Can Iran mold its internet-surfing young people into a “revolutionary youth” driven to steer the country toward an idealized Islamic civilization? It's hard to say, but Islamic authorities are certainly doing their best to curb un-Islamic influences in actual and virtual reality, stepping up their efforts in May.
In early June, Iranian media reported that authorities had closed hundreds of restaurants for failing to observe Islamic principles and had introduced 2,000 new morality officers to police what they consider to be “bad hijab,” when women do not, in their eyes, cover themselves properly. Also, over the last few months, crackdowns have intensified against musicians and fashion photographers on Instagram, one of Iranians’ favorite social media platforms.
