The World Wide Web or the ‘free world’ as I would like to call it has revolutionized information and technology to such a degree, that the world of today does not seem the same anymore. Just in the last few years we have witnessed the leap the internet has made in Nagaland, a place that had been isolated for so long. No longer do we feel alienated the same way; rather with the kind of access to information we have, it seems to having a significant impact on life, particularly amongst the youths.
I prefer calling it the ‘free world’ because it provides the space where you can upload anything and perhaps everything with the right skills for free. In this sense the term ‘free world’ is double edged. It has come to be a space for people to express themselves in ways they never could before, and to be heard and seen in the way they wish to be. Considering that anyone having access to a computer and an internet connection can browse the web, there are concerns when this privilege is abused because with this freedom, comes greater responsibility and discernment; particularly when it involves minors and adolescence.
The news report revealing that Mizo children are increasingly being addicted to pornography and adult content via the internet and dish television is reason to worry, and yet not surprising. I say not surprising because whether it be in Mizoram or in the Naga context, we have not given priority to censorship because we still quite have not figured out the rationale behind why movies have ratings or why certain contents are only for adults. This dilemma obviously increases in the case of internet, unless computer literate parents and internet cafes are sensitive and responsible enough to use the filter and cyber patrolling facilities for minors.
The Mizo scenario necessarily brings to light the need for us to also study and assess whether similar conditions prevail in the Naga context as well. For lack of researched information, it would be prudent not to run into any speculation, and yet a casual visit to some of Dimapur’s cyber café provides sufficient insights to indicate that Naga youths may possibly be following the trend of their Mizo counterparts. Just a quick history check on the computer will show an endless list of adult websites; and yes most of the visitors too are young adolescents.
While the intent of this article is not to get into the debate about the morals of pornography, the more important aspect is to raise public discussion on the need for society to be informed on this social predicament and the impacts it may be causing on the behavioral patterns amongst the youths. It is important that a thorough study is initiated in understanding the behavioral changes in youths addicted to pornography because sufficient researches in different parts of the world have clearly established a close relationship that pornography has with gender violence, rape and abuse.
For now, closed and parochial communities like ours must come to accept the fact that the ‘free world’ after all is not so much free, it has consequences; and unless there is an iota or preparedness, we could well entrap ourselves in the consequences. There is no doubt that the ‘free world’ has changed the face of the world in positive ways; just the same unless we are sufficiently aware it could well be the downfall of the social and moral fibers that binds a people. In the absence of strong democratic institutions with strong social programs, it would be worthwhile for genuine non-governmental organizations to do an independent study on how the ‘free world’ in all its goodness and badness is affecting the youth of today.
