Leslie Nii Tete Annan

IntroductIon Immediately one reads the topic of this write-up, he would say there is something awkward about it. How would the issue of virginity come up in the discussion of computers? It is very normal to ask such a question, since most of us would agree that literally Virginity and Computers make up wholly different philosophical paradigms. While the former may be said to be a psychobiological matter, the latter may be a socio-physical issue. In any case, we shall soon see in the definition of our subject that Computers per se are not only electronic and electrical machines that make information flow easily. They go beyond their physical attributes into certain social matters. It is in reason of their having become part of humanity and society as a whole that they have been singled out as a reference for an epoch like the one in which we are. Using computers has quickly become a way of life for most of us. Computers have allowed mankind to engage in activities which earlier could have been only dreams or fantasies. Now, the status quo is being challenged. Living according to the traditions and customs of the land is being challenged. Any way of thinking or acting that is too much drenched in traditional values is questioned. While previously, except for social deviants, people almost revered the status quo, and nobody challenged it, now it seems rather the reversal of things. Currently, traditional values seem more suspect than kinky modern values in the eyes of society. Even important ones! And keeping ones virginity till marriage is one traditional value

that is more suspect than other values like modesty, respect for the aged or respect for the rights of another in the current times. Why is this so? Well, we will soon learn that the present Information Explosion in the Computer Age allocates more hustles for the person aspiring to keep her virginity till marriage than the person who is not! In this essay we are going to analyze the socio-moral upshots of the lifestyle of the Computer generation, especially in the matter of keeping ones virginity. To achieve this aim, we will assess how individuals manipulate the power of information to their individualistic advantage. We will go further to examine the attendant complications of the actions of these individuals; where we would learn that these individuals would happen to do as much harm to themselves as to the communities in which they are living? Leslie N.T. Annan 2006

Chapter One THE COMPUTER AGE

The Computer Age is the term given to the period after the Industrial Age where the mainstay of community life revolved around manufacturing industries and production factories. It is the period after the Second World War, the late 1940s up to this day. In this Age, otherwise known as the Information Age, information/knowledge is treasured. Not cutlasses, hoes, motor vehicles and manufacturing machines! And while these resources were scarce in their time, the new treasure is wide spread. Sex, ethnicity, religion and class have not been able to stifle its expansion. Thus there is information everywhere. However, the most wonderful thing that sociological, historical and anthropological researchers agree on is that it incorporates all the resources of the earlier Ages. It is for this reason that it is generally hoped that mankind will reach his fullest potential by the end of this era. If Computer is the currency or money for the Information Age, then may be we could consistently say the World Wide World (WWW) is the Credit Card Numbers. This could be so for the fact that the WWW also called the INTERNET was born from the networking of Computers just as Credit Card Numbers were issues from the money system, so that if the former never existed we cannot have the latter. Hence, though a computer is hardware, the soft nature of the WWW has rendered information more accessible to a greater number of people than would have been the case. Now no matter which continent you are on you could get to read

the informative research works of top-notch scientists in renowned Universities and of course you could learn how to make a nuclear bomb; all for free! At the same time you could sell and buy things without much trouble. In fact, by the countless advertisements on the Internet one could conclude that it is a large pool of goodies that is forever be filled. Little surprising that it hosts millions of people everyday but analysts of its trend say there is Information Explosion. Most surfers would agree that the INTERNET provides a congenial means of getting information despite its setbacks which we do not want to go into now or here. Even this essay has a lot for which to thank the Internet. Nevertheless, another remarkable feature of the Post- Industrial Era is that it thrives on the individual, John Naisbitt and Patricia Aburdene made this point clear in MEGATRENDS: Ten New Directions for the 1990s, the bestseller they co-authored. History never ceases to relate that Power has been associated with institutions, with physical and military power. Kings, Sultans, states governments and God wielded all the power. They were therefore powerful. Individuals were not and they consequently felt powerless against their social context. Immediately after birth, their future was defined. To assert themselves, the only way was to oppose tradition, tear down what was no longer useful, rebel! But the Information Age has brought about new alternatives. An individual needs not go as far as to rebel. One only needs to tap into the Information pool TO BE POWERFUL. Earlier those who had power kept their knowledge to themselves. In our time, knowledge is freely shared and computers sustain this trend. It is thus in good faith that we are all called upon to imbibe the

