Negative Effects Of Pornography

    'Porn', one word we all know but do not mention in public. It is a term we use mostly when talking to our close friends. Its something we've all watched or atleast heard of one time or the other. Behind closed doors, in office cubicles, on computer memories, on hidden DVDs, as cellphone clips, in secluded cyber cafes, lies thousands of gigabytes of porn. Anal, BDSM, teen, lesbian, ebony, asian, latina, hardcore, gay; it comes in categories. Pornography has become very common today, and people dont shy away from talking about it. Nothing wrong in watching some harmless good ol' porn right? Wrong. The viewpoint definitely changes once a person realises the negative effects of pornography.

COMMON EFFECTS:
    Pornography is mostly used for sexual stimulation and excitement, and many times results in masturbation to relieve it. But this external way of stimulation has many proven harmful effects. The damage that pornography causes includes violent tendencies, strained marriages and problematic childhoods. Often people think that porn is harmless.However, these individuals are often unaware of the damage they may be causing to their psyches and also the effect on their social behaviour and conduct.
    Based on a study, Psychologist Edward Donnerstein, of University of Wisconsin, found that breif exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behaviour. Male viewers tend to be more aggresive towards women, less responsive to pain and suffering of rape victims, and more willing to accept various myths about rape. Watching porn increases violence in men and a repeated exposure causes desire for more abnormal violence such as sadomasochism and rape. Such violent tendencies can take a toll on married life. Feminist author Diana Russell notes in her book 'Rape and Marriage' the correlation between deviant behaviour and pornography. She also found that pornography leads men and women to exerience conflict, suffering and sexual  dissatisfaction.
    People who watch porn an a regular basis develop a psychological dependence on it and feel the need to watch more. Also they become less devoted to their spose and are more likely to engage in extra-marital affairs. When people hide porn, it leads to guilt and stressed relations with loved ones. In an article on Oprah.com,  Rabbi Shmuley says, "Pornography subtlely undermines male respect for women by detaching a woman's personality from her body, reducing her to a mere sexual commodity."

CHILDREN:
    Children are the biggest victims of pornography, either accidently or otherwise. Each year, about 1.2 million children are affected by child pornography and/or child prostitution (Rogers, 1990). Studies show that approximately 70% of printed pornographic material eventually end up in the hands of minors. Negative effects on children include modelling the behavior; emotional problems such as anxeity, guilt, confusion and shame; stimulation of premature sexual activity; and development of harmful attitudes and beliefs about sex and sexual relationships (Lauer & Lauer, 2008).
    There are documented cases of children who are exposed to porn tending to have earlier experiences with sexual intercourse and thus having an increased risk of STDs. They also lose interest in a stable monogamous relationship and are more prone to adulterous behaviour later in life. It is for the parents to ascertain that such a harmful vice does not reach the hands of innocent children.

ADDICTION:
    According to Wikipedia, 'pornography addiction, or more broadly overuse of pornography , is excessive pornography use that interferes with daily life.' People with pornographic addiction have various symptoms of emotional and psychological problems. Porn addicts start off with soft porn and gradually move on to harder and more sado-masochistic content. Porn addiction can lead to a condition where the person cannot be aroused naturally by a physical partner, but by explicit images or videos only. Some people who are deprived of love and affection often find comfort in pornography which tends to "nurse" them. A leading researcher, Mary Anne Laydel compares it to drug use, "Porn addicts have a more difficult time recovering from their addiction than cocaine addicts, since coke users can get the drug out of their system, but pornograpic images stay in the brain forever."

INTERNET:
    These days, internet is the prime supplier of pornographic  content.  Just at the click of a button, a thousand fantasies of the mind come alive. Statistics according to toptenreviews.com reveal that the pornographic industry succeeds in making revenues more than that of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple, and Netfix all put together. Stats say that "every second, 28,258 users are viewing porn online." Sexually explicit and suggestive multimedia has a huge impact on the world's conceptions and practice of sexual relaionships. Mary Anne Laydel adds, "The internet is a perfect drug delilvery system because you are anonymous, aroused, and have role models for this behaviour."

