News & Comment
The so-called ‘Sexting’ Shows the Bankruptcy of

Western Societies’ Philosophy of Life

News:

A 15-year-old boy from Enschede (The Netherlands) committed suicide by jumping off an apartment building on Sunday after finding a nude photo of himself online. It is believed that the photo - a self-portrait taken in the mirror - was posted on Instagram by a girl who formerly attended the same school, Algemeen Dagblad reports.

Comment:

Suicide happens on regular basis, for all kinds of reasons. It is so rampant that it has necessitated a dedicated emergency phone line which can be called when someone is thinking about suicide. Just like 911, but then different: 113. But in the case of this young man there is an epidemic problem beneath it, especially in the western countries where the so called sexting is popular among especially the youth. This new phenomenon which derives its name from sex and texting, is to take nude or pornographic pictures of themselves and “text” it to others. To facilitate this trend even more there are free mobile apps available on the market.

In 2015 there was an online survey done with 100,000 people. 53% reported that they have sent nude pictures of themselves to others. Even though this particular survey wasn’t an academic research, other researches have been done, on a smaller scale, which are considered to be scientific have resulted in similar outcomes. So the problem is immense and extends to all corners of society. In this particular case, the boy who took nude pictures of himself and committed suicide after his pictures were posted public was a young Muslim boy.

It is evident that this kind of manifestations of decadence in the society doesn’t show merely the moral decline but the bankruptcy of the philosophy of life of western societies in organising the affairs of the people. The problem is not the disorganisation or regulation of some of the affairs of people but the problem is more profound. It’s the discrepancy between the idea of governance and its incompatibility of the reality of the human being.

On one hand the freedoms of the individual are secured and promoted; like the so called sexual freedom by continuously promoting pornography and sexualisation in the society. And on the other hand when the individual lives by it, a problem arises. In the case of the sexting which is negatively effecting the youth and the larger society, all kind of initiatives and prevent strategies are undertaken by schools to show the danger of it. It’s like unleashing a wild dog in to a crowd, and when it attacks the people, the people are warned against the dangerous dog. And the people are given advice how to handle the situation. Instead of controlling the wild dog by leashing him and protecting the people.

This way of thinking and practise is permeated in this secular way of thinking whether this is in the area of economics, social, governance or some other area. It is so deeply imbedded in their thinking that it even affects their perception and description of the reality. When you confront them with this, they will say that this is progress by fault and experience. Whereas it is nothing more than short-sightedness and superficiality.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Okay Pala
Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir in The Netherlands