Digital exposure to pornography stealing our children's childhood

Behind the convenience of digital access lies a serious and growing threat, children addicted to pornography, right here in Malaysia.

No longer just an overseas issue, this problem is quietly creeping into our homes and schools.

Children, often unintentionally, are being exposed to explicit content through pop-up ads, online games and social media.

A study by CyberSecurity Malaysia revealed a concerning increase in complaints related to online sexual exploitation, including cases of children being exposed to explicit content.

What more worrying is that early exposure can lead to significant changes in children’s thoughts, behaviours, and emotional patterns.

Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat reportedly revealed that rape cases in the state are highly concerning, with young girls now seeking out boys to engage in intimate and sexual acts, a trend that is now on the rise.

According to him, girls as young as 10 years old are involved, while the boys are as young as 11.

Yusoff shared worrying findings, stating that “There was even a case where an 11-year-old boy impregnated his 15-year-old cousin."

Police investigations found conclusive pornographic videos and images on both of their mobile phones.

In the past, 11-year-olds would be play-acting in marriage, yet today, children have become so advanced that they are "marrying for real".

These are not isolated incidents as in 2020, a primary school pupil molested a classmate after watching pornographic videos on a mobile phone.

In another case in Selangor, a Year 6 pupil was caught filming his female classmate in the toilet using a smartphone, all due to a growing addiction to explicit material discovered through social media.

Lack of control

One of the main causes of this growing addiction is the lack of control and parental monitoring of children's gadget usage.

Many parents provide smartphones to children as young as five, unaware of the risks and dangers of unfiltered digital content.

Furthermore, the lack of comprehensive sex education in schools drives children to seek answers from illegitimate sources such as pornography.

The psychological effects of pornography addiction in children are extremely serious as psychological studies have shown that repeated exposure to explicit content can cause changes in brain structure — similar to drug addiction.

Malaysian Mental Health Association (MMHA) president, consultant psychiatrist professor Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj says watching pornography can stunt a child’s growth and negatively impact their mental health.

This is due to children under 12 still being in a developmental stage, both mentally and physically.

To protect children against this dangerous issue, a full-scale effort is needed. Parents must take the lead in monitoring their children’s digital content, use filtering software, and most importantly, build open lines of communication so children do not feel ashamed to ask questions about sexuality.

Schools should also enhance cyber awareness education and introduce age-appropriate sexual education modules.

The government must play its part by tightening laws on pornographic websites and providing more psychological support channels for affected children.

The issue of children addicted to pornography cannot be taken lightly. It requires the cooperation of all parties to protect the younger generation from becoming victims of an unregulated digital world.

Farah Nabila Mohamed Saris is Sub Editor at Sinar