of communication and entertainment to meet their requirements? 
3. How does using media affect individuals or their social life?
4. How do people's characteristics and personal differences impact the way they use media? 

This theory gives an analysis of how people use the media for different purposes.

Proliferation of Adult Content:

 Humans have a strong intrinsic desire called sexual desire which has a pivotal role in the development of our youth thinking. This subject is considered taboo in our society, and fewer people want to discuss it. Why to discuss it? The first and foremost question to pop up in your mind. On account of its commencement let's discuss what would be the pragmatic consequences of not telling the youngsters about it. We all know that in our society parents don't tell their children about this matter; either they are too shy to discuss on the name Islam or they are not much educated about it, so from where do we learn about it? Of course, from the internet, where one can have complete exposure to everything from the variety of contents. This can be found on any platform either from YouTube, Snapchat, or TikTok, and the foremost source is the adult content website, I am not using the proper pathos regarding this matter because for a person of wisdom a vivid direction is enough. So progressively when someone watches 18+ content in their premature days, there is a prominent chance to have an addiction to this nudity content and they begin to fanaticize it, which later on affects their adulthood life. 

A recent report published by Common Sense Media (2022) found that 58% of people came across pornography accidentally. 

Our youth have a phantasy of watching these videos. Watching this content in obscurity can also have a deep impact on our cognitive development. Using different modes to fulfill these sexual desires such as masturbation, etc, can cause one to live in permanent guilt and shame. One might want someone to stop him from doing all this. Still, if the root of this addiction is profound in a person's life, then we can perceive that this habit is much more intense than we think, because being exposed to adult content periodically can cause someone to heavily rely on these elements. This addiction is similar to smoking, drinking, and taking drugs, where these elements have a complete hold on the subject.

Mental Health Conditions That Co-occur with Adult Contents?

 Some of the more common mental health conditions that can co-occur with X-rated content addiction are:

1. Anxiety disorders
2. Depression
3. Mood disorders such as bipolar disorder
4. Personality disorders
5. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
6. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
7. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 

The last three disorders are the worst of all. This causes the subject to live in permanent fear, having no control over their sexual habit and having less attention and focus on themselves.

What Causes Adult Content Addiction?

When a person watches 18+ content, it can trigger a release of dopamine in the brain. This release of dopamine causes the person to feel good and pleasure. Over time, as a person continues to watch this, the brain starts associating this action with pleasurable feelings. This association can create the urge and make a person feel the need to watch it over and over again, even if they want to stop.

Adult content triggers the dopamine release in the brain.

A variety of different factors may cause this addiction. Some of the possible causes of this addiction can include:

1. Low self-esteem
2. Underlying mental health conditions such as anxiety or depression
3. Relationship problems
4. Biological factors
5. Seeking Sexual Pleasure

Symptoms of Adult Content Addiction:

This is also our responsibility to identify if someone is addicted to these kinds of videos or not. But how can we know if someone is exposed to this kind of devilish element or not? This can be shown in their daily behavior. Some common signs of an adult content addiction can include: 

1. Ignoring daily responsibilities to watch 18+ content
2. Feeling ashamed after watching the adult video but continuing the act 
3. Sex life becomes less satisfying
4. Starting to view more extreme X-rated content (such as roofie attacks or drug-related videos)
5. Using this as a coping mechanism for sadness, anxiety, or other difficult feelings or mental health issues These are some common symptoms being taken from the Sandstone Care website.

Effects of Sexual Content and how to maintain a check and balance:

When excessive hormones more specifically testosterone are released from our body, it can weaken man internally and externally. It is easy to have sexual desires but to have control over them is the hardest task of being a human. Alternately, I am not saying that if a person seems weaker externally this predominantly shows that he has been exposed to masturbation, etc. Still, it can be a mode to analyze if our loved one is on the right path or wrong. Keeping an eye on your family members or especially on your children when they are using the bathroom for a longer period, you should watch out for their unusual behavior. Properly having a check and balance on them can be a good parameter to keep them safe from all these devilish activities of society. One must also check the WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok of their children continuously because these are the platforms where children can get exposed to the opposite gender attraction, sexting, sexual desires, and nudity. Different internet filters can be applied to restrain certain websites from being searched and some software can also be installed on your children's phones to monitor their internet traffic.

Is it our fault?

Was it always the easiest in history to give birth to a child and let them learn on their own, I don't think it was the case. In ancient times, there was no smartphone, and people only focused on limited problems. Now in the present time, we pay less attention to our home, but like to listen to the home stories and problems of others in the form of home vlogs, etc. Since the arrival of smart phone children demand extra cautious care and one can easily get diverted if you give a cell phone to your child in his premature days. We become happy when our 5-year-old child knows how to open YouTube and is clever enough to search for their favorite cartoons, we boastingly say our child is intelligent, he knows how to operate this device, and it's an undeniable fact that this phone was obviously made with this sense that anyone can able to use this phone without any difficulty. But can it stop the exposure of adult content to the child when a big satan is also available on social media, who explicitly shares 18+ content there? 

Research has discovered that when a child watches TV for more than an hour a day, there is usually a sexual scene about every 10 minutes (Landau E, 2008).

 

Sex Education in Society:

Should sex education given to students or not? The opinion can vary depending upon a person's phenomenology and perception to see things from pragmatism. Before we answer this question let us review the history of the subcontinent being a historical cosplay. If one has watched OMG 2, a movie released back in 2023, you might know the motif I want to disseminate. To define sex education, this is not a prohibited term you cannot use. This is mainly about telling your children about good touch and bad touch, the impact of negative sexual content, and why not to masturbate. how to control sexual desires? how do treat women in society? and not to consider them as a sexual tool just only to fulfill your sexual desires, etc. 

This sex education was also given to the students in the subcontinent at that time.

Unfortunately, with the invasion of EIC (East India Company) in the subcontinent, they have stolen our every educational stuff and shifted its knowledge to their country. To this point I don't have a conflict with what they did, because knowledge is the greed of man and he wants to acquire it from everywhere, but why did British elites destroy our educational system before they departed? If you ponder a little bit you will get the answer.

The Role of Parents in Digital Safekeeping and Advice-Giving

Some common measures that a parent must take to control and activities of their children's online or social media life:

1. Talked with your child about ways to use the internet and cell phones safely
2. Talked with your child about ways to behave toward other people online or on the phone
3. Talked with your child about what you/he or she does on the internet
4. Talked with your child about what kinds of things should and should not be shared online or on a cell phone
5. Checked which websites your child visited
6. Used parental controls or other means of blocking, filtering, or monitoring your child’s online activities
7. Use parental controls to restrict your child’s use of his or her cell phone.

Conclusion:

In culminating points, our society is paradoxical, where there is evil, also a ray of goodness can be seen. No matter how many devils try to seduce us with their elements, we have the prayers of Allah and our sweet religion Islam: whom we should uphold with all our might until the day we die. This is the last strand we can grasp onto because after this we will open our eyes only on the day of Judgement, where everyone will be held accountable for what he has done and none will be given any slack for his sins or the deeds he did in the earthly atmosphere.

References:

1. B. Wormald and B. Wormald, “Part 4: The Role of Parents in Digital Safekeeping and Advice-Giving,” Pew Research Center, Apr. 14, 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2011/11/09/part-4-the-role-of-parents-in-digital-safekeeping-and-advice-giving/#fn-95224-47

2. J. Daniel, “CHANGE TITLE porn addiction,” Sandstone Care, Nov. 01, 2023. https://www.sandstonecare.com/blog/porn-addiction/

 

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