14/07/2025

MONDAY | JULY 14, 2025

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Concern over rise of porn addiction among youth

Newborn abandoned by roadside

SUNGAI PETANI: A newborn baby was found abandoned, with no clothing or covering, by the roadside at Taman Cempaka Indah in Bukit Selambau on Saturday. Kuala Muda police chief ACP Hanyan Ramlan said police received a call about the matter at 9.55am. “A resident who was hanging out clothes to dry heard cries and began searching the area. She screamed when she saw the infant. “Neighbours quickly came out to help, and the police were called,” he said in a statement. “The infant was taken to the emergency unit of Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital for further examination.” He said police are currently tracking down a 17-year-old male to assist in the investigation. “A 19-year-old female, believed to be his partner, has been admitted to the hospital for further examination and treatment. The case is being investigated under Section 317 of the Penal Code,“ he said. – Bernama Company director loses RM800,000 in online scam KLUANG: A trader and director of a hardware company lost RM829,705 after falling victim to an online investment scam. Kluang police chief ACP Bahrin Mohd Noh said the 56-year-old man came across an investment advertisement promising high returns on social media in March. After contacting the so-called investment “agent”, the victim was instructed to download an app called “HV View” to participate. “Between June 5 and July 9, he transferred RM829,705 in stages to five different bank accounts for the supposed return of RM4,669,065.25 shown on the app,” he said in a statement yesterday. However, the man was then told he had to make further payments to withdraw the profits. Realising he had been

PETALING JAYA: Once hidden behind closed doors, pornography addiction is quietly taking hold among Malaysian youth, fuelling anxiety, depression and warped ideas of intimacy, experts warn. “It’s no different from gambling or gaming addiction – it’s compulsive, harmful and hard to stop,” said Dr Siti Aisyah Panatik, psychology professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. “Young people are turning to porn as an emotional escape, even when it starts damaging their studies, relationships and mental health.” She added that while curiosity about sex is natural, addiction is marked by loss of control, preoccupation and continuing despite clear harm. Although the American Psychological Association has yet to formally recognise porn addiction, the World Health Organisation’s ICD 11 includes “compulsive sexual behaviour disorder” under which many clinicians place problematic porn use. Siti Aisyah warned that Malaysian youth are especially vulnerable, often battling guilt, anxiety, low self esteem, depression, sexual dysfunction and difficulty forming real-life connections. “In our society, sexual taboos add another layer of shame and silence, making it harder to seek help.” She said repeated exposure can also rewire the brain’s reward system. “Neuroplasticity studies show chronic porn use alters dopamine pathways, leading to desensitisation and the need for ever more extreme content. This can distort expectations of intimacy and encourage objectifying partners.” Siti Aisyah urged parents o Repeated exposure could harm emotional wellbeing and lead to loss of control, sexual dysfunction and distorted views of intimacy, says expert Ű BY DEEPALAKSHMI MANICKAM newsdesk@thesundaily.com

and consequences. “Some might want to stop but can’t, some use porn to cope with stress or boredom, or keep watching even when it clearly harms their wellbeing.” Other warning signs include spending excessive time online, neglecting responsibilities and escalating to more graphic material. She noted that limited sex education, strict cultural norms and a lack of open family conversations often leave the internet – and pornography – as the first source of sexual information for young people. Combined with digital convenience and everyday stress, porn can quickly become an unhealthy coping mechanism. Rather than shame or moralising, families should respond with empathy, said Siti Aisyah. “Start with curiosity, not accusation. Show concern instead of condemnation. Remind them that seeking help is a strength, not a weakness. Learning how addiction works and setting respectful boundaries can help reduce secrecy and stigma.” Siti Aisyah said although therapy through trained psychologists and counsellors is available, Malaysia still lacks national treatment guidelines or a structured framework to address porn addiction. “We need stronger policy focus to develop these frameworks. Punishment alone isn’t the answer. Prevention is far more effective,” she said, adding that schools and public campaigns need to go beyond abstinence-only messages.” She also called for age appropriate sex education covering consent, media literacy and healthy relationships, alongside honest conversations at home. Programmes such as Pekerti are a start, she said, but should be updated with modern psychological approaches that resonate with today’s youth. (Pekerti is a programme focused on providing education and skills training to promote healthy lifestyles, particularly related to reproductive health and responsible decision making. It also aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to avoid risky sexual behaviours and make informed choices)

scammed, the victim lodged a police report on July 10 at the Kluang police station. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. – Bernama Sexually explicit material access made easy by internet, smartphones and educators to watch for the “3 Cs”– loss of control, compulsion “As pornography becomes easier to access, ignoring the problem risks leaving the next generation to pay the price,” added Siti Aisyah.

PETALING JAYA: Smartphones and around-the-clock internet access are exposing Malaysian youth to pornography earlier than ever, raising alarms over mental health, sexual development, and public safety. “It’s starting younger, spreading faster and it’s all on mobile,” said Dr Fatimah Ahmad Fauzi, president of Malaysians Against Pornography (MAP) and public health medicine specialist at Universiti Putra Malaysia. A 2021 study from a college in

behavioural male reproductive health. It focuses on young, healthy male college students as participants. Beyond physical health, research shows addiction fuels earlier sexual activity, more permissive attitudes towards casual sex and greater acceptance of sexual violence. “Compulsive use erodes wellbeing, damages relationships and undermines public health goals.” Local data echo these concerns: factors on

MAP is calling for evidence-based education and tougher digital safeguards to prevent curiosity from turning into dependency. Fatimah stressed that compulsive porn use isn’t just a private matter. “Frequent viewing is linked to mood disorders, sleep loss and, in boys, changes to hormone levels and lower semen quality,” she said, citing China’s MARHCS study, which investigates the influence of environmental and socio-psycho

Penang found nearly three-quarters of students had watched porn at least once, while Unicef’s Disrupting Harm– Malaysia report revealed 27% of internet-using children had seen sexual images in the past year, with 17% actively searching for them. “The earlier the exposure, the higher the risk of compulsive use later,” Fatimah warned. But she believes the trend, although worrying, is “actionable”, if parents, educators and policymakers act together.

Malaysian studies have linked regular porn consumption to higher levels of depression, anxiety and poorer academic performance. In 2017, the country ranked 19th globally for daily porn searches. MAP tracks studies connecting porn exposure to social harms – including higher rates of premarital sex, multiple partners, risky sexual practices and normalisation of sexual aggression. – by Deepalakshmi Manickam