information that we deem will be helpful to us. This way, we apprise ourselves of what is happening around us and we take advantage of the trend to live fulfilling lives. Then can we influence the state of affairs since we have identified the directions which society is headed. We must admit that our social make-ups are seeing some mutations, all in the uncontrollable quest to suit the times. Certain values are losing their fervors while some new values are gaining them. The individualism of the times makes us commit certain acts without so much regard for what society would say. Others tolerant a bit, do their own things in secret, which often fly in the face of traditions. This double-standard-ness in moral values is a challenge for the society of the 21st Century. Particularly as the phenomenon of Globalization runs parallel with the Computer Age, the continents of planet Earth seem to form one huge society whose divisions are ever interacting in a variety of ways, on a variety of levels. Thankfully, every aspect of our lives, as individuals, receives reverend attention from the Information Superhighway. Even our private lives are well catered for, as well. We easily get to know about how to be better mates for our future partners without booking appointments with psychologists, counselors or doctors. We are informed about some problems that might crop up in our relationships as well as how to solve them. We are continuously penetrated by information whose sheer size we cannot fathom but can only imagine. Therefore, how do we then remain virgins in the night of holy matrimony? Virgins? Well, the use of virgins makes you wonder, What kind of virgins are we talking about here?

Chapter Two A VIRGIN?

Over the years, society has put the crown of virginity on the head of maidens, young women. It is common knowledge that a virgin is a pure young woman. Little wonder that the idea of a virgin is usually captured in an immaculate, innocent looking young female figure. In any case, who is actually a virgin? Is it a person who hasnt had any sexual relations? Is it she who has the hymen intact? To more complicated versions of this problem we might want to ask: For a man, is it he who has not entered a woman with his penis tip? For a saint, is it a person whose mind has never had any acquaintance with any sexual scene, image or symbol? For a homosexual male, is it he whose sphincter has not been tampered with? For a homosexual female, is it she who hasnt been touched by another female harboring a sexual intent? These questions and more could come up when someone makes mention of VIRGIN. Invariably, sociologists, biological scientists, theologians and philosophers have attempted to give various interpretations to VIRGIN and they might perfectly buttress their point of view with good arguments. However the most general concept which will be our bane in this discussion is that a virgin is a woman who has her hymen intact. It is

from this perspective that we are going to make any penetration into our subject matter. Although we must add that we shall in a cautionary way assess the issue of VIRGINS by the help of a wholly untraditional point of view.

Hymen Intact Theory (H.I.T) The Hymen Intact Theory (HIT) centers on the physical membrane which partially closes the opening of the vagina, the hymen. Originating from Greek, Humn, Hymen is the name of the Greek god of marriage. Perhaps Greek Mythology is apt to make a god of any phenomenon it considers important in human life; the more reason we have the goddess of beauty, Venus and other gods such as Dionysius, Hephaestus, Hermes and what have you. But Greek myths aside, the presence of a hymen in a woman, is traditionally taken to be a mark of virginity. Seemingly, for an idea like virginity to be real, there must be something tangible to prove it. Nothing is more believable than that which the eye can see, the nose can smell, the skin can feel, the tongue can tastebriefly that which the senses can perceive, can capture. HIT is the best gauge for virginity. Our ancestors were unyielding on this fact. So who can play around with this time-tested thesis? It seems logical, we must agree. On the average, women who have had sexual intercourse before will hardly boast of an intact hymen. Of course unless they prefer baby boys or toddlers, then they may have their hymen intact. And now this rarely happens even if we may chuckle that some small boys do have supernatural weapons. Consequently, it is clear that there is some sort of point behind the

