Pornography: Good or Bad?

[Miles]

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FYI

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......................12 says, "The average age at which a child first sees

......................porn online is 11," or 5th grade


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Wow! That's a lot of time spent with the door closed, but is porn actually bad for the consumer as has often been asserted?

How about the consenting participants?

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[bluegreenearth]

[Replying to Miles in post #1]

I'm no expert in the field of psychology and mental health, but it is my understanding that many experts in the field insist there is no such diagnosis as "porn addiction." In fact, they seem to suggest that it usually only becomes a problem for people who are socially discouraged or shamed away from viewing pornography. When these people are worried about others knowing of their erotic impulses to view porn, it forces them to secretly engage in that activity when the opportunities occur rather than satisfy their impulses at more appropriate and convenient times. Because they are not always aware of when the next opportunity will occur, they often find themselves viewing porn more often than they would if they felt it was appropriate to deliberately allocate that time for themselves. A subset of those people who previously believed they couldn't allocate that time for themselves frequently discover that they no longer feel the need to engage in the activity more than anyone else on average after learning it was acceptable for them to schedule time for viewing porn.

In a separate but related context, people who feel ashamed of themselves for wanting to view pornographic material regardless of other people's perspectives will resist the temptation for a while but rarely succeed in keeping their natural erotic desires permanently suppressed. As such, these people will often reason themselves into a temporary excuse for viewing porn but later feel tremendously guilty about their decision. From the there, the cycle continuously repeats until those people are mislead into believing that they have an "addiction" to porn. Once again, according to many of the experts, these confused people are not addicted to porn but suffer from a self-imposed denial of their normal erotic desires. A subset of those people who previously believed they had a porn addiction but were subsequently encouraged to accept their behavior as natural frequently discover that they no longer feel the need to engage in the activity more than anyone else on average.

[Overcomer]

The experts say that pornography has the following deleterious effects on users:

1. Pornography teaches sexist and sexually objectifying understandings of gender and sexuality. For instance, in a randomised experimental study among young men in Denmark, exposure to (nonviolent) pornography led to less egalitarian attitudes and higher levels of hostile sexism. And in a longitudinal study among US adolescents, increased use of pornography predicted more sexist attitudes for girls two years later.

2. Pornography also teaches violent attitudes and behaviours to both adolescents and adults. Aggression, largely by males and overwhelmingly against females, is common in pornography: an analysis of top-selling and top-renting titles found 88% of scenes showed aggression. Men who use pornography more often are more likely to practise or desire dominant, degrading practices, such as gagging and choking. And women who use pornography are more likely to practise or desire submissive practices.

From:
https://theconversation.com/pornography ... and%20more.

Years ago I had to research an article on the topic of pornography. One of the things I found interesting was the difference in definition between obscenity and pornography. Something can be obscene without being pornographic. What marks the difference between them? The use of violence. It's part and parcel of pornography and that violence is usually against women.

And then there's the involvement of children and adolescents in pornography as both the objects and the participants in it. Don't even get me started on that.

The problem is this: It takes more and more of it, both in amount and in increasingly violent and nastily erotic content, to satisfy people. A study from the University of Cambridge found that "those who have compulsive sexual behavior exhibit a behavioral addiction that is comparable to drug addiction in the limbic brain circuitry after watching porn". See here:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog ... -or-bad-us

And, as the article above notes, it gives young people the wrong idea about sex. It states that "a lot of young men especially talk about how porn has given them a “twisted” or unrealistic view of what sex and intimacy are supposed to be, and how they then find it difficult to get interested in and aroused by a real-life partner." But it's equally harmful for men. Here's how one author puts it:

"It has been shown to generally have a negative impact on couples and gender relations, leading men and women to devalue one another. While there may be exceptions in which pornography depicts healthy sexual activity and respectful gender relations, the rule is that pornography is dominated by hostile sexism, frequent violence, and general dehumanization and objectification. Because of how sex impacts the brain, pornography essentially short-circuits other systems, becoming not only addictive, but also undermining secure attachment, mutual relatedness, and intimacy." From:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog ... s-problems

That article also points out that it's a factor in some divorces and in loneliness.

