Erotic material with wrong attitude toward sex can be easily spread through different channels of media. For example, the films, VCDs, movies, magazines and the internet, contain many adult materials. Youth can easily approached to such material and obtain wrong sex messages from the media. Though some people say that the media take the active role encouraging eroticism, some argue that the media is not unless the majority of people loved to. Nevertheless, being an important function units, mass media should not produce anything do harm to the public. Obviously, eroticism is too much emphased on the media, which is definitely negative to the youth. Therefore, monitoring system is urgently needed.

It is argued that, recent legislation has done enough to avoid youth approach such materials. According to the "File services and obscene control articles", which aim at protecting public moral and young people from harmful effects of obscene and indecent materials while preserving the free flow of information and safeguarding the freedom of expression. The publication and public display of obscene and indecent articles (including printed matters, sound-recordings, films,

Videotapes, discs and electronic publications) is regulated by the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance. These materials are restricted for sale to youth under 18 years old, and they should be covered with a plastic bag. Film packaging and film advertising material covers, on the other hand, is under the Film Censorship Ordinance and television broadcasts. Combining with the 3-catogory system and penalties like maximum fine of $1 million and 3 years imprisonment. Youth are not supposed to attach to such material through the media. It seems that it is enough to protect our youth from obscene.

However, the existing system is not effective because of the convenience and openness of the media. Submission of articles to The Obscene Articles Tribunal is entirely voluntary. Publishers, authors, printers, manufacturers, importers, distributors and copyright owners may submit articles to the Tribunal for classification rulings if in doubt. Therefore some producers may like to produce products in a marginal way or in grey zones in order to avoid submitting, actually such product may consists of obscenic immoral content, and they might be placed very openly in the bookstore. Sex magazines do covered, but the transparent plastic bags can actually cover nothing. The categorized 4 VCDs are extremely cheap, with the lack of control because they are not right reserved, people in all ages can buy them easily. In addition, sex material posting on the web can be reached through many search engines.

People might argue that human should have the freedom of choice, and read what they want to read. People are interested in sex, not because of the media encouragement, it’s the inborn curiosity to sex. It is actually a psychological need to know about sex. Youth read more sex material because they get mature earlier than the previous generation.

On the other hand, the new generation is still lack of knowledge, and thus they are unable to identify the right or wrong messages. While the new generation become mature earlier, they are still in lack of sex education. They would regard the easily accessible media as source of sex education, and they don’t even know they have already obtained the incorrect sex attitude.

Improvement can be made with the introduction of sex education in classroom as well as at home, installation of filtering software in the computers, and the advancement on the existing 3-categorization system. In addition, different media should sign for some agreement and maintain self-monitor system, that they would promise not to produce erotic things any more.

There is an overemphasis on eroticism on the media, despite the existing monitoring system. Undoubtedly there is an inborn interest in sex for human, when the new generation become mature without proper sex education, the problem becomes more serious. The media, nevertheless should aware their effect on the public. I strongly believed that monitoring system is urgently needed.

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