At the assembly on 19 February, the headmaster addressed the boys on their usage of digital devices and the imminent dangers thereof which followed on from a workshop I had attended with Emma Sadleir. This was also a follow up to Kirsty Herselmann who addressed the boys just over a year ago. In the address, he spoke to the boys about choices and doing the right thing and the dangers of their devices.
Last week our IT Department did a full audit on the data usage of all boys and the sites which some boys were accessing. We were collectively appalled by the content they were viewing, and the inordinate amount of time being spent on their devices online.
Some of results are included below:
The boys were reminded again of the dangers of viewing porn, which:
- Distorts young people’s view of sexuality.For boys, this negatively impacts how they view women, who are seen mainly as sex objects, rather than multifaceted human beings. But it can be equally harmful for girls, negatively impacting their self-esteem, causing them to see themselves as sexual objects, and leading them to accept abusive behaviors, including rape, as “normal.”
- Leads to earlier sexual activity and more lifetime sexual partners for both boys and girls, which can increase the risk of teen pregnancy, abortion, and sexually transmitted diseases.
- Destroys relationships.A 2014 study of 20,000 adults who had ever been married found that those who had watched X-rated films were more likely to report being unhappy in their marriages, have had extramarital affairs, and be divorced.
- Increases the risk of porn addiction.Like drugs and alcohol, the younger a person starts viewing porn, the more likely he or she is to become addicted. In fact, one study by Cambridge University scientists showed that brain scans of avid pornography viewers were similar to those of drug addicts. As one young man who is seeking treatment for porn addiction explained on the blog, I Believe in Love, his need to view porn progressed from “once in a blue moon” in elementary school, to three times a week in college. “If I didn’t use porn in a certain period of time,” he wrote, “I suffered from… withdrawal symptoms,” including “highly elevated heart rate, anxiety and irritability, and mild to severe tremors in my hands.”
What will Maritzburg College do going forward to address this issue?
- Weekly Reports from the Firewall.
- Offenders will be punished.
- Continue to educate our boys.
- Seek parental support.
- Seek religious leaders support.
- Reduce and or limit daily data usage.
- As a final resort, look at disconnecting WiFi and Internet connections.
Boys were reminded NOT to share their passwords under any circumstances, as this is in contravention of the social media policy, and to refrain from watching porn.
As parents, we need your help in ensuring that you are aware of what your son’s activities are by monitoring them regularly until you can trust them.