Can society be protected from the crafty encroachment of pornographic media?
Desensitization towards pornography is one of the greatest dangers in the information society today. What is desensitization? It is losing the ability to distinguish what is morally right from what is wrong. A delicate conscience becomes crass, and Gospel values are seen as taboo.
Invasion through subtle means
The flow of non-stop information carried by media technology floods individuals, families and groups on a daily basis with all types of data. Time to sort them becomes a luxury since media audience is prone to be in a hurry. Consequently, listeners and viewers are captured by the attractive presentation of producers and directors. Pornographic materials enter the individual’s mind unnoticed and are easily absorbed by young and innocent persons.
Continual and uncritical exposure to media can desensitize the person regarding pornography. What is abnormal becomes abnormal, and immoral acts are perceived as a way of life. Children are the most vulnerable victims. Many parents are not able to point out the difference to their children, either due to ignorance or distorted values.
Pornography takes different forms. Some are easily recognized as in obscene style of clothes, billboard ads, TV programs, movies and Internet websites. The subtle ones are those inserted in media programs intended for general audience like songs, dances, story lines of TV and radio dramas, clippings of new programs, and short message sending (texting). With media targeting the person’s subconscious, constant exposure without being critical can degrade the value systems of young people including adults.
Constant exposure to subtle obscenity will slowly destroy the family rather than build it for a better society. It is even more dangerous since they are often times unnoticed, unlike hard-core pornography that repulses a delicate sensibility.
Producers and directors claim them as work of art. How can young audience distinguish art from immoral depiction of persons? Should it be at the expense of Christian morality.
Can we protect ourselves?
Subtle insertion of obscenity in any media program and advertisement can be detected through media analysis. One needs to learn media language and skills in reading media text to be able to recognize pornographic materials, and thus make a decision to avoid and reject what is harmful to one’s being.
Paulines Communication Center (PCC) of the Daughters of St. Paul (FSP) offers Media Literacy Education (MLE) courses and seminar that will equip viewers, listeners and readers with knowledge and skills to recognize media text not suited to Christian sensibilities.
Moreover, MLE will enable the audience to appreciate the work of art in communication and understand messages that uplift the spirit.