Muhammad Zahid Rifat
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) , headquartered in
Islamabad, works within a given framework and performs the assigned
tasks.
One of its task is “To investigate and adjudicate on complaints and
other claims made against licensees arising out of alleged
contraventions of its Act”.
Acting on this task, the PTA has just couple of days back imposed a ban
on a somehow popular video-sharing app Tik Tok after receiving a
number of complaints from different segments of the society , PTA had
earlier given a final notice to Tik Tok and given the application
considerable time to respond and comply with instructions for
development of an effective mechanism for proactive moderation of
unlawful online content. This step was taken after Tik Tok management
failed to implement the directions of PTA quite rightful to check and
curb unlawful and immoral contents and save millions of the
youngsters from its evil and unhealthy impacts. Such a positive and
preventive step in fact should have been taken much earlier.
As the technology is moving fast in an innovative manner, every now
and then new applications based on comedy and entertainment are
being launched. Some of these mobiles are such which like others are
destroying precious time, wealth and morals of the youth. Tik Tok tops
such a list.
It is a matter of record that no less a person than Prime Minister Imran
Khan is very much concerned and worried about fast spreading nudity
and vulgarity and he has directed all concerned authorities for
checking and curbing such unhealthy trends lest social and religious
values and traditions of Pakistani society go astray. The Prime Minister
has also issued directions for evolving a comprehensive strategy for
curbing vulgarity spreading through social media and its applications.
According to information gathered from different sources, a Chinese
company had launched Tik Tok app in September 2016.Just after more
than a year in November 2017, Tik Tok bought app musically at a cost
of one billion dollars. Within no time, this app became famous around
the world and in 2018 only in USA as many as 80 million consumers
had downloaded it. In the same year, 2018, it was downloaded by 800
million consumers in rest of the world as it was then available in 150
countries around the globe in 75 languages.
In Tik Tok a video is made just about hardly 15 to 20 seconds, consumer
is only required to move his/her lips, and video is recorded and shared
on the social media. In this very short duration video words with double
meanings are spoken, strange and odd movements and actions are
done and in order to draw the attention of the viewers all limits are
crossed in such a short time..
If you are not the user of this mobile application then you just cannot
imagine that this has addicted how large number of the people
particularly the youth just like a drug after which its damages and losses
have started surfacing .
Youth just loose their senses and act like made people so that they won
over more and more likes and followers among the viewers with the
sole objective of making money. There are many girls and boys in
Pakistan who have followers in millions. Youngsters make them their
ideals and started following and acting like them putting their studies
and jobs aside. This application has its own ideals and heroes. Even
number of girls and boys can form a group make their videos.
Modern knowledge and education such as science and technology
innovations and advancements , but misuse of these is destroying our
society and dangers are much excessive than one can just imagine.
Earlier on, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instgram and many other
programmes were being used intentionally or otherwise for obscenity
and vulgarity and this Tik Tok was the latest in this list which had
surpassed others I destruction of the society.
One can only be grateful to PTA for imposing a ban on Tok Tok and thus
tried to save the society from moral destruction though in a somewhat
delayed manner.
Some raising their voices against this ban are only doing so because
they want money no matter if it comes sans morality, respect and
civilization. They do immoral, vulgar and double meaning actions
without applying their minds as what they are doing.
People want all this for laughter and spending some moments from
their tough and rough life. But this not the proper and sensible thing to
cry, to laugh and cry just view a Tik Tok.
Not only in Pakistan but also all over the world Tik Tok is being used
and abused negatively to as much extent as 95 per cent.
A report recently published in USA said that incidents of sexual
harassment, rape do occur in US because of such mobile apps and
vulgar scenes.
Such things have confronted the mobile users with a strange sort of
danger because when a person want to use his/her mobile for its
positive use then he suddenly receives a vulgar video from out of
nowhere and his attention quite obviously is diverted from his original
real work. This is just like double edged sword which cuts the hands
from both sides. Even if you try to use your mobile for good and
positive objectives still it would be buried under millions of immoral
videos.
As much as 90 per cent followers and consumers are just aged less than
30 years when one is moving to attain maturity. He commits all sorts of
wrongs and mistakes during this period. But when he realizes he
notices that he has lost precious time and health of his young age at the
hands of in such unessential and avoidable apps.
In Pakistan, over 60 per cent youth are less than 30 years. If they want
these youth can revolutionize the world of technology because
somehow elderly persons cannot easily understand and make headway
in this technological and scientific innovations and advancements
which are fast overcoming the world.
Making money by becoming a star on Tik Tok is not something big. Real
work worth appreciation to make such apps which benefits the
humanity at large and the country earns precious foreign exchange.
This work, which the PTA has done, was in fact for the parents to do as
they are basically responsible for upbringing , training and education of
their children. But it only be said with regrets that the parents these
days, by and large, feel help before the children. The children cannot be
forced to do anything what the parents want but still efforts should
continued in a determined to keep telling the children as to what is
good or what is bad for them.
Electronic media and print media have during last few months have
been reporting cases in which the enthusiast youth fall in river, ditch or
well while trying to make a Tik Tok video. Number of youth have also
committed suicides when they were stopped from indulging such
immoral and unethical activities. Youth, who are great wealth of their
parents and the country, thus going astray in this manner are not only
great loss for their parents but also for the country which is deprived of
their talent, energies and thinking.
The ban on Tik Tok imposed by the federal government must be
maintained , no external or internal pressure whatsoever should be
entertained in any manner and only consideration of all of should be
only to protect ,safeguard and strength out social values and traditions
and saving the precious wealth of the youth going astray by using
mobile applications in a negative way rather than the positive manner.
Good things should be used in a positive manner and not abused in any
manner thus ultimately causing great loss not only to the youth but
also to their parents and the country to say the least.
(The writer is Lahore-based Freelance Journalist, Columnist and retired
Deputy Controller (News), Radio Pakistan, Islamabad and can be
reached at zahidriffat@gmail.com)