SOLUTIONS:
    Harmful as it is, pornographic addiction is difficult to cure completely, yet possible. All it requires is a healthy lifestyle, keeping yourself occupied with productive tasks, and maintaining healthy friendship with members of both the sexes. It will need an understanding of your problem and willful abstinence from viewing porn. If at all aroused, masturbation should be performed only by imagining and not by explicit imagery. Staying away from erotic material is difficult, but you should not let it affect you. In his article, The Pernicious Effects of Pornography, Joe Dallas says, "Erotic images pose a challenge. I dare you to try to escape them. Take a drive and you'll see some model flasing her wares on a billboard. Thumb through a magazine- a regular magazine, mind you- and you'll get hit with clothing ads that show more flesh than clothes. Try as you may, you cant get away from erotic images without going into hibernation." Despite this fact, it is ultimately your decision to get your mind into it.
    Number of networks and organisations which stand for the prevention of pornography as well as rehabilitation of program for addicts, exist. People can seek help at sash.net or iitop.com. Another place to help yourself is a society called Sex Addicts Anonymous which can be found on the net. Keeping the filters on sites 'on' is a great way to keep yourself away from unwanted content. Remember, only you can hep yourself do the right thing. And the first step there is awareness. Have a safe and healthy day.

The Republic Sentiment

I woke up later than usual today, the day being a bank holiday, the 26th of January. I checked my cellfone to find seven text messages, all wishing me a 'Happy Republic Day', each with its own dose of patriotism. With a yawn, I washed my face, and checked Facebook to find similar updates, with catchy quotes and tags in patriotic photo uploads and whatnnot. I turned on the TV and switched to DD to see the parade of our 61st Republic day.


The 'Amar Jawan Jyoti' event in the presence of the defence chiefs was being aired live from India Gate. It was followed by march-past of the soldiers, and a display of tanks, missiles, radars, etc. all confirming the military strength of our country. Later, there was a colourful depiction of the rich and varied culture of India, where regional and cultural diversity were the forerunners. The show tried to capture the multitude of ethnicities woven together in a united India. Also worth noting were the bike show and the aerial histrionics. The chief guest, Indonesian President, Yudhoyono was surely amazed at the India that he saw, his wife clicking her camera at everything exciting. I sat in my chair, looking lost, wondering where this India been so long.

A personal message to President Yudhoyono: "This ain't even a quarter of the show that we see everyday, Sir. You missed quite a lot. Actually most of it. They showed you different parts of the country. Did they show the circumstances in which they live there? They showed you hard-working farmers making their bread, er, roti. Did they talk to you about farmer suicides? Did they even talk about the inflated prices of daily commodities? So many politicians present at the event. I bet one of them must've told you how they keep law and order in their pockets. You saw capable scientists and engineers with their equipments under display. But do you know most of them work in the private sector coz the government pays them nuts? There were a lot of tanks, fighter-jets, etc on display. But they never told you that many of them were made from rusted and corrugated parts imported from Russia. You were told that Indians were honest, hardworking people. But are you aware of the corruption and scams that take place at all levels of the system, every other day? Delhi looked so beautiful and serene today. But did you look beneath its outer layer, at the rampant crimes, traffic, pollution, and corruption in this capital city? The army people looked so smart and polite today. But they ain't so polite when they are wiping off innocent civilians in Kashmir. You missed a lot, Sir. What you saw was a movie, and we are really good at making 'em, so you better trust me on that one."

I know all this sounds very accusing and these facts might sound far-fetched. I wont blame you. We Indians have a habit of avoiding the truth. We all know things, but we choose to remain silent. We think these things do not really concern us, but actually they do. Yet we remain mum. But that is exactly where the problem begins. The government is not to blame, we are to blame, coz we choose them after all. Every problem on the face of the country is our fault, in an indirect fashion though. I do not intend to provide solutions, but we know there are solutions. As a Zen proverb says, "The answer is in the question itself".

We have an impeccable law system, we only need to implement it properly. We have a strong political frame, just not the right politicians to run the country. We have highly skilled doctors and engineers, just need good packages to recruit them. A majority of people are poor and deprived, yet we see so much wealth around. This is due to imroper diversification of money. There are welfare schemes to help the needy, but not a proper force to make it available to them. In short the country is completely out of control. The British were better at handling us, for we have made such a mess, and no one's ready to clean it up. So its time we looked beyond the tricolour, the songs and the catchy captions this Republic Day. Its time to find the answers to the numerous problems that surround us. 'I' cannot do it, 'you' cannot do it, but 'we' know 'we' can do it. So lets set our country straight. It wont happen easily. It might take many many years to reach there. But there is that possibility. I wrote this post to bring my thoughts to words and change my attitude towards all this. If it makes even one person think, I'll consider it a success. Forgive me if you are offended by anything I say, but I wont say "nothing personal" coz it is personal. Don't mistake me as a critic, I'm not. Just a concerned citizen. Jai Hind.

