Pornography and the New Media Essay

In the technological boom of the 1990s internet usage became became exponentially popular. This unprecedented development in technology led to people questioning the permissibility of online conduct. In particular, people panicked over the easy accessibility of adult content on the internet. Many parents and families were quick to worry about the possibility that their young children could view pornographic material with just a few clicks on a on the computer. As government officials became aware of families’ concerns, the legislative branch was quick to action. Finally in 1996, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act in efforts to protect minors for obtaining pornography online. However, distressed parents were not able to celebrate for long. The same day that Congress passed the CDA, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged the ban by taking it to court. The ACLU believed that the the CDA was far too broad and violated the first and fifth amendments by criminalizing wide-ranging elements of internet speech. On March 19th, 1997 the case was

According to the Communication Decency Act of 1996 the CDA prohibits the users from using the internet that provides obscene, offensive material. It restricted the minors, individuals under 18 years of age. The CDA consider use of such salacious material to be taken as crime if made available to the minors. But the CDA was found to be unconstitutional and too broad because it violated the first amendment, according to the Supreme Court the communication decency act was not limited to a commercial speech or entity rather it was a prohibition on whole group. An alternative internet censorship law was made known as Child online protection act of 1998, it was found to be much more limited than the CDA but it too was found to be unconstitutional.

Almost as lucrative as the oil industry; the omnipresent multi-media pornography industry is said to be more profitable than the music and video industries combined. The European Parliament (2003) estimates that more than two-thirds of the £252 million spent by European internet users during 2001 was received by various pornographic websites. This recorded expenditure does not, however, account for the widely available non-internet based pornographic literature, theatre and DVD trade, or for prostitution – the age-old trade from which the term pornography is derived (Potter, 1998); thus effectively deeming the pornography industry to be indescribably profitable.

One major flaw of the CDA is that it uses "community standards" to judge what is considered legal on the Internet. Unlike most forms of media, the Internet has no defined community; it is a decentralized, ungoverned body that is accessible to every person with a computer and a telephone line in the world. If there are "community standards," to which community do they belong? Do they belong to the communities of the Netherlands where prostitution and marijuana are legal, or to the communities of Bible-belt American, where family values are top priorities? The CDA went beyond its jurisdiction by claiming that "community standards" was the device with which to measure indecency. The standards of conservative lawmakers should not be the standards that gauge the appropriateness of the Internet, and these lawmakers are wrong to assume that their morals are mirrored in "community standards" throughout America.

The claim that the internet is “unregulated” is false. The information highway is profoundly regulated. The DMCA, mentioned previously is only one of the regulations imposed on the internet which focuses on removing specific, unauthorized content from the internet (Condon). There are also numerous laws and regulations imposed protecting the privacy of the general public, the privacy of minors, and to protect malware and viruses from entering computers through internet usage.

The controversy and perspective of women against pornography is one of the most beetling debates waged between modern-day feminists amongst themselves as well as between other opinionated individuals. As defined in this essay, pornography is any printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to arouse erotic, sexual rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings. The growing feminist population hosts many apprehensions as well as positive outlooks concerning the pornography industry and its portrayal of women, thus causing it to be a highly debated affair amongst those that share contrasting opinions on the matter. With the increasing interest on the matter, more feminists develop reasoning as to why they either support or oppose pornography. A copious number of those that oppose pornography believe it regresses the movement of feminist in its entirety.

The biopsychosocial model describes the state of someone’s mental health, the model helps individual better understand each other the best part about the models is helps to create better understand amongst people. It displays a clear dialog of many biological, psychological, and social factors. I have a friend who just recently graduated from college that wasn’t very social able I know that may not be a big deal when I say very social able because people not wanting to associate with other people is quite normal but to not no know how out feeling ashamed or guilty is very rare. My friend by the name of Jane grew up in two parent house hold like many other individuals her father and mother were very well know leaders in the community, but their

The impacts of pornography in the modern world are far reaching. Its motives remain unaddressed, and hence people create varying views towards it. One wonders whether pornography silences women. If it does, then how? Then, why women and not the opposite gender? If pornography harms women, why do they still act it? The clip may have two meanings, literal and symbolical. However, the speaker seems to be delivering her information. Still, one may wonders how pornography subordinate woman yet mostly acted by women. The female body has always been mysterious. Then how does pornography play as a tool of subordination? For a person to understand the speaker’s claims, it may be wise to understand the purpose of pornography. The mystery of pornography is broad. There are those who act, those who advertise and market it and those who watch. Most of pornographic images and videos are recorded using high definition graphics. Still, most pornographic content free to access and download. Then how to its producer’s pay back the production cost? Many people may hold that there exist different motives behind pornography. Though, most people hold differing views towards pornography. The insights from the clip suggest some attitudes to the viewer.

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

Several people challenged the 1996 Communications Decency act. It was put in place to protect minors from material on the internet that was unsuitable for them to be seeing. The act prohibited the transmission of obscene messages and information that describes sexual activities in a manner that was deemed inappropriate by community guidelines. The Court decided that this Act violated the first amendment because it tried to regulate speech without clearly identifying what indecent communications were. The Act failed to determine restrictions on people or time (so it would not impact adults) or prove that the transmission of obscene material is not of social value.

Instead of censorship and regulation by the government, we as users of the Internet should be able to practice self-regulation. Censorship of the Internet violates the First Amendment of the Constitution, and thus robs us of our right to freedom of speech. Since cyberspace is a fairly new concept, any restrictions placed on the Internet by the CDA will determine the degree of freedom we will enjoy on the Internet in future years. Enforcement of the CDA will potentially rob us of a valuable source of information on subjects ranging from abortion and AIDS to birth control.

A close examination of the intricate relationships between: gender, sexuality, social hierarchy, ideology, power and objectification is necessary to prove that the pervasiveness of pornography in today’s society serves as a means for the construction of women’s oppression. It becomes clear that pornography is the grease that relegates women to a second-class status when its effects are fully actualized. On the other hand, some argue that pornography is empowering and benefits sexuality. An exploration into the positive effects of pornography will be provided. The merit of pornography will be disproven and it will become obvious that the perpetrator of inequality is pornography.

The Communications Decency Act, as part of a longer Telecommunication Act, basically states that anyone who uses the Internet to make any “patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards, sexual or excretory activities or organs” communication to someone under 18 is breaking the law and can be fined or jailed.[iii]

Pornography has the ability to stay current with each technological breakthrough while pushing the borders of what we deem as “acceptable” in reading and writing. In, Writing Material: Readings from Plato to the Digital Age by Tribble and Trubek, an article by Gopnick notes the death of the “word” before its technological resurgence. “Each new medium was more visually and sensually rich that the last: movies gave way to talking movies, which gave way to color talking movies, which gave way to round-the-clock talking color television. In that context, words just hung around looking glum, with hardly enough energy left to compose themselves into sentences”(180). Gopnick then discuses the “revolution” of the Internet

            One of the unique challenges to regulating or settling on the appropriate way to regulate is that there is no concrete definition of pornography. While law enforcement bodies such as the police, prosecutors and judges, are accustomed to dealing with issues that are exclusive to the United States, the Internet is a worldwide community with servers and members coming