Abstract
Dear Editor,
In a recent Letter published in this journal, the author interestingly pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic when there were lockdowns and restrictions, many Filipinos resorted to online engagement to connect with their family and friends. Utilizing social media, they organized online inuman or “e-numan” where they meet up over bottles of wine or beer (Macaraan, 2022). This is one way of coping with the stressful situation caused by the health crisis. While online inuman and social media play an important role as coping mechanisms, another virtual element that needs balancing/regulation or even avoidance because of its detrimental effect on mental health is online pornography.
In December 2021, there were almost 3 million cases of COVID-19 in the Philippines. While some Filipinos use the internet for “online inuman” or connect with others on various social media platforms, others had also regular encounters with different pornographic websites. The country topped the list worldwide with the most time spent watching pornographic videos in a single visit in the same year (2021) according to PornHub, one of the popular global porn sites (Garcia, 2021). This is the reason why the Philippines has declared an all-out “war” against online pornography, especially the sexual exploitation of children online, vowing to prosecute and jail perpetrators amid a threefold surge in online sexual abuse cases involving children. The latest available data reported that online child sexual abuse cases rose to 279,166 during the COVID-19 lockdown from March to May 2020, and that accounts for a whopping 264.6% increase compared with the same period in 2019 when recorded cases were at 76,561 (Cepeda, 2022). The situation is indeed alarming and needs immediate attention to prevent serious moral and mental health problems.
Pornography is any material that is predominantly sexually explicit and intended primarily for sexual arousal (McManus, 1986). Online or internet pornography is any images and videos with sexually explicit content which can be viewed and downloaded from the internet. The moral issue of watching pornography results in various negative effects such as objectification of men/women, loss of respect, lack of focus/concentration, distorted views on sexuality, and many others. This behavior, if not controlled, can lead to addiction which can be destructive to one’s mental health (Cordero, 2020). Addictive use of internet pornography, which is associated with poorer psychosocial functioning, emerges when people begin to use or engage with it daily. This is where the habit is gradually developed and a compulsive behavior comes into play (Harper & Hodgins, 2016). With this, a comprehensive sex education program is needed to educate especially young students in developing a holistic view of sexuality. Schools need the support of other institutions involved such as the church, government, and especially, respective families for successful intervention.