So no, there's nothing good about pornography. It does no good, only harm. See here for more:

[bluegreenearth]

[Replying to Overcomer in post #3]

The information at the links below refute your claims and reveal that the negative effects of porn very much depend on the personality types of the individuals viewing it and not the porn itself. Furthermore, experts in the field concluded that controlled studies were not able to support links between pornography and sexual violence:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2017 ... e-unknowns

https://www.martyklein.com/nine-absolut ... -agree-on/

https://reason.com/2019/12/09/5-myths-t ... repeating/

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 153252.htm

https://thehumanist.com/magazine/july-a ... ed-to-what

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... erous-myth

[Miles]

The experts say that pornography has the following deleterious effects on users:

1. Pornography teaches sexist and sexually objectifying understandings of gender and sexuality. For instance, in a randomised experimental study among young men in Denmark, exposure to (nonviolent) pornography led to less egalitarian attitudes and higher levels of hostile sexism. And in a longitudinal study among US adolescents, increased use of pornography predicted more sexist attitudes for girls two years later.

2. Pornography also teaches violent attitudes and behaviours to both adolescents and adults. Aggression, largely by males and overwhelmingly against females, is common in pornography: an analysis of top-selling and top-renting titles found 88% of scenes showed aggression. Men who use pornography more often are more likely to practise or desire dominant, degrading practices, such as gagging and choking. And women who use pornography are more likely to practise or desire submissive practices.

From:
https://theconversation.com/pornography ... and%20more.


Years ago I had to research an article on the topic of pornography. One of the things I found interesting was the difference in definition between obscenity and pornography. Something can be obscene without being pornographic. What marks the difference between them? The use of violence. It's part and parcel of pornography and that violence is usually against women.

And then there's the involvement of children and adolescents in pornography as both the objects and the participants in it. Don't even get me started on that.

The problem is this: It takes more and more of it, both in amount and in increasingly violent and nastily erotic content, to satisfy people. A study from the University of Cambridge found that "those who have compulsive sexual behavior exhibit a behavioral addiction that is comparable to drug addiction in the limbic brain circuitry after watching porn". See here:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog ... -or-bad-us

And, as the article above notes, it gives young people the wrong idea about sex. It states that "a lot of young men especially talk about how porn has given them a “twisted” or unrealistic view of what sex and intimacy are supposed to be, and how they then find it difficult to get interested in and aroused by a real-life partner." But it's equally harmful for men. Here's how one author puts it:

"It has been shown to generally have a negative impact on couples and gender relations, leading men and women to devalue one another. While there may be exceptions in which pornography depicts healthy sexual activity and respectful gender relations, the rule is that pornography is dominated by hostile sexism, frequent violence, and general dehumanization and objectification. Because of how sex impacts the brain, pornography essentially short-circuits other systems, becoming not only addictive, but also undermining secure attachment, mutual relatedness, and intimacy." From:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog ... s-problems
That article also points out that it's a factor in some divorces and in loneliness.

So no, there's nothing good about pornography. It does no good, only harm. See here for more:

Interesting, although because I know how articles often come to be published in pop magazines, I find them highly unreliable. If you want to present data and conclusions that show a harm that pornography may do then I suggest linking to actual studies, not lay publications such as Psychology Today and The Conversation.

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[Difflugia]

...exposure to (nonviolent) pornography...

...

Something can be obscene without being pornographic. What marks the difference between them? The use of violence. It's part and parcel of pornography and that violence is usually against women.

Something's wrong with at least one of these statements. Either pornography is characterized by violence and there's no such thing as nonviolent pornography or violence isn't a defining characteristic of pornography.

[AgnosticBoy]

[Replying to Miles in post #1]
Anecdotally, I would say porn should be kept away from those under the age of 18 and those immature. I'm saying this because kids are very naive and don't know the difference between acting/fantasy/fetishes vs. sexual behavior in the real world (not staged, occurring through normal social interaction/relationships, etc). I'd rather a teen experience sex themselves with another teen before I show them porn where all types of scenarios are portrayed, including incest, swinging, bestiality, etc.

An adult can handle porn better because they already have an understanding of sex and have most likely experienced it in a normal real life setting. But then again I've read about porn addictions and many Christians talk about the power of "lust" wrecking their marriages. So perhaps it's only good in moderation.

[Miles]

[Replying to Miles in post #1]
Anecdotally, I would say porn should be kept away from those under the age of 18 and those immature. I'm saying this because kids are very naive and don't know the difference between acting/fantasy/fetishes vs. sexual behavior in the real world (not staged, occurring through normal social interaction/relationships, etc).