HIT. So those who use it to explain away virginity can not be called to blame as it is the most tangible method to determine a womans chastity. When the issue of purity rises, HIT can be vindicated by the piece of information that a pure heart is only to be found in a pure body. The literal sense holds as much as the metaphorical. Conservative Perception of Sex (C.P.S) So, in the light of the above rationalization, are we bound to place HIT virginity on a higher scale of criterion? No? Surely there would be certain outbursts against such a notion. Looking at the arguments in support of it, it is inviting to maintain it as topmost. But then again on careful scrutiny of HIT, there is something that refuses to click! It is not totally foolproof. The idea seems to make fools out of many; and this includes the writer until he realized what he is about to share with all members of the global village. Basically, HIT is the consequence of the Conservative Perception of Sexuality (C.P.S.) which was born and nursed into full bloom by the people of the Agricultural and Industrial Age. Although Religion was in a majestic vogue, on the matter of virginity they did not fail in preferring a physically pure body to a pure spirit or soul. No doubt, many readers may have thought likewise at one time or the other but have refused to push it any further. The CPS lays emphasis on the reproductive organs, namely the penis and vagina, of the couple. Sex only takes place when these parts meet. Incredible as it is, that is what in fact has made most of us to hail the HIT.

Chapter Three Smart VirginS of the Computer age Much as the Information Age has brought light on many important issues in society, it has done same for Sexuality, even too much light. We can deduce this belief from a survey we carried out on the value of certain current issues in the world: Sex, Virgin, Democracy, Nuclear Energy, Computer, Global Warming and War. To represent our current societys perspective we employed three very popular Search Tools: www.google.com, www.yahoo.com and www.hotmail.com . These three are most often used by surfers who want information on contemporary matters. We provide here the Search Results obtained. Fig.2 shows that the Google website provides more information on issues than the other sites which are more into commercial activities than academic issues. This implies that Yahoo and Hotmail provide more information on issues in terms of their trade and commerce values than otherwise. The Pie Chart below generally reflects the interests of the topics in the present age in percentages. We will understand by the outcome of this survey that the use of Computer to represent our current epoch is apt since it is the main concern of most people. Both in academic and commercial spheres the Computer remains an important element in our daily activities. Compared to all other issues that make waves in the information media, Computer is by far that which attracts more interest. War comes sec-

ond, a fact which is a little ironical. Is it not the primary purpose of Computers to make life easier so that there would be little discontentment or misunderstanding among individuals, so why war, why is war so important to us? May be we should just heave a sigh and wish things to change, or? From the figure above we realize that as much as the Computer Age is marked by Information Explosion, this Information Explosion could only be said to be bias. Certain issues receive more attention than others though they might not possibly be important than these others. Global Warming and Nuclear Energy which are threatening to annihilate the human race are seldom patronized by surfers on the net. Even sex garners almost 500% interest as compared to virgin. In the light of this we could imagine the pressure a virgin would suffer in the current society. However, on the other side of the coin, the innumerable piles of information on Sex makes CPS very preposterous and unworthy of being the only means of sexual gratification. Countless newspapers, magazines, journals and internet sites that make a big deal of sex, reiterate the same fact. Sex is more a mind event than a corporeal one. None the less they also stress that one cannot do without the other: the body needs the mind to appreciate sex; the body needs the mind to appreciate sex. All in all, this boils down to a sound mind, in a sound body. And the inference from this is that many people now consciously have sexual satisfaction through various other means than their physical bodies meeting and interacting. Such practices as Phone sex and Virtual sex have been in vogue for sometime. Even CPS crumbles in the face of such old sexual practices as Oral sex, Anal Sex,

Masturbation, and Lesbianism.

