Schoolboy sexter raises hackles of cultural watchdog

[Coss]

Conservative Thais have got their panties in a bunch this week because an 11-year-old boy acted like an 11-year-old boy.

 

On some stupid dare, out of curiosity, or just because he got an uncontrollable urge, the boy sent a text message to a classmate, inquiring about the possibility of her having sexual relations with him.

 

The act didn’t take place, the boy never tried to force the girl into having sex and by all accounts it was nothing more than an inappropriate — yet harmless — text message.

 

Unfortunately the prudish nature of the Culture Ministry (an institution that everyone seems to hate these days) is evident elsewhere in Thai society. There were gasps of shock that a young boy would know what sex is, talk of making the school responsible, of putting the child under close inspection. But the prize for funniest accusation should go to Boonrak Yodpet, who is in charge of education in Zone 1.

 

Mr Boonrak suggested that parents and figures in authority aren't doing enough to monitor their children. He went on to say that when parents give a child a phone they must ensure that it is used properly.

 

Really? Is texting an improper use of a mobile phone?

 

Is enforcing stringent rules on the use of individual items of technology the way to deal with this? What if the young boy had used face-to-face verbal communication to ask the girl to have sex with him? Should parents regulate the appropriate use of the human mouth?

 

All that is wrong in this case is that the young boy did what most Republican politicians in the United States always do and forgot that electronic communications can be saved and used against you as evidence.

 

If we really want to make an issue out of technology, we should be asking why an 11-year-old boy needs a mobile phone while at school in the first place. What do you think he is going to do with it, make emergency calls? Of course not, he's going to use it the same way he would have a conversation in the playground, in the canteen, at the back of the class, or on the internet. The technology is not forcing him to be curious, to make trouble and certainly not to make mistakes _ and anyone acting surprised by this is nothing but incredibly naive.

 

So now we have two issues that we need to address. The first is technology in schools; what helps education and what hinders it? Kids need to learn about computers, so a laptop for every child would be quite useful, but what about an iPad? Pheu Thai MP Pichai Narip-thapan argued recently that an iPad for every child would be part of his party's election campaign.

 

‘‘Hi babe, wait till I grow up a little’’: Today’s children have a way with technology and probably know more about sex in their early teens than adults will ever realise or allow.

 

But does Mr Pichai know how easy it is to look at porn on an iPad? A PC has a big screen that everyone can see, so it's difficult to sneak a peek at porn without others being able to see too. But an iPad is more discrete, so children could quite easily be ogling asianxxx at school and we wouldn't even know it! Presumably, technology would be to blame for leading children astray and parents would be responsible for not encouraging the appropriate use of iPads in the classroom.

 

I'm sure the would-be Pheu Thai government would never admit to causing a breakdown in moral values by empowering children with the means to access information but not the skills needed to understand it. But oh well, if it gets them the votes.

 

So not only may regulating the use of technology be wrong, it could also be damn near impossible! Whatever are we supposed to do? We can't have our schools full of children sexting each other with their titillating tablets of pleasure _ it's just not right!

 

Perhaps the problem lies elsewhere. After all, the snake didn't entice Eve with an iPhone and 300 free texts, did it?

 

Why was a sex shop in Bang Phlat raided last week? Why is swinging illegal? Why does the ITC ban sexy-time websites? Because there is never any open discussion about the act of bumping uglies in Thailand. It's like we are all scared of sex! But we shouldn't be scared, we should embrace it. If that made you feel uncomfortable then maybe you need a little sex education.

 

Of course, there will be those who think that I am making light of the serious issue of underage sex that has the repercussions of unwanted pregnancies and STDs.

 

Far from it, I think these issues pose a serious problem for children in our education system. But making a scapegoat of technology is as useful as handing out out-of-date condoms.

 

The current generation of children will be exposed to all manner of websites, YouTube videos, internet porn, Facebook conversations, tablet computer technology, and all kinds of new ways for communicating and being communicated to. Banning, blocking, prohibiting, regulating and outlawing certain topics is not only futile but could actually make these kids more curious, less responsible and less trusting of authority.

 

But let's not forget that in this particular case nothing happened, yet it still made the papers and people are still hunting scapegoats. And this will continue to be the case, as long as 11-year-old boys continue to be 11-year-old boys.

 

Link

 

[WorldFun]

lol. so did the boy goto police to apologize & pay a 20bt fine?

[Flashermac]

 

I don't recall propositioning any girls when I was 11 and I'm sure my classmates didn't send such text messages either in the 1950s. Kids today are beyond redemption.

 

 

[radioman]

It's a long time ago now but I remember being about 11 when together with a couple of friends we all got a bit hot about the elder sister of another boy we knew, I think she was about 16 and rather well developed. Negotiations were made and being rather promiscuous she agreed. Off we all went into the overgrown area at the bottom of their large garden and on a blanket she did display herself and permit fondling by the four of us. It certainly got us all rather hot including her as she gave a good show of rubbing herself off, we weren't allowed to touch there, only look.

 

Magical times even if she was the local bike. Cost was 50p each, a fair sum then but barely 25 baht today!

 

[WorldFun]

lol i think we were 12 when a 'similar' event happened in the back of the school bus with the new 'naughty' girl in our class - none of us had any idea what to do with such a display of flesh