Pornography : The Easy Accessibility Of Pornography And Long Term Exposure

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.

Pornography is a controversial subject all around the world. Part of its appeal is its taboo nature. It has been argued that pornography is harmful. Porn is an underground market that is more or less legal but is it harmful? An article written by Diana E.H. Russell in “Dangerous Relationships: Pornography, Misogyny, and Rape” argues that it is. Diana E.H. Russell is a sociology professor. She has researched the issue and argues that pornography is profoundly harmful. Professor Russell believes that it inclines men to want to rape women and that it encourages them to act out rape fantasies. However, Michael C. Seto disputes Professor Russell's theory that pornography is harmful. Michael Seto's article, written with

The pornification (or alternatively pornographication) of the social world has created lasting effects in the lives of people that they must deal with every day (Dines 1998, p. 164). Pornification is the process by which the social and cultural world is sexualised. This occurs through the expansion of media technology and the pornography industry, as well as changes in media regulations and restrictions which allow pornographic imagery to intrude into public spaces (Tyler 2011, p. 79). This essay will offer explanations for why the pornification of the social world is occurring, how the phenomenon differs from a freedom of expression issue and is instead considered a sociological issue, what consequences and harm arise from these explanations, and will offer social measures that can be adopted in order to deal with the issue. Pornification has occurred in almost every realm of the social world, including in its unaltered form on the Internet, social media, marketing, advertising, music, fashion, sport, and art. However, this expansion of easily accessible pornified content is a stark and confronting challenge for our social world.

Consequently, the exposure of pornography can influence intimate partner sexual violence and forced sexual relations, especially among the females who are exceptionally vulnerable. In recent years, the focus on intimate partner sexual violence has been on the rise and its operationalization along with its association with negative repercussions. In particular, a study of 87 female victims reported that the presence of pornography is associated with the sadistic rapes from a sample of intimate partner sexual violence. With reports stating that 14% of individuals were forced by partners to watch pornography and attempt to re-enact such behaviors and acts (Moreau et al. 224). Which is directly an effect of sexual scripts provided by pornography.

Today’s pornography portrays women as insatiable sex objects who crave bondage, anal sex, multiple penetration, and outright abuse. Violent sex has become routine in pornography. Many videos document gang rape and present it as consensual sex. The images are not classified as violent for pornography

What starts out as accidental exposure to sexual media can become a full-blown addiction (Kistler & Lee, 2010; Ouytsel, Ponnet, & Walrave, 2014). Early use of pornography is correlated with higher compulsivity as an emerging adult (Giordano, & Cashwell, 2017; Stinson, 2010; Willoughby, Carroll, Nelson, & Padilla-Walker, 2014; Willoughby, Young-Petersen, & Leonhardt, 2018; Ybarra & Mitchell, 2005). Virtually every individual who lives in modern society will be exposed to sexual media; even those who say they abstain still have a 20% likelihood of seeing pornography and sexual media incidentally (Willoughby, et al.,

Pornography is an age-old phenomenon that has been under much modern-day scrutiny. With the recent proliferation of online pornography, possible social ramifications of sexually explicit material on uncontrolled mediums have become the subjects of intense debate. Proponents of a liberal approach toward pornography argue that access to online smut is a constitutionally protected freedom and "a harmless diversion that serves to satisfy curiosity and relieve sexual tensions.5" Opponents of this view are particularly concerned with the social effects of online pornography and its effect on the values and morals of minors who can access pornographic images. I will argue for the liberal side and argue that porn in both print form and

immoral, corrupt, and downright illegal premises and actions. These include (but are in no way