Phone Sex Most of us who read western magazines or are current with goings -on on the World Wide Web (WWW) must have heard of phone sex or Virtual sex. These two modern sexual practices run against CPS. In phone sex, a caller and a receiver partake in sexual fantasies that include erotic conversation, cuddling, kissing, most at times mutual masturbation and ejaculation. The only trouble here is that a too vigorous handling of the womans private part will cause the hymen to come away. Of course, such a complication might not augur well for our sister who is aspiring for the second immaculate birth in human history; otherwise she can swear by hells fire that shes not had any sexual intercourse in her life. God bless her, shes lying between her teeth but who cares? Her conscience does not bother her; just what she needs to mock the CPS tradition in the face. Virtual Sex Virtual sex, for its part is less common. The concept of virtual reality comes into play here. In virtual reality there is the computergenerated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment that can be interacted within a seemingly real or physical way by using special electronic equipment. All this verbiage means that some specially made electronic equipments could make you feel to be elsewhere and you can do all that your fancy dictates to you, even romp a Miss World. Anybody interested in knowing more about Virtual sex could log on to the www.google.com and search for information on them. In summary, if we

are to go by CPS, then an ardent fan of virtual sex is a thorough virgin, especially if may be the hymen did not come apart during any of the fantastic acrobatic sessions.

Oral Sex This sexual relation varies according to participants, but basically the mouth and the reproductive organs meet and interact. There is Fellatio which is the oral stimulation of the penis. It is a variation of fellare, a 19th Century Latin word that means to suck. Some dating couples engage in this. Most men could climax by this act alone, particularly if done expertly. And then after the men might just rest and let rest. Cunnilingus is for women. Originating from Latin cunnus vulva and lingere lick, Cunnilingus involves stimulation of the female genitals- the vulva, the labia, the clitoris, using the tongue and the lips. While it is done between heterosexual partners, it is the mainstay for Lesbians or homosexuals. As a matter of fact, some ladies can give CPS its due while they enjoy themselves in this manner.

Anal Sex Like the name suggests, it is matter of a penis entering the opening at the end of the alimentary canal through which solid waste matter leave the body, the anus. Now some men would do anything to be allowed on the fleshy mounds that make their womens backsides. And what an exhilarating bonus it is, if they are allowed through the back door of sensual healing. To some men, a hole is a hole. On the other hand some men are swept away by the voluptuousness of womens buttocks.

The softness is just tooooh! Therefore, as far as a woman has a healthy sphincter, the elastic that keeps the anus closed, she may be allowed to go free with her hymen intact. Some men will chase her just for a ride, if they know what she will give for what she wants (her hymen intact but still get the patronage of lusty men). This one can vow virginity and will have evidence to show to the CPS proponents.

Masturbation Manual masturbation is done with the hand. A woman may gain an orgasm just by having her clitoris pampered by lubricated skilful fingers. Others use cell-powered vibrators. The young woman may either do it herself or cause her partner to do it for her. As she wants an intact hymen, there would be an agreement beforehand in order that the operation does not get out of hand.

Lesbianism This is a blend of Frottism, heavy kissing and petting and mutual Masturbation. By Frottism we mean women robbing their sexual organs on the object of their sexual fancy to achieve an orgasm. Masturbation here is usually done one girl to the other girl. The good thing (if really there is) about this act is that, women seldom brag about their sexual tangos as men do. Furthermore, Lesbianism has over the years allowed the girls in the Girls schools to get on without eloping from the boarding house in search of unworthy males to satisfy them. So virgins can come back home virgins to their vigilant Mamas! With all these available innovative methods, made widespread in

the Information Age, a HIT virgin could be an interesting novice to spar with. May be those men who clamor for them, must revise their notes, shouldnt they?

Chapter Four Blatant Tricks in the Face of Traditions According to Womans Body, Readers Digest Association (Canada) Ltd., Montreal, 1995, the existence of the hymen has long been seen as an evidence of virginity, although its significance has dwindled in the Western world. In the Middle and Far East, however, the intact hymen is still in great importance to unmarried women, and some surgeons are skilled in replacing and repairing hymens. In early 2005 LIntelligent carried stories on hymen surgery being the new hype in some Northern African countries. In fact, a net chat with some East Africans said this surgery is not new to them. From the look of things, the hymen surgery is gradually sewing itself into certain societies. It will be of little doubt that those communities who put excessive premium on HIT are suffering from this medical fad, though they would scarcely admit it. Another deposit from the Information Age has been enculturation. The rich countries of the world, being mostly western countries, can afford to export their cultures abroad. Even if sometimes they do not mean for such a thing to happen, it happens. Internet, Satellite Television, and Mobile Communication in the less rich communities give a hand to the constant importation of western cultural practices. Over there, since they are open to the world, the youth of these communities voluntarily and involuntarily pick up the troubling customs and enact them, often over the optimum. Sometimes even those countries that seem irritated by the fortunes of the west, helplessly find some elements of western culture parading among the most eminent circles of their communities. Fashion aside, dating and petting among the youth has become

