Sex and Moral Panic

Sex and Moral Panic

Sexting, webcam porn and the whole TikTok phenomena are just the latest instance of reality outstripping the censors. Literally one might say. It's unstoppable of course as kids take their clothes off all over the world and it has been wonderful to see parents defend them against censorious teachers, legislators and police...

This has happened before.

Is it so different from the Moral Panics of the past? The witch hunts and the Inquisition? The hysterical fear of child molesters? The viciousness of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim blood libels? Anti-Communist scares? Gay marriages? Trans students and athletes? The War on Drugs? Now teenagers are the enemy and they must be protected from each other.

Also see Beauty & the Beast for more on this.