Ten Common Mistakes During Ramadan

When we hear of Ramadan, things like fasting, prayers, food and Iftaar parties immediately come to one's mind. As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, Muslims throughout the world gear up for the 30-day fasting month. We train our bodies to adapt to a mechanism where food and water will be unavailable throughout the day. Ramadan is the month of purification, of our mind, body and soul. Unfortunately, there are many common practices today, that aim not to cleanse but to abuse your body. These practices defeat the very purpose of fasting, both physically and spiritually. This is an attempt to identify these common errors and provide suitable solutions, mostly from a health perspective. The holy month is not far away, and I want you to keep the below things in mind when you fast, so that you avoid these mistakes and make Ramadan a better experience. The following are the ten common mistakes one may make during Ramadan:




1. Lack of planning:

Realize what happens when you start fasting initially. Your body is getting all nutrients and ample of water at regular periods. Then suddenly out of the blue, all intake stops. The body clock gets into action and hunger-pangs crop up. These are common signs during the initial days. It takes a while for the digestion clock to get used to this routine. To avoid this confused body state, it is better to start planning a week before fasting days. Start having heavy early breakfasts, reduce food intake for the afternoon, and then another meal in the evening. Avoid having anything in-between. This will provide a trigger to override the existing body-clock rhythm.

2. Eating more:

You're gonna fast all day. You need to eat more to make sure it lasts the whole day, right? Wrong. Some people start eating ravenously during Iftaar, and some also stuff themselves heavily during Suhoor. You cannot cram 24 hours worth of food in 4 to 6 hrs. Your body simply won't accept it. It is a myth that you tend to lose weight, when in reality people tend to gain more due to unhealthy food habits. During fasting, metabolism of the body drops. Just make sure you get carbs and proteins enough to sustain yourself. Iftaar should not be heavy; just a few dates, a glass of water, and a fruit is enough to break your fast. A real meal should be consumed an hour later. But make sure you don't overeat, or you'll end up gaining weight. As the Holy Quran puts it, "Eat and drink but not in excess."

3. Sleeping all day:

You might think that with all those hours of fasting, your body needs more rest. But au contrarie, sleeping is not what fasting is meant for. Sleeping all day can make you lethargic, and defeats the purpose of Ramadan. Besides, you are more likely to use up your carbs and proteins when you sleep, then when you're awake and active. Sleeping throughout will also alter your circadian rhythms, which is not a good sign for overall health. Spend your time working and praying, rather than sleeping for long periods. A short nap in the afternoon will suffice.

4. Skipping workouts:

Ramadan is a time when energy levels are down. So you might feel you shouldn't workout in this fasting month. Many people skip exercise for the whole month. But realize how difficult it is to start all over again after the month gets over. Most trainers suggest that a workout routine should not be discontinued during Ramadan. Exercise creates a physical and mental balance, besides keeping your metabolism in check and your body in shape. The aim of workouts during this month is to maintain and stabilize, so don't try to set any goals. Reduce the intensity of your workout by using heavy to medium weights. Avoid cardio during Ramadan, because it might use up precious calories. Do weight training, and focus only on core exercises. The best time to exercise during this month is about an hour before Iftaar, so that you can replenish your body soon. You can add a protein shake to your Iftaar, to ensure your muscles heal within time. If possible, skip workouts for the last week of Ramadan, as your body is pretty much spent during this time.

5. Dieting:

Understand that, the month of Ramadan is a test of will power and a purification process. It does not propose or aim to lose your weight, and dieting should be the last thing on your mind. After a day without food and water, you do not want to abuse your body by not eating enough. After you break your fast, make sure your body gets enough carbohydrates and proteins to keep it going. If you don't eat enough, you are bound to burn fat eventually, but understand that this process will affect your immune system and hydration levels. Also, it is very important to keep drinking water at regular intervals after the fast, so that you don't get dehydrated. This can be done by adding fruits and juices to your meals.

6. Unleashing your tempers:

The ultimate test during Ramadan is to keep your anger under check. Anger defeats the very purpose of fasting, and is a hindrance to spiritual awareness. Many people develop a high temper and some also become cranky. This is a mind-triggered defense mechanism, and one should learn to keep it under control. You can take help of spirituality here. Spend time reading the Holy Quran, and pay attention to your prayers. Prayer has a meditative effect on the body, and also works to make you more aware of your actions.

