t the shocking news about the Internet and its effects on our society, did you know that 85% of all pictures on the Internet are pornographic in nature?! That makes me wonder what kind of exposure the Lebanese youth are encountering, and what the effects on their values are. A recent report published on CNN.com states, "More than 50 percent of parents of children between 11 and 15 years old say they allow their kids to go online whenever they feel like it. The number increases to 75 percent for teenagers older than 16." Even though this is a report for Internet use among children in the states, but one can see how this is also the case in Lebanon, how many Internet cafes are there? How many network gaming centers are there? I used to work in an Internet caf as an Internet assistant, and I saw what the young school kids were accessing without any grain of shame on their faces! In my experience as an Internet assistant, their number one visited sites are pornographic sites, which are more readily available than any other site! Conclusion Even though the Internet is a great advantage to Lebanon in terms of communications technology and helping Lebanon get back on its feet, the Internet also has negative implications on the social integrity of Lebanon. These negative implications include: a) Alienation b) Loss of culture c) Loss of identity In ...
