From Virtue To Viral: The Moral Dilemma Of Digital Media On Society

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Sep, 2025) In the heart of every bustling home, in the quiet corners of every student’s room, and even in the calloused hands of daily wage workers resting after long hours, the glowing screens now dominate lives in our society.

What once was considered a miracle of communication in the past is now a moral battleground, with Pakistan standing at a crossroads in the wake of social media invasion.

The rapid evolution of digital media in Pakistan has reshaped society. With over 111 million internet users and nearly 72 million social media users in Pakistan as of January 2025, the country has embraced the digital age at full throttle.

Social media platforms like facebook, X (formerly Twitter), tiktok, instagram, and snapchat have become omnipresent. But while these apps connect hearts across continents, they also expose minds to obscenity, misinformation, and moral confusion, requiring strict mointoring and check before allowing videos of pictures uploads.

“I was searching for a religious sermon, and right next to it popped up vulgar images. Imagine what this does to the mind of a young boy or girl,” lamented Sidra Sheraz, a schoolteacher and mother of four in Peshawar.

“Social media challenges both duty-based and virtue-based moral frameworks. Exposure to immoral content and the anonymity these platforms provide are breeding grounds for aggressive and unethical behavior," she said.

A phenomenon once lauded for democratizing information now increasingly isolates users. “My son doesn’t join us for dinner,” says Riaz Ahmad, a father of two in Mardan. “He just scrolls. All day. All night. I don’t know who he talks to, or what he sees.”

Dr Muhammad Ibrahim, former Director Education pointed to studies linking excessive social media use to depression, aggression, and declining academic performance especially among teenagers.

The digital realm, ungoverned by physical presence and accountability, often desensitizes users to real-world consequences. “Physical absence breeds ethical absence,” he warned.

The country witnessed rapid growth of

188.9 million active cellular connections, 44.5 million Facebook users, 71.7 million YouTube viewers, 54.38 million TikTok accounts and 17.3 million on Instagram users early this year.

While some youth do utilize these platforms for online education, freelancing, and entrepreneurship earning in Dollars and supporting families, he said the ratio remains alarmingly low compared to those trapped in endless, unproductive scrolling.

“Even daily wage laborers, earning less than Rs 1000 a day, are spending hours watching TikTok videos,” says Sajjad Khan, a local shopkeeper in Nowshera. “We are addicted, and it’s costing us more than money.”

The issue goes beyond entertainment and civic education in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Social media has become a tool for character assassination, political polarization, and fake news proliferation.

From doctored videos to AI-generated voices, disinformation spreads faster than the truth. And with fewer ethical checks, youth are often the first victims.and sometimes, the perpetrators.

“People abuse each other online in ways they would never dare in person,” says Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim, former Director of Education. “There’s a dangerous disconnect between online behavior and real-world ethics.”

In a bid to combat the digital moral challenges, the Federal government has introduced amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2025. The law aims to clamp down on fake news, cyberbullying, and immoral content.

“People complain about censorship, but what is freedom without responsibility?” asked Hamza Khan, PMLN Nowshera President. “We are not stifling speech we are preserving dignity.”

Under the revised law, individuals found guilty of spreading obscene material or misinformation can now face imprisonment and heavy fines.

Firewalls and AI-based monitoring systems are also being upgraded, but challenges remain. Loopholes and VPNs still allow access to banned sites and content.

The moral dilemma is no longer theoretical but it is deeply personal. Homes are quieter, playgrounds emptier, and books dustier. “Our children are growing up physically present but emotionally distant,” says Dr Ibrahim. “They laugh with strangers online and sit silently at home.”

A growing sense of alienation, combined with digital validation culture likes, shares, views has created a fragile generation constantly seeking external affirmation.

Experts fear this could lead to long-term identity challenges and emotional instability.

Dr Ibrahim said no single institution can reverse this tide alone. Educational institutions, policy makers, civil society, tech companies, and most critically parents must collaborate.

Dr. Ibrahim strongly advocates for digital ethics and media literacy in school curriculums. “Teach them how to use the tool before the tool uses them,” he asserted.

Parental supervision must also rise to the occasion. “Don’t just give your child a smartphone rather give them your time,” he advised.

Technology companies operating in Pakistan must be held accountable for the content served through their algorithms, and civil society must promote ethical digital citizenship.

From connecting long-lost friends to orchestrating revolutions, social media has redefined human interaction. But in the race for virality, virtue is often the first casualty.

As a nation rooted in faith, values, and community, Pakistan must now decide how to reclaim its moral compass in the digital wilderness.

The stakes are not just technological but they're spiritual, cultural, and generational.

APP/fam