A majority of the world's censorship occurs on the internet. Thousands of pages exist in which individuals can discuss private information that is always monitored. Even harmless information can be watched by those looking over the world wide web. The Guardian goes into depth with this theory, stating, "The majority of the world's internet users encounter some form of censorship – also known by the euphemism "filtering" – but what that actually looks like depends on a country's policies and its technological infrastructure. Not all or even most of that filtering is political censorship; progressive countries routinely block a modest number of sites, such as those featuring child pornography. In some countries, there are several entry points for internet connectivity, and a handful of private telecommunications companies control them (with some regulation). In others, there is only one entry point, a nationalized internet service provider (ISP), through which all traffic flows. Filtering is relatively easy in the latter case, and more difficult in the former...The first stage of the process, aggressive and distinctive filtering, is under way. China is the world's most active and enthusiastic filterer of information. Entire platforms that are hugely popular elsewhere in the world – Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter – are blocked by the Chinese government. On the Chinese internet, you would be unable to find information about politically sensitive topics such as the Tiananmen Square protests, embarrassing information about the Chinese political leadership, the Tibetan rights movement and the Dalai Lama, or content related to human rights, political reform or sovereignty issues." China is the most censored country in the world, with their citizens being heavily monitored on a daily basis.
Censorship occurs not only in the media, but in literature as well. Lehigh University's First Amendment site explains that, "issues that have caused the most controversy are sexually explicit material, offensive language, unsuitable material for children, homosexuality, objectionable religious views, nudity, racism and sexual education, among others." Iconic books that have been banned from classrooms include Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and 1984 by George Orwell. The following chart shows the topics that are the most heavily censored beginning from 1990.
As shown above, sexually explicit content is the highest reasoning for banned books. Stephen Chobosky's Perks of Being a Wallflower has landed on the American Literary Association's list of banned books a total of 7 times in the course of 14 years. Reasons for the books banning include, drug use, homosexuality, offensive language, and it's sexually explicit contents.
Works Cited:
Schmidt, Eric, and Jared Cohen. "Web Censorship: The Net Is Closing in." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 28 Nov. 2016."First Amendment Site." First Amendment Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
Censorship is a growing issue affecting the lives of many around the globe. Several countries do not allow their citizens to voice their options and those who do face dire consequences for their actions. For example, being a woman, I am constantly subjected to strict guidelines about what can be posted on the internet. Women are not allowed to post any considered "provocative" photographs on Instagram without the post being removed. The female body has to literally be censored in order to prevent any action from being taken. Several books that I read during my childhood and teenage years are now being banned in school due to content that people consider to be controversial. Living in a country where free speech is heavily promoted may seem like a luxury but is hardly enforced. The United States is one of the biggest participants in literature censorship and citizens are constantly urged to refrain from any social commentary including police violence, political views, etc. Censoring literature for reasons like homosexuality or offensive language is not banning the writers words but rather trying to prevent young adults from being exposed to real life issues. The world is not cookie cutter and situations discussed in novels are real whether its a fiction or non fictional novel. I want my future children to grow up knowing issues that exist in the world rather than shielding them from what is inevitable.
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