There is no arguing that sex sells. The adult entertainment industry alone draws in over ten billion dollars a year (“Pornography Statistics”). By nature, we are sexual beings and this industry feeds off of human sexuality. Throughout time, we have constantly revamped sex and what it means to be sexy or sexual. For example, Emperor Li Yu of the tang dynasty believed small feet were sexy, so he began the tradition of feet binding. However, porn has now become the “golden standard of sex” and the sex we all have in our day-to-day lives is repulsive or abominable (Gallop). Driven by what men find arousing, the business is largely biased and anyone who watches porn avidly must be aware of the consequences so as to protect themselves. The porn industry has raped societal conceptions of sex by becoming the default sex education, manifesting gender interaction complications, and physiologically rewiring our brains.
Thanks to movies and the internet, children are being introduced to sex at a much younger age than the previous generation. Mostly while doing homework, kids explore the free sexual content (“Pornography Statistics”). However, millions of elementary school kids now carry smartphones, which also have the capability to view porn. Porn is reaching youths before their parents or even educators believe it’s time to have “the talk.” Porn teaches children many myths about real world sex. It teaches boys that they have to dominate women to orgasm and it teaches girls that they have to be like a porn star to be worthy of love. In pornography, there are no normal sexual interactions like the act of putting a condom on or cuddling, being affectionate (Gallop). Porn is all about penetration and the subjection of women (Gavrieli). It is...
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...n University, n.d. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
“Make Love Not Porn.” Perf. Cindy Gallop. Ted. Tedx, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
"Pornography Statistics" Preserving Family Values. Family Safe Media, 2008. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Roy, Jessica. "Changing Popularity of Porn." Time. Time, 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.
Segal, David. "Does Porn Hurt Children?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
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“Why I Stopped Watching Porn.” Perf. Ran Gavrieli. Tedx. Ted, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Warner, Kara. "Why 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Hit The Erotica Sweet Spot | MTV.com." MTV News. MTV, 9 Aug. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
Wolf, Naomi. "How Porn Is Destroying Modern Sex Lives." Daily Mail. Associated Newspapers, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
Today, “60 percent of children who use the Internet regularly come into contact with pornography” (Hanes 1). In Stephanie Hanes’ article, “Little Girls or Little Women? The Disney Princess Effect”, she provides undeniable evidence to suggest that the culture of today’s world causes sexualization of children, specifically of females, at an alarmingly young age. This sexualization has become increasingly invasive in the past decade, so much so that parents, educators, and even more recently politicians have decided to try to counteract some these negative effects. In this article, Stephanie Hanes uses strong research with logical arguments that support this
A pornographic world [What is normal] by Robert Jensen takes an inside look at the culture of masculinity and what role pornography takes in shaping that culture. Jensen describes how he was forced to play a “macho” role as a child out of fear of being bullied and ridiculed for not being manly enough. Pornography use started for him and his friends in grade school – they would steal magazines and hide them to share in a group later. He talks of how he learned of a social concept, called the “ideal of prostitution” (the notion of men “buying” women in various forms of undress, solely for their pleasure), at a young age. While there has always been a stigma around pornography, whether stemming from moral or religious reasons, Jenson continued to use porn until his 30s.
27 Baird, Robert M. and Stuart E Rosenbaum. Pornography - Private Right or Public Menace Pg. 52
Self, W. (2009) Porn in the home – it’s the nations dirty secret. London Evening Standard [Online] Available from: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/porn-in-the-home--its-the-nations-dirty-secret-6810268.html
A review of the contemporary research on the negative effects of pornography is replete of scholarly and anecdotal evidence and opinion about the damages associated with viewing it. But the evidence is limited when it comes to criticism of mainstream media’s damages to certain groups, particularly young women with their romantic comedies.
Slade, Joseph W. Pornography and Sexual Representation: A Reference Guide. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 2001. Print.
Belkin, Lisa. “The Sex Life.” NYTimes.com The New York Times. 09 Feb. 2011. Web. 01 April 2014.
Hobbs, Sandy. "Child Prostitution." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2006. Web. 23 Oct. 2015.
The issue of pornography has been debated and argued among many about its effects on morality and society. The questions most raised are is pornography moral or immoral and what defines it as such. Also, what makes something be seen as pornographic and therefore immoral. Often when someone brings up the subject of pornography they often envision something dark and seedy which in no way could ever be justified as virtuous. However, there are others who see it’s as being a healthy outlet and without harm to others. When applying the sociological theories of utilitarianism and deontology we can understand the different ideas of pornography. We can also use the perspectives of Emotivism and ethical egoism to make a rational argument about
Wong, D. 2009. A qualitative study of male youth experiences of viewing pornography. Journal of Youth Studies. 12(2) 163-173.
Yifen, Wang, and Chen Wei. "Progress or Pornography." News China Magazine RSS. News China, Dec. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2014.
Technology and things like social media have a great effect on sexual views, behavior and practice among generations. Recent advances in technology are influencing sexual behaviors because of things like computers, smartphones, sex technology (sex toys, pornography, etc.). The list is growing and so are the many possible uses of these technologies. In fact, one in every ten websites is a pornography website, (Krotoski, 2011). This alone gives individuals access to the erotic, fantasy world of sex. These advances in technology, and the availability of this information has made it easier than ever to enter the world of sex.
We have already noted some of the harmful effects of pornography and violence, and we can conclude that the common good has indeed been harmed and continues to be harmed where such materials are produced, exhibited and distributed without responsible restriction or regulation.
Complicating the problem of sexual addictions is cross addiction. The sexual addict will often incorporate other acting out behaviors in their addictive processes. A pornography a...
Media has been filled with exaggerated scrutinies and trashed with unreasonable criticisms. It deserves a break. This is the generation of Information Technology. Danger is just around the corner, where a click from a mouse or a remote control and all sex-related garbage can pop out of the monitor. Truly, a vulnerable teenager can easily get lost to temptations. As an adolescent, I can empathize how these sweet girls feel about how horrible their body shapes are, how ugly their face is, and how brands in fashion seem to be worth more than anything in the world. Fashion labels, tiny bodies, and sexual activities are all characterized in Sex and the City. From th...