The worrisome rise of pornography among Nigerian teens

Subomi Plumptre is one remarkable lady that I admire not just for her approach to life but also her immense intelligence. She delves into life issues that most folks would rather ignore and she goes further to draw even the unwilling into a conversation about issues of shared value.

In October, 2015, Subomi published a detailed report on the sexuality problem that faces us as a nation and as a people. The thrust of her findings was on the looming challenge of internet pornography whilst making sure that she did not unwittingly delve into a debate about the morality of what young adults do on their mobile devices, in their spare time. The report can be found here.

Over the past weekend, I got into a conversation with a friend who happens to have a teenage son. She shared how she had a frank conversation with her son when she saw him watching a pornographic video on his mobile phone. This is not a conversation that most folks would want to have as it is easier to pretend that the situation is non-existent than accept it as a possibility. The reality is that we are in an era where endless streams abound that ensure consumption of pornography either directly or subtly. Each day presents various platforms that reiterate the subject of pornography, from music to movies to social media posts.

Not minding the fact that our parents largely ignored this salient issue thereby allowing us embrace our sexuality on our own terms. Sadly, this strategy might have undoubtedly had a negative impact in the long run. I have a son that is just 6 months shy of hitting his teenage years and I am persuaded that having deliberate conversations with him around the issue of sexuality is inevitable.

I recently started following the “Game of Thrones” series, which is largely filled with drama, battles and sex. This will invariably communicate that the series is intended only for viewing by adults. Sadly, I have at various times, overheard children and teenagers discuss various scenes in the series. I would suggest that parents make more effort in ensuring that film ratings become a big deal in their conversation with their children. It is also not sufficient to simply instruct the child to not watch a particular film due to ratings. It actually presents a ready opportunity to have conversations around the issues of sexuality.

In a non-related development, a non-profit organization that I recently co-founded, Digital Media Development Initiative, has increasingly seen the need to match the desire of children as regards choice of career paths and having market-place experiences to help them make informed choices. With 30+ companies signing up to host children as interns over the holiday in Abuja, this is a great step in the right direction.

About Blossom Ozurumba:

Blossom is a writer, compère and public servant. She co-founded, Digital Media Development Initiative, a non-profit that contributes to sustainable development of Nigeria’s individuals and organizations through the innovative use of Digital Media. She has increasingly become known as a gender equity advocate with her core messaging that demands non-compromise in valuing competence, capacity and character. She currently works as the Technical Assistant on New Media to the Honorable Minister of State, Petroleum Resources. She lives in Abuja Nigeria. To relax, she plays golf, dabbles with photography for www.applausenigeria.com and reads African Literature. She hopes to write a book one day while sharpening her writing skills on www.thecable.ng.