Chat line dilemma

The present fuss over "chat lines" is just one of a myriad of complications which globalization is now forcing the nation to confront.

Chat lines -- also known as "party lines" or "global friendship lines" -- are a telephone service being offered by a growing number of operators. These lines allow adult Indonesians to "have fun and meet friends from all over the world" by dialing a certain international telephone number.

Despite advertisements which emphasize the innocent, or even sociable, nature of the services, many of them are really disguised telephone sex operations designed to tap into the growing market of affluent young Indonesians.

The advertised warning that callers must be at least 18 years old, to be eligible for the service, is a clear indication of its dubious nature. This warning, however, seems to act simultaneously as a caution and an enticement.

Chat lines are actually nothing new. They were here in the 1980s but the last few years have seen an industry boom in line with telecommunications improvements and a growing affluence among some citizens.

A plethora of complaints, mostly from parents confronted by skyrocketing telephone bills, forced these chat lines back into the spotlight. It did not take long for others to jump on the bandwagon.

Of course, it would be absurd to blame the authorities for providing an infrastructure which allows this particular line of telephone business to bloom. Yet, the government can hardly disregard the objections being voiced by a growing number of Indonesians, for reasons of either public morality or family finances.

Hence the assurances from Minister of Tourism, Post and Telecommunications Joop Ave that the government would do its best to protect the public from exploitation. Protecting the public from harm is, of course, one of the government's responsibilities.

Joop's caution that it would be difficult for the authorities to simply ban or curb the party line services, must not be overlooked. The offending operators have exploited the available facilities for sexual-related activities, but they have done so without overstepping the legal boundaries.

"The government has built a network of telephones, TVs and satellites for the progress of the nation, but unfortunately bandits have used it for destructive purposes," Joop said.

Indeed, the complications of globalization that we, the government included, are confronted with cannot be taken lightly. As the process of globalization begins to turn the world into an integrated whole, nation-state boundaries appear to be dissolving and interdependency among countries is constantly growing.

Sex telephone services are advertised not only on our domestic television networks but also in the printed media, particularly those that are published abroad. But it is unthinkable that, for instance, we cut our telecommunications links with the world simply to protect ourselves from unwanted telephone services.

As in so many other cases involving values and influences coming from outside, the best solution lies within ourselves. Indonesians, as individuals and members of a community, must garner the maturity necessary to absorb and select information with good judgment and wisdom and react accordingly. Otherwise, we will always be helpless in the face of the current onslaught of unwanted influences.