Among the first manifestations of a new and free society for East German citizens, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, were the proliferation of McDonald’s and widespread access to hard-core pornography.

Welcome to western capitalism.

Similarly, many parents in 21^st century Britain are now trying to cope with the unwanted consequences of another revolution – the digital one.

Chief among these is the unfettered access that our children now have to hard-core porn via their iphones and ipads. Our children are being enslaved by internet porn predators while our governments stand idly by and watch it happen.

This is a far more toxic and disturbing threat to our society than the activities of internet trolls or dodgy political and religious communications.

Children in the early 21^st century are the first in history to have their innocence threatened in this way. The consequences are disturbing. A distorted view of human sexuality and the objectifying of girls for instant gratification will breed a lack of respect for women in later life.

Such is the ease with which our children can access on-line porn that we are breeding a generation of boys who will grow up failing to understand that girls and women are deserving of respect and equality of status. Pornography doesn’t merely degrade women it also dehumanises them.

At worst it leads a myriad of violent acts against women.

It is time for parents to ask their local political representatives where they stand on this issue and, more importantly, what they intend to do about it.