7. Not sleeping enough:

This might seem paradoxical to the 3rd point, but is for people who don't sleep enough. Your body needs rest after a whole day of fasting and working, and it is a bad idea to deprive it of this much-needed rest by sleeping less. Try getting as much rest during the night, though you might not get continuous sleep because of the late night prayers. You can make up for this by having a short nap in the afternoon.

8. Choice of food:

As discussed before, you should be having balanced amounts of food; not overeating yet eating enough. What also matters is the choice of your food. People tend to have foods with high fat content. Our Prophet Mohammed used to break his fast with some dates and a glass of water. Dates are a power-packed choice as they contain sugars, carbohydrates, potassium, and magnesium; thus allowing you to go on for an hour or two without food. Desserts and sweets are the worst things to have even during dinner, as they spike blood sugar levels to alarming highs. Eat fruits high in antioxidants, and avoid fatty and oily food. This is because fat is the last thing that burns during the fast. Also avoid increasing your caffeine levels during this month. Fill your body with enough carbohydrates and proteins to keep you going for the day.

9. Iftaar parties:

This is a new trend these days for people to throw Iftaar parties. Especially in high profile societies, people go to Iftaar parties to hog as much, and also as a social get-together. Many of such events are also accompanied by music and entertainment. These practices are making Ramadan a mere ritual, where people come to enjoy and have a good time. Such practices will distract your attention from the purpose and faith of this holy month. Sure its no harm to meet together to break your fast, as long as you do it within the tenants, keeping the larger purpose in mind. For Ramadan is a time to awaken your spiritual self, not to socialize.

10. Refraining from sex:

Ramadan is a month of abstinence, and many couples avoid sexual intercourse throughout the month. It is a sin to have sex when you fast, but according to the teachings of the Quran, one is allowed to have sex after the fast is over, and before another one begins. So even if you might decrease the frequency due to the spiritual nature of the month, it would be right to have sex with your partner whenever you feel the need, as long as it does not occur during the fasting period.

Finally, make sure to be aware of all your actions, and don't hesitate if you feel you need proffesional help. Try focussing on the spiritual essence of Ramadan, and stay away from unwanted indulgences. Have a safe Ramadan and may Allah shower his mercy and blessings on you. Ameen.

The Soul Trip

   Once in every few years, you find yourself caught in the daily dinkum of life, wondering where your life is headed. You start to wonder if that hard work you put in day and night will ever pay off. When you start to attempt something, you have that fear of all that effort going in vain. Its true, you may not know what happens tomorrow. One sweep of death, and all those emotions, those efforts, those aspirations, those dreams crushed within a matter of seconds. Did you live life to the fullest? Was it worth living? Was it worth sacrificing your time, money and efforts for a better future, that you might never live to see?
   "Plan like you're gonna live forever, live like you're gonna die tomorrow."
   I saw this quote somewhere and it triggered a rush of thoughts. What is the purpose of our life? Are we really here for a reason? Its true, we need to keep doing what we do without letting thoughts bother us. But there does come a time when we need to listen to that inner voice inside us. We need to let those supressed feelings come to the helm of those thoughts and we need to reason everything, before you come to an inference and declare your verdict. Such things dont have answers, but they do have some remedies.
   It is at these times that you really need a soul-trip. And I dont mean just taking a trip to your inner self, I mean actually taking a trip somewhere. So pack your suitcase with some clothes and necessities, and set out for the trip of your life. The essence of a soul-trip is to relax your mind and clear your thoughts, so make sure you dont make the effort of planning. Remember, dont plan. Just select a venue, and start moving. Dont choose a place you've already been. Neither a place where you'll be getting hordes of tourists. Choose a place where you will be exploring nature, just something offbeat, yet not remote. Do not take the conventional way, dont make those train reservations yet. Avoid taking your car; you dont wanna be driving when you should be enjoying. Use public transport for a change. A day or two in the General bogie of that train wont hurt you. It'll bring you down-to-earth, will make you more receptive to nature. Use the bus when travelling shorter distances. Who you travel with is important; and usually your better half, or a few friends will be just fine. But a lot of people, will push you out of the picture. Make sure you get to spend some time with yourself. Keep that cellphone on silent or better switch it off. Stay off any talk or plans about your work or anything to do back home. Keep a camera wherever you go and try to capture those moments. The general idea of a soul trip is to go to a new place and explore, because that is synonymous to exploring new facets of a stale and tired mind.
   Trust me.You will realise the quality of your life has improved, and your mind cleared of all vice. It will replenish your soul, and you will be ready to resume your daily chores with a new zeal. You will be looking forward to every other day with enthusiasm, and most importantly, you will learn to enjoy and make the most of your present. And then you will feel the purpose of your existence. And when it hits you, it'll be the most important moment of your llife. So if you seek the answers, trapped in the arrays of a haphazard world, cancel that upcoming appointment, excuse yourself from that office-meeting, get away from that daily monotone. Its time you make your soul-trip today.