banal in communities that once saw these practices as serious things among adults. This being the case, you find that certain adolescents and young adults engage in pre-marital sex. Yet they would still want to honor tradition by having an intact hymen to be punched the night of the marriage. And the philanthropists hymen surgeons- whom are a mouse-click and number-button punch away- always come to the rescue. They go ahead to save the situation, even after proffering some pieces of advice to the teary eyed young girls who fear banishment or brutalization or killing by the community! Do no think that these surgeons are society wreckers who think if their society is so stuck up in some needless traditions why not help it to continue to live in its fools paradise! Of course, they would agree that young women should wait till they are married before indulging in sexual intercourse, but they can not agree to follow these dreamy young girls around intending to protect them from sweet-tongued young men on the loose! No. The problem is hydra-headed and the heads of these communities admit this fact. Meanwhile hymen surgery continues. And as we cannot judge the morality of somebodys profession, may be we should let sleeping dogs lie. So now, is it to say that since the hymen is intact, the young woman is a VIRGIN? And that when she is whisked away by a man into marriage, the man will have a pure crystal clear stream to bath in? And the couple will live happily ever after? Readers might want to ponder over these questions. But surely, nobody, would want to assume that the new husband will know the difference when he makes love to his supposedly carnally nave wife or even

when he finds out the truth of what actually blocked him from knowing his wife comfortably?

Chapter Five Issues Arising May be, the Computer Age provides us a whole range of choices to cheat nature. As we have seen from the fourth and fifth chapters of this essay, a more precise metaphor of the attitude of some virgins in the Computer Age is robbing Peter to pay Paul. But lets not forget that there are attendant problems that go with each of these choices and actions. MEGATRENDS: Ten New Directioins for the 1990s (New York, 1990) intimates that the first principle of the new age movement is the doctrine of individual responsibility. It is the Westernized version of the ancient Eastern dogma of Karma: that every action generates consequences the actor will eventually face. This must be the case, because individualism reigns supreme in actions that individuals take nowadays. May be just the proverbial: Nature finds a way to balance things! For example, such practices as Anal sex, Oral sex and Lesbianism increases ones chances of contracting a Sexually Transmitted Disease (S.T.D), if we refuse to admit that they are unhealthy sexual practices. No matter how cleanly a couple engages in any of these, it still runs the risk of being infected with an STD. For this reason we might not be totally saving our lives by keeping our head underground while our torsos are left to all sorts of dangers. Young women must as well be careful with these sexual activities as they do in wanting to have an Intact Hymen, for instance using Condoms will tamper matters to some extent, wont they? Those communities who have refused to budge from the custom

of battering, banishing or killing young girls who do not have hymens to confirm their virginity, would do themselves good, if they toss away this not-too-wise custom. They must understand that when bad comes to worse, their young girls will start being calculating and insincere, partaking in all sorts of immoral activities in secret but doing well to have a hymen to show. This is far from saying that young women should be allowed to be promiscuous. It is also far from saying that having an intact hymen is a bad obsession. What this suggestion means is that the punishment should be lessened or changed to better alternatives. The gurus of the Computer Age stress that we search for positive means of solving problems than negative means: this etched in the word NEGOCIATION. The young girls must be promised rewards to keep their maiden-head until marriage. And since what they will be giving is physically substantial to their husband and society at large, they must get something physically substantial from their effort. This material incentive is important to the people of the Computer Age - no offense intended though. Utmost respect from their husbands and the community would be added bonus to these young women so that they are ushered into good marriages instead of forced and hasty marriages. Alternatively, for these communities they might want to find solace in a concept that is gaining place in the mentality of modern society: Secondary Virginity. This is the case whereby a young woman refrains from any sexual activity, especially the penetrative one, for a long time; months, years, and so on. Consequently, she may be rewarded with a tight vagina. At the same time, she will not be exposed to any STDs or to any emotional strains that sometimes come as aftermaths of sexual relations.

