We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

So here comes the next ‘moral panic’

I assume this risible claim by NSPCC (the quango responsible for the discredited family destroying ‘satanic‘ moral panic of the 1980’s/90’s), is priming the pump for the next assault on civil liberties to justify its existence, yes?

A tenth of 12 to 13-year-olds fear they are “addicted” to pornography, an NSPCC ChildLine survey has concluded.
One in five of nearly 700 youngsters surveyed said they had seen pornographic images that had shocked or upset them, researchers found

…”researchers found” is a phase that is pure gold, it is not? Perhaps children have fundamentally changed since I was one, but when I was in my early teens, if I saw a ‘helpline’ being advertised that could assist me regarding porn, I would have called it on the assumption they were going to help me find the ‘good stuff’ rather than those hairy porkers in Mayfair or Men Only 😉

16 comments to So here comes the next ‘moral panic’

  • Andrew Duffin

    According to yesterday’s DT, children discovered to be (ie suspected of) playing computer games above rated above their age will be reported to the police (yes, really) and – I assume – thence to Social Services so that they can be kidnapped and put in “care” or given away to strangers.

    Naturally no due legal process is envisaged.

    Really this country is becoming very strange.

  • Simon Just

    Very much so, but scroll down a few posts, Andrew 😀

  • It’s a generational shift. Now we have the luscious lads and lads of the internet whereas when I were a lad porn seemed to grow on paper under hedges. I blame the digital revolution which as Andrew Duffin hints is not understood at all by our Betters. There also seems to be a war on porn fought from Guardian Towers which in many ways misses the point completely. They have had several comment pieces recently about female porn stars removing their pubic hair. This ignores the fact there is a strong flourishing sub-genre of hirsute ladies and they are also tilting at the wrong windmill. It is not about male oppression but depilation in that neck of the woods makes cunning linguistics much easier and of course from the porn POV it is about showing more and not presenting a Barbie-Girl image which is almost invariably vaguely linked to peadophilia. I quite like it shaven or trimmed but I am in no way a peado. I like women, not girls and it saves me a fortune because “Frozen on Ice” is coming to Manchester soon.

  • Henry Crun

    Can you imagine the conversation on the helpline?

    Hello is that Child line?
    Yes.
    I’m 9 years old and Googled “ponies”. I never knew ladies could do that!
    And how many pictures did you look at?
    All of them (sniggers).

  • RAB

    Grew on paper under hedges? Tha were lucky lad! It t’wer tut Littlewoods catalogue underwear section for us. Until we could get our hands (or should that be hand?) on Playboy, I used to have to draw my own. 😉

  • Alsadius

    There’s some messed-up stuff on the internet, but it’s not really a problem in the grand scheme of things. Growing up often involves finding out that the world is occasionally terrifying.

  • One in five of nearly 700 youngsters surveyed said they had seen pornographic images that had shocked or upset them, researchers found

    The other four said they had seen pornographic images that had made them enquire as to where they can get more of this sort of thing.

  • Vinegar Joe

    When I was in college, I got drunk and called directory assistance to ask for the number of the city sperm bank. I wanted to know how much they paid for a deposit. The young female operator laughed and laughed.

  • PersonFromPorlock

    Alsadius
    March 31, 2015 at 4:43 pm
    Growing up often involves finding out that the world is occasionally terrifying.

    Or at least mildly off-putting. Is there a more abused word in the English language than “adult”?

  • Yes, and that would be “liberal” and “social”, which are often used to means “illiberal” and “not society but rather controlled by the state” (i.e. socialist, social housing, social contract etc.).

  • As to abused lingo am I the only one that finds the term of last few years, “hard-working families” used by political flanimals?

  • Plamus

    Is there a more abused word in the English language than “adult”?

    Yes, and that would be “liberal” and “social”, which are often used to means “illiberal” and “not society but rather controlled by the state” (i.e. socialist, social housing, social contract etc.).

    “Fair”.

  • Jonathan

    I’ve noticed that the only porn objected to is that aimed at heterosexual men.

  • Julie near Chicago

    Nick, “cunning linguistics” indeed, sir. It is good to see the subject matter of this here site raised above the bikini line. 🙂

    I wonder if there’s a doctoral program in that at my alma mater. I did audit a few linguistics lectures, but they were pretty far over my head. Perhaps a lower-level introduction would have been better.

  • Julie near Chicago

    Seriously, however, the urge of various countries’ versions of DCFS, the “Department of Children and Family Services” [sic] Near Chicago or, as I think of it, DefCon, to snatch children is frightening. If people want to get into a moral panic, THAT is where they should focus their fear … and their outrage.