The positive correlations between pornography and these possibly risky behaviors are also linked with having unsafe sex in general. There is a direct link to viewing pornography as sex education and these unsafe practices leading to not only medical but psychological issues as well (Parker 17). Sexting leads us to the creative impact pornography has had on the population. It is a common practice among not only young adults, but adults as well and is socially acceptable. The asking for and receiving of these types of pornographic images is a common theme among adolescent populations around the world. There are the legal ramifications for the fact that such images of individuals under the age of 18 is illegal to possess or share and “there is some evidence to support the practice of sexting often occurs as ‘pressurised yet voluntary’” (Parker 18). There is the social pressure to conform and fit in and let the male be superior and have the female be inferior. There are also instances where coercion and force are brought into the situation as the explanation for participating in sexting whether the individual wanted to or not. The fact that revenge porn exists both as videos and images says a lot about how we view children, men,

It is no surprise that scholars like Dr. Attwood are referring to current times as the “age of onscenity.” However, despite this being true and extremely frightening for all members of society, it is most especially frightening for society’s most impressionable members - teens and children. Moreover, in Dr. Rodriguez’s lecture he discussed the “Trigger Hypothesis.” This hypothesis assumes that upon exposure to sexually explicit material some individuals will essentially be triggered to the commit a sexual crime (Dr. Rodriguez). Although this hypothesis is relevant to all individuals it is most so with younger generations because they’re not fully developed mentally.

MacKinnon argues that pornography defines male treatment of women, and is the clearest demonstration of male dominance. Her perspective is radical, but valuable because it forces one to reexamine his or her view of pornography. She says that, “male power makes authoritative a way of seeing and treating women that when a man looks at a pornographic picture... the viewing is an act of male supremacy” (130). This form of expression dictates the way in which men view women as a class. The uneven distribution of power in this system makes pornography a form of discrimination. “Pornography causes attitudes and behaviors of violence and discrimination that define the treatment and status of half the population” (147). Not only women are subject to this form of oppression. “Pornography is the

Pornography has many obvious as well as not-so-obvious consequences within society. Pornography has the power to ruin marriages, destroy trust, excite a person to the point of sexual crime, or create an unhealthy view of human sexuality and the opposite sex.” (WowEssays, Pornography)

Although it is not a new phenomenon, there is obviously something different about the way sexualisation occurs today and the impact it has on younger and younger girls (McLellan, 2010). In march 2009, the government launched the ‘Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls’ initiative with the intention of raising awareness of the issue and to explore policy proposals designed to help prevent violence against women and girls (Papadopoulos, 2010). This initiative raised some important questions relating to the phenomenon of sexualisation, drawing attention to sexualisation in mass and social media as well as looking at sexualised content and ‘the mainstreaming of pornography’. In the report by Papadopoulos, she explains how children and young people are exposed to ‘unprecedented’ range of media content via an ever-growing number of channels, as well of this the proportion of content sexual or pornographic in nature is increasing at a dramatic rate. Until recently, things such as the watershed helped police such content helping to ensure it was targeted at the right audience however as Papadopoulos says the internet has no watershed and sexualised images can appear in the

In recent years, pornography has established itself as perhaps the most controversial topic arising out of the use of the Internet. The easy availability of this type of sexually explicit material has caused a panic among government officials, family groups, religious groups and law enforcement bodies and this panic has been perpetuated in the media.

Pornography has strong influences over its viewers. Recent research has been done in attempt to find the link between sexually explicit material and how exposure to it has caused changes in a person’s aggression level toward women, and one’s cognitive development of sexual and social standards and expectations. The findings are grounds for advising trying to regulate the accessibility of pornography to minors to avoid these potentially harmful influences. Although, during adolescence, usually centered between the ages of 13 and 19, sexual curiosity is expected, compulsive curiosity to sexual material that is not most realistic in nature can cause unrealistic views of women and sex roles. These impacts are happening in the plastic minds of 13 and 19-year-old web surfers who are unaware of the effects taking place. Child pornography is a form of child sexual abuse. Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor less than 18 years old. Progressively, child pornography laws are being used to punish the utilization of computer technology and the Internet to get, share, and appropriate pornographic material including kids, including pictures and movies. Having a violation of federal child pornography laws is a serious crime and first time offenders found guilty of producing child