Deep within these girls too, they would have the peace of mind that comes from the knowledge of being innocent before man and God. The perpetrators of the hymen surgery, especially the patients, must shun this practice. They must be taught that a responsible adult is the one who assumes responsibility for his actions, no matter the consequences. An adult in the Computer Age owns up to her actions. Though banishment and killing is out of the picture, if there is a shame to be suffered in not being a proper virgin, one must suffer it. Even there is life after humiliation. There are more things to accomplish in this world, whether they do or do not have an intact hymen. The Computer Age provides millions of ventures in which we can invest our lives. Moreover, those men who feel so lucky when they learn that their beautiful fiances or girlfriends have their hymen intact and will want to marry them fast-fast, would reconsider their notion. It will be in their best interest to go for STD test, particularly HIV/AIDS, before marrying their Holy virgins. Besides, there are many means of contracting STDs; we would mind reiterating as it is a point worth reiterating. Virgins could still have STDs. We would agree with Edmund Kofi Yeboah in Checking HIV Status- A Test of Courage Daily Graphic, the big mistake people often make is to restrict the possibility of HIV infection to promiscuity or sex. He adds that though sex is responsible for about 90% of HIV infections and the remaining 10% is spread among the sharing of objects, such as needles and razors ( weapons of mass destruction), and other accidents that might lead to blood contamination. The advent of the Computer Age has seen such projects as the Hu-

man Genome Project, Artificial Intelligence Research, Biotechnology, and Nuclear Energy Research, but still AIDS and Cancer are like an albatross on the neck of the age. Simply said, even in the age of Information explosion we are ignorant of certain important subjects bordering on our lives. AIDS is a scourge. Let us appreciate this truth and avoid it at all costs. If one thinks in engaging in phone sex or virtual sex does not engender any problems, one should think again. There are things like blackmail and so on that could come up. How? Imagine oneself during the honeymoon night listening to a recorded version of the nice time you had on the phone with some stranger. You would be embarrassed, if the people in your community get to know. And well, it is no comfort for someone living alone. Your telephone bills would be going up, while sacrificing the greatest commodity in life, TIME.

ConClusion The Computer Age is a promising age. Perhaps humanity will aspire to its fullest potential. None the less, we of the 21st Century will acknowledge that in the spectrum of an age, various civilizations come and go. Glory and splendor pass. What stays has been humanity. But we do not know what our future is. Whether there still would be a human race we can guess, because the life-wire of our age is individualism. People answer more to their individual whims than to reason. Being too smart will not help anybody. Moderation should be our motto. We should barely be self-conceited and mock at Mother Nature because we think we have power over her. Respect for it must remain. We must try to give to her as much as she gives to us.

BiBliography The Concise Oxford Dictionary, 10th Edition, Revised, Oxford university Press Inc., New York, 2001 Checking HIV Status- A Test of Courage, Daily Graphic p17, March 3, 2006 MEGATRENDS: Ten New Directions for the 1990s, John Naisbitt & Patricia Aburdene, Avon Books, New York, 1990 Womans Body, Readers Digest Association (Canada) Ltd., Montreal, 1995

INTERNET SEARCH TOOLS RESULTS FOR SOME PERTINENT TOPICS OF THE COMPUTER AGE- SEPTEMBER 29,2006

WWW.GOOGLE.CO WWW.YAHOO.COM M MAIL.COM

WWW.HOT TOPIC RESULTS

SEX 228 140 74.5 1960 0.00010 1080 4167.50 57.9 745 2806 1230 47.1 104 10.28 0.99 291.91 2.26 126.82 1197.60 127 71.82

685

495

693.50

1873.50 426.82 254.28 122.59 3481.92 60.16 1951.82 8171.10

VIRGIN

DEMOCRACY

NUCLEAR ENERGY

COMPUTER

GLOBAL WARMING

WAR

Total