Reality shows- Another reason why Indian families are glued to the Idiot-box

   Its has been a gruelling day, and you have just come home from your workplace. After you have settled yourself, you grab the remote and switch on the TV. Its a news channel covering the latest bombings in Pakistan. Switching the channel, you see some tennis match in progress. Irritated, you switch the channel to find a girl in her mid-twenties, weeping on TV. Instantly, you recognize the program, and now pay interest to it, something you've been doing for the past few days. Its another of those now popular reality shows, which your fellow-commuters were talking about in the local train.
   'Its the age of reality shows', as some entertainment pundits put it. Reality shows have been largely successful to capture the minds of millions of television viewers. The fact that what is depicted in these shows are not a work of fiction or the performance of a much-hyped actor, make it even more exciting to watch. Thanks to the majority at my home, I've started following three of such shows. First is a show called 'Lux Perfect Bride' aired on Star Plus every evening. Its about  prospective grooms looking for their perfect bride. Though I still struggle to fathom the show's ultimate goal, I find it very entertaining. Another show which is shown about the same time on NDTV Imagine is 'Pati, Patni aur Woh'. It is meant to test the parenting skills of the participating celebrity couples. Though very amusing in its concept, even a 6-year-old kid will tell you that the scenes are pre-planned and the actors are making a complete use of their acting abilities. The third show is on weekends, called 'Dance Premier League' on Sony Entertainment Television. With Shiamak Davar and Rani Mukherjee as judges, the dancing teams from various states test their dancing capabilities. These shows have surely succeeded in making me a slave to these shows, and even a single missed episode makes me uncomfortable that day.
   This just goes on to prove how addictive these reality shows are. This is in a way because, people can actually relate to these shows. Sources say that, 'TRPs of reality shows are better than those of other soaps'.Reality shows continue to strike a cord with the masses. They have given Indian families another reason to become glued to their television sets.
   For more interesting trivia on shows and soaps, visit this site.
Copyright ©2009 Y.K.Campwala

The Today Affairs India: Indian economy growing in the real sense?

The Today Affairs India: Indian economy growing in the real sense?

For more updates on Indian current affairs, visit this blog

http://current-events-india.blogspot.com

Indian economy growing in the real sense?

   The last few weeks have been those of optimism for India. It follows the fact that people have started showing faith in the country's economic capabilities. The BSE's Sensex and the NSE have shown recent trends of growth, triggered by a fast recovery from recession. Even small businesses affected by global meltdown have recieved a major reconcilation. Stimulus packages have proved to be an enormous contributing factor to a quicker recovery. Another major factor to this trend has been the old-fashioned Indian economy.
   The recent demograhics have proved favorable for growth in China and India, in the Asian continent. India has been acknowledged by Standard & Poor's as the second-fastest growing economy after China, in the Asia-Pacific region. The Industrial Output growth for the month of September has been termed 9.1 pc this year. The business term 'stagnancy' has long been forgotten. Also, with no waiver in stimulus packages, hope is shining among the economic 'gullies'. The Rupee-Dollar value is on the rise, so also are stock market indices. MNCs are said to have made hiring and expansion plans, following the promising economy. Addressing a gathering at the 25th India Economic Summit, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Stimulus packages provided by the government have been aimed at increasing domestic demand in the face of a global recession. He also expected the GDP growth to return to the 9-10 pc growth trajectory by 2012.
   With these prompts, the worst is definitely over for the Indian economy. But the spoiler has been the food prices which continue to soar, a fact which has been attributed to be a result of irregular rainfall. The above stated economic developments might be applied to the business world, but for the commoner, life has hardly changed. As the country approaches its high in the economic sense, the woes of the common man remain hardly pacified. Is this 'growth' in the real sense?
Copyright ©2009 Y.K.Campwala