How Pornography Affects Children

“It can snatch any kid out of the home…It snatched me out of mine 20 years ago.” (Final Interview, 2:54-3:02 minutes). The addiction to pornography is often likened to that of a drug, “One should become addicted to it, and I look at this as kind of like an addiction. Like other kinds of addictions…you keep…I would keep looking for more potent, explicit, more graphic kinds of material. Like an addiction, you keep craving something that’s harder…something…which gives you a greater sense of excitement.” (Final Interview,

Pornography is commonly used in many cultures across the world. Within the United States, alone, roughly 40 million people regularly visit porn sites (Streep, 2014). And yet, despite its growing popularity, only a handful of studies have explored pornography’s potential effects on sexual satisfaction for those in exclusive relationships (Bridges & Morokoff, 2011; Daneback et al., 2009; Maddox et al., 2011; Stewart & Szymanski, 2012; Stulhofer et al., 2010; Zillmann & Bryant, 1988). As using pornography can potentially have negative effects on both the user’s and their intimate partner’s sexual satisfaction, it is important to

It today’s society, pornography is a fast-growing epidemic that is evident in families, marriages, and teenage lifestyles. Supporters of pornography claim that it can be used as a tool to teach students about sex education. However, critics claim that pornography is unjust, influential, and dehumanizing. Pornography is unjust because it has the potential to break down intimate relationships and marriages. It can also have negative effects on children in particular young boys. More and more young boy’s minds are being influenced by pornography which is leading to misinterpretations about how to have a healthy sexual relationship. Most importantly, pornography dehumanizes women and it exploits children. Women and children are being victimized for the sheer pleasure of someone viewing pornography.

From the Utilitarianism view point, pornography is seen as morally right because it provides the greatest benefit of happiness for the greatest good. The Utilitarianism suggest that there is an obvious solution that is fair, and it may be one that appeals to common sense” and that “one should choose to do that which produces a better outcome for the largest number of people.” (Mosser, K. 2013, Ch. 1.6). under Utilitarianism, pornography offers benefits in marriage because couples can revive their marriage by using pornography as a new tool to explore each others intimacy and satisfy their sexual relationship. Some

Before I started to write my paper concerning the book Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain, I wanted to do some research on the author just to get a background idea of what I'll be reading. William Struthers is a neuroscientist and professor of psychology at Wheaton College. This book is appropriate for retaining information on how to help ourself avoid falling into the trap of seduction in a culture where pornography is highly watched and used on a daily basis.

When it comes to relationships there are many things that need to be present in order for it to work out. You must have support from both sides and honesty is also a big factor. When pornography enters a relationship it can be destroyed and could possible ruin that relationship forever. This essay will be able to inform you of all the ways that pornography can and does ruin relationships. Support for this argument will be drawn from the following sources: Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, Love, Sex, and Health, and The Question of Pornography.

This article begins by discussing the varying definition and vacillating perception of the word, 'addiction'. The authors explain addiction as a disease of the brain that causes dysfunction of the brain's reward system, motivation, and memory. Consequently, it is apprised that these dysfunctions lead to problems with the characteristics of an individual's biological, psychological, spiritual, and social aspects of who they are. The article transitions by drawing parallels between the characteristics of pornography addiction and substance addiction. A noted similarity that the article refers to is that the same pathways in the brain that are triggered by drugs are also triggered by internet pornography. Furthermore, the authors found that

Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain looks into the consequences of pornography upon the male brain. The author does not deny the fact that porn has effects on both males and females, but men are primarily the ones that consume the product. The consumption has had a major impact on the way men look at women. Many authors and scholars present pornography as a spiritual matter, but Struthers thinks the matter at hand is also a physical problem. “Pornography is also a physical matter, rooted in the biological intricacies of our sexual desire.” (15) The purpose of the book is to look into the physical impact of porn.

