The entertainment industry within the United States is one of the most important businesses in the nation. Many Americans spend their weekends watching movies on weekends. Meanwhile others stay at home binge-watching their favorite shows on Netflix or Hulu. One of the most controversial forms of entertainment, however, is known as adult films otherwise known as pornography. Pornography is a very controversial form of entertainment because of how it negatively affects society today.
In order to understand the negative effects of pornography, the term itself must be properly defined. Britanica.com, one of the world’s oldest and highest rated encyclopedias, states that the word “pornography” can be derived from the Greek word porni graphein which means “any work of art or literature depicting the life of prostitutes.” (Jenkins, 2017) The modern-day English word, according to America’s number one dictionary Meriam-Webster, means “material (such as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement.” These definitions combined define pornography as any form of media that entertains its viewer with sexually arousing content. With the term properly defined, the scope of the adult film industry must be fully realized in order to understand how large of an influence it has society. The website Family Safe Media states on its website that, “Since 1998, Family Safe Media has been dedicated to providing the latest products and services that can help parents control the media in their homes.” One of the services that they have provided is a variety of facts and statistics of pornography that are gathered from a variety of sources such as the Central Intelligence Agency, The New York Times, PornStudies, and Forbes. One of the most shocking statistics listed on their website is that over $3,000 is being spent pornographic materials every second. (Pornography Statistics) This means that every year about ninety-seven billion dollars are spent on pornography every year! Family Safe Media also reports that “US porn revenue exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC.” Over 28,000 are viewing the same pornographic materials every second. (Pornography Statistics) These facts
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.
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
Gail Dines’s book Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked Our Sexuality (Beacon Press, 2011) is about how porn is affecting our lives and why it's presence is damaging to our sexual freedom. Her point of view is just one point of view but it's very thought provoking and it makes you question a lot of things. A lot of things that you wouldn't generally think of. Some may not agree with her point-of-view because of her “anti-porn” agenda, but in this book Dine makes a fair amount of valid points.
Paasonen, S., Nikunen, K., & Saarenmaa, L. (2007). Pornification: Sex and sexuality in media culture. Oxford: Berg
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.
Antiporn feminism (here on, APF) limit their definition of pornography to inegalitarian pornography, namely "sexually explicit representations that as a whole eroticise relations characterised by gender inequality” (Eaton 2007: 676). This effectively excludes genres such as gay pornography, or violent pornography (with the absence of inegalitarian representations). For the sake of this argument those genres are not considered. Firstly it is important to note the range of harms that antiporn writers address and the ones we will look at. Production harms - such as coercion and abuse in the making of pornography are not considered in this argument. Antiporn feminists focus on post production harms - specifically the harm that exposure to pornography causes. Other antiporn writers note that pornography is also harmful as hate speech however we focus only on the former harm. The harm that this argument outlines is always indirect, in a sentence the Harm Hypothesis shows that pornography shapes 'attitudes and
Pornography shows people as sex objects. For people who fear they aren't sexually adequate, this is scary. “The social myth covering this personal fear is that consumers of pornography will begin to see all men or women that way. This naive, inaccurate assumption also denies the healthy dynamic of lovers agreeing to objectify each other during their sexual (M K)." Pornography shows people experimenting via sex. This is a scary concept for those who fear that their experimenting can lead to trouble. Pornography invites viewers to stimulate their inner sexual feelings. Pornography also encourages acting on natural lustful instincts. It also depicts many of their fantasies are deemed as taboo in the standards set forth by society. By censoring pornography, such people feel they are keeping others out of danger, but in fact they are really suppressing others though of sexual fantasies and query. So in a culture where people learn to fear their own sexuality, sex appears to require censorship if it is sex for pleasure, healing, or
While many will argue that pornography is not harmful and a “victimless crime”, are not of the real effects that pornography can have on a family, or a society as a whole. First of all pornography is detrimental, because it treats humans as objects. Pornography depicts people, especially women, in demeaning and degrading ways. Even if the only ones involved were adults who freely chose to be involved in the production of pornography and even if they were compensated well enough to feel good about what they are doing, pornography does not build the integrity of persons who are made in the image of God. Another effect of pornography is that it is linked to different forms of violence. Pornography can be linked to rape, abuse, murder, and other felonies. Pornography is also harmful to society in that the outlets for obscene material are often outlets for other material such as prostitution, pandering, drug dealing etc. Finally, pornography harms the family. Like other sins, pornography is addictive and progressive.
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
For many years there has been a lot of arguments about the ethical and morality of pornography. pornography is defined as the depiction of erotic behavior intended to cause sexual excitement. When it coms down to pornography, people have different opinions about it. Some people might find it moral because it gives them pleasure and it satisfies them physically. some individuals see it as a form of art that describes the figure of a human body in an artistic form. Others see it as immoral because it harms and degrades an individual. Personally I believe that it all depends how pornography is conducted and how we respond to it. It can be morally healthy that we like it because it makes us happy, such as it helps with your marriage relationship in intimacy, and it can be immoral when it is used in an unhealthy that we do not like it because hurts an innocent person.
The seemingly main reason there is such a growth in pornography is because almost everyone and everything in the world reacts and relates to sex. People are captivated with sex and are excited to see something new or something they have not seen before. People are always looking for a version of sex that is new or more different than the norm. This is soaring the pornography industry to grow one step further in order to keep up with the demand.
Many people have argued that pornography is a form of artistic expression, protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution, others feel there is a distinct line between art and “porn” (Pornogrpahy). Pornography is made to provide sexual pleasure to anyone who hears, sees or reads it, it involves erotic acts. Pornography could be talking, “acting,” or anything that may sexually stimulate someone. Pornography is also, the portrayal of sexual activities and it comes in the form of magazines, movies, videos, and more. Pornography is often seen to overstep the bounds of the First Amendment and misrepresent what is means by freedom of speech. Pornography isn’t something that everyone can agree on. For example, feminist are one group of people have a variety of feelings and beliefs towards pornography. While feminist usually share the same way of thinking this is one topic that causes a major division between them. Disagreeing to agree is a common compromise that people face in life, but in the case of pornography feminist can not seem to do so.
Thesis – Multiple outlooks have been taken on the ethics of pornography, and the means by which it may either negatively influence power in sexuality, or actually provide some sort of social value and worth. These different ethical perspectives display the flaws in the industry and what it represents; yet they also end up proving the fact that it can be modified with positive influence and that pornography is not something to be deemed utterly unethical.
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