You don't think that acting, fantasy, and fetishes take place in real-world sexual situations? Then here's an eye opener: They do. In fact, most sex therapists will sometimes encourage them to one degree or another.

I'd rather a teen experience sex themselves with another teen before I show them porn where all types of scenarios are portrayed, including incest, swinging, bestiality, etc.

Because what, teens are going to start copulating with mom and dad and the family dog?

An adult can handle porn better because they already have an understanding of sex and have most likely experienced it in a normal real life setting.

So, what's to handle?

But then again I've read about porn addictions and many Christians talk about the power of "lust" wrecking their marriages. So perhaps it's only good in moderation.

Like most other endeavors, sometimes a behavior can get out of control and become an addiction, such as stuffing dead animals, and sucking one's thumb, which happen to be actual addictions. And, there's no denying that porn, too, can become addictive, but the question is, to what extent and degree and extent? Does its down side outweigh is up side?

Put in perspective, people find a whole lot of good in porn

"Porn is practically ubiquitous," says Ana Bridges, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Arkansas. And the Internet has made it easier than ever to get an erotic fix. The late sex researcher Alvin Cooper, PhD, called this the "triple-A engine" effect: The accessibility, affordability and anonymity provided by the Web have put adult content right at our fingertips.

Many people argue that's a good thing. In a 2002 survey conducted for PBS/Frontline by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, 86 percent of respondents said porn can educate people, and 72 percent said it provides a harmless outlet for fantasies. Among those who reported using pornography, 80 percent said they felt "fine" about it."
Source: below.

HERE'S an article from the American Psychological Association that pretty much puts porn use in perspective.


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[AgnosticBoy]

Anecdotally, I would say porn should be kept away from those under the age of 18 and those immature. I'm saying this because kids are very naive and don't know the difference between acting/fantasy/fetishes vs. sexual behavior in the real world (not staged, occurring through normal social interaction/relationships, etc).

You don't think that acting, fantasy, and fetishes take place in real-world sexual situations? Then here's an eye opener: They do. In fact, most sex therapists will sometimes encourage them to one degree or another.

In a lot of cases it does not occur in the ways portrayed in pornography. It is especially important that guys get this. If you expect to just walk up to a woman and expect her to be willing to do any sexual act with you then you going to be in for a big surprise. Genuine feelings are often involved, a real social bond is formed first, etc. Heck I've seen documentaries about pornography and many women don't really enjoy certain sexual acts but instead they are paid to act as if they enjoyed it. If only people know more about these women behind the scenes instead of just going by the pornographic clip.

I'd rather a teen experience sex themselves with another teen before I show them porn where all types of scenarios are portrayed, including incest, swinging, bestiality, etc.

Because what, teens are going to start copulating with mom and dad and the family dog?

Theoretically, it's possible, and that's more true the more naive you are. Even some adults are willing to try some of the things that they see in pornographic videos.

An adult can handle porn better because they already have an understanding of sex and have most likely experienced it in a normal real life setting.

So, what's to handle?

Separating fantasy from real world. And also being better able to control their hormones. I suppose someone who's never have sex nor have seen a naked woman would more easily become a hooked on porn compared to a mature adult.

But then again I've read about porn addictions and many Christians talk about the power of "lust" wrecking their marriages. So perhaps it's only good in moderation.

Like most other endeavors, sometimes a behavior can get out of control and become an addiction, such as stuffing dead animals, and sucking one's thumb, which happen to be actual addictions. And, there's no denying that porn, too, can become addictive, but the question is, to what extent and degree and extent? Does its down side outweigh is up side?

Put in perspective, people find a whole lot of good in porn

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Try this article...

Research in support of the link between pornography and erectile dysfunction argues that porn can desensitize sexual response. A 2016 article argues that more young men are seeking help for ED, and that this could be due to the desensitizing effects of so-called “hardcore” pornography.

Drawing upon case studies and a review of previous research, the article argues that pornography may decrease men’s satisfaction with their own bodies, triggering anxiety during sex.

Men who view pornography may need to progressively increase sexual stimulation to feel and remain aroused.

The use of pornography might change the way the brain reacts to arousal, making a man less likely to feel aroused by a real-life partner.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articl ... -it-happen

[Difflugia]

I'd rather a teen experience sex themselves with another teen before I show them porn where all types of scenarios are portrayed, including incest, swinging, bestiality, etc.

Because what, teens are going to start copulating with mom and dad and the family dog?

Sounds like the plot of a Chick tract!