They explain how, in recent years, the pornographic marketing scheme, along with the internet’s global communication and sharing versatility, is designed to increase pornographic ratings in the young and adult alike. The authors describe how pornographic material is used in different stages of life, the social and personal factors that exacerbate the psychological need for pornography, and the extent to which pornography negatively impacts a variety of, seemingly disconnected, areas in the subject’s life. However, the source for this study are not children or adolescents, but primarily adult males, married and some with children. Nonetheless, both age groups share the same dualistic psychological/social patterns that trigger the constant use of pornography and their hidden shame of

The adult-entertainment industry erupted in the late twentieth century and has expanded recently due to improved technology. Millions of men and women alike watch these films and arrive to the conception that what is portrayed on the screen is how a relationship should be. In a recent article in the New York Times, it was reported that 80% of men and 50% of women feel that their sex life is lacking due to pornography, and 40% of the people within the same poll have broken up with their spouse or partner due to the “lack” of love life. Clearly, the adult entertainment gives both genders a false conception of how a relationship and sex life should be. Pornography portrays sex as overly exciting and thrilling, which can lead to dissatisfaction with one’s partner. Such a situation can cause a rift between couples that can result in divorce and break-ups, which leads to fewer

In recent years, the term pornography has been primarily associated with that which is accessed and streamed over the internet, rather than the literal definition of, “obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, especially those having little or not artistic merit.” This form of visual pornography is a popular and successful business as it is viewed for fulfilling pent up sexual desires, however it promotes the act of having multiple sex partners without the need of any commitment. Although it is for this reason that this business is permitted, there are many overlooked, long – term affects that have become topics of controversy. Not only does pornography affect those who indulge in it, but it can influence those who divulge

It is no wonder that many women think negatively about most pornographic material. After viewing pornography, women tend to feel less confident and insecure about their bodies (King, 2012).

Evolution has not prepared the human brain for today’s Internet porn. Erotic depictions of human sexuality have existed for as long as humanity. Archaeological evidence of pornographic concepts in ancient civilizations exists in the form of rock art and venus figurines. Throughout the centuries, erotic literature would ultimately evolve into various magazines featuring nude photography and pictures of other sexual acts. The printing press would dominate as the main medium for porn consumption for nearly half a millennia until the 20th century, when video pornography was first produced. Nearly overnight, a seemingly infinite number of porn studios were conceived exploding video pornography into a multi-billion dollar industry generating more revenue than the music and film industries combined. The adult film industry of this era (20th century), while lucrative, was not quite the universal phenomenon that it is today. Prior to the expansion into the Internet, lack of discretion and difficulty of access prevented the market from reaching its full potential. Porn’s audience grew exponentially with the introduction of the Internet, shifting its status from underworld to mainstream. There was a time when the only way to view a porn movie was to trade your money and dignity at the video store in public view. But this idea of porn consumption being limited to shameless, desperate basement dwellers is now a relic of the past, as the Internet’s infinite supply of an endless

Internet pornography consumes one’s mind and activates the same addictive pathways in the brain as addicting drugs do. According to brainbuddy.com, looking at porn releases a chemical called dopamine. When this chemical is releases, it makes a person feel good. It is why a person feels pleasure when watching porn. The more porn you watch, the more dopamine your brain needs to feel good which is why porn doesn’t satisfy in as much as it used to. It changes the brain to only respond to abnormally high levels of dopamine so normal everyday activities leave you feeling unsatisfied. A raised baseline level means you need a lot more dopamine than the usual to feel

First, we must identify exactly what the problem is with our language and use of the word “porn.” Out of curiosity, I decided in my research to search how many “porn sites” there were. What I found was car, food, make-up, word, poem, and truck porn…and a trip to the office to explain my searches. When I was explaining my somewhat convoluted thesis, I explained that when we accept food porn, we more or less celebrate our enjoyments labeling them as “porn”. By accepting porn and allowing people to believe it is normal, it could cause a higher demand for it, worsening the situation. Essentially porn isn’t a fulfilling as many may imagine. Many people that take part in the production of pornography are involved with drugs, surgeries, and abuse, just to construct a perfect sex scene in order to earn a profit. There is no real emotion in porn, so why are we associating porn with subjects that we show emotion towards? (Coppa)