Facebook is a popular social media platform among Kenyan youths. [Photo/facebook.com]
A majority of victims of social media pornography are women whom culprits consider sexually attractive. These women have spoken of the horror of learning that pictures of themselves have been used in sex-peddling sites and social media platforms. Pictures of voluptuous women tend to attract many likes and comments, a fact that could offer insights into why women are mostly the victims.The administrators of these pages want traffic and that traffic can only be assured by using pictures of such women.Victims of sexual portrayal on social media and other digital sites end up suffering from trauma upon learning that their images have been sexualized. "That kind of portrayal can plunge victims into psychological trauma. It can wreck one's reputation in one instant given the viral nature of social media. Some even contemplate suicide. It can have serious psychological implications," Serah Anyona, a practicing psychological counselor says.A multiplicity of sex-peddling social media accounts appear to be growing.
While it is illegal to proliferate sexual or x-rated content in Kenya, regulating such content on social media platforms is a tall order.
Such platforms lack the manpower to police all content.
They mostly rely on social media users to report such content for action to be taken.
Facebook, a social media platform with millions of users worldwide, has spoken of its helplessness in regulating content that violates its community standards.
The victim has to file a complain before action can be taken and the accounts pulled down. Even so, that does not guarantee that other accounts will be opened and images reused.Social media users are advised to make sure that their accounts are secured. Accepting requests for probing accounts that have sent requests is highly recommended. Reject requests from accounts that strike you a strange. You can also secure your account secure by making your personal photos only accessible to friends. Another measure to take is to avoid posting explicit photos on your social media feed. Such photos may attract people with pernicious intentions. While it is not possible to secure oneself completely from social media sexual portrayals, it is important to always be cautious