Name of Student

Name of the University

Is Pornography Harmful?

Introduction

According to Shuler et al. (2021), there is a considerable divide between pornographic attitudes in today’s culture. Pornography is a sensitive topic that many people want to avoid. When it comes to pornography, many people have different viewpoints. Mostly, the question of whether pornography is damaging is hotly debated. Is it damaging to the audience, the one who is being watched? Is it causing issues in your relationships? Is it a source of domestic violence against women? There are a lot of questions and a lot of contributing factors.

Consequently, there have been debates among researchers as to whether it is detrimental to individuals or those in relationships who use it. Looking at the surface, pornography may appear to be as harmless as the person, or it may blossom into something a little more severe than that. Personally, I feel that pornography has its place and that, like other things, when seen in moderation, it is not detrimental, as long as it is accessed legitimately and with willing participants. Using the materials at my disposal, I will attempt to explain my stand that pornography is not detrimental in many circumstances.

Major Findings in the Literature

As the usage of pornography grows in popularity in many nations, researchers have tried to figure out how it can affect individuals. In today’s world, everyone from children to the elderly has little windows to the internet in their palms, so it is simple to imagine that adolescent curiosity might lead them to see pornography in secret, primarily if their parents do not discuss sex. According to Spiák’s (2016) research, young people are more concerned about ambiguous conceptions of damage than the actual sexual content they see. Some parents feel they can ignore that their child is approaching the age where it is necessary to talk about their body, so they tell them it is shameful or improper. As a result of the sexualized current culture, youths have suddenly become sexual.

On the other hand, adults are instead compelled to acknowledge that kids have always been sexual and that it is difficult to protect them from sexual matters. (Spiák, 2016). This is roughly analogous to not informing girls about the changes that their bodies would undergo before they occur. I was fortunate to have parents who were upfront about it, but many young girls are taken aback when they first start menstruating, which may be upsetting. From a personal standpoint, I believe that not knowing about sex is more dangerous than seeing pornography.

In popular media and psychological research, the idea of online pornography addiction is gaining traction. Some think that pornography viewing leads to addiction. However, Campbell & Kohut (2017) argue that pornography is not addicting. Pornography and sex addiction are popular psychological notions that appear to make sense but have no scientific backing. The relationship between frequency and volume of internet usage and other individual factors and symptoms of pornography addiction has not been experimentally established. Harper & Hodgins (2016) qualitative study on problematic online pornography use revealed that some users struggle to quit or reduce their usage. Other personal and anecdotal testimonials from problematic internet pornographers claim beneficial improvements that occurred after they stopped using the site. The restoration of libido increased creativity and self-worth, and increased life and relationship pleasure are among these improvements (Harper & Hodgins, 2016). Consequently, Shuler et al. (2021) highlight that there have been reports of numerous positive effects on sexuality, happiness, and anxiety and depression decrease, particularly among underrepresented populations such as the disabled.

Pornography is seen constructively by most viewers, who report that it has enhanced their personal lives and private sex lives. Many people say pornography has helped them uncover and affirm elements of their sexuality and that it has had a liberating influence on their sense of self. According to Rasmussen (2016), pornography has helped homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgender persons explore and validate their sexuality. The internet’s seclusion and anonymity pose less physical and social risk than direct personal encounters, allowing for more support and conversation regarding sexuality. Furthermore, pornographic viewers report having better sex lives than those who do not. Pornography, according to Brown et al. (2017), aids in improving tolerance of other people’s sexualities, provides pleasure, makes consumers more sensitive to a partner’s sexual demands, and assists them in talking about sex with their relationships. 

Even after adjusting due to religion and integrating characteristics like meaning or female usage of pornography in mediation or moderation investigations, previous research has found declines in relational and sexual pleasure. However, other studies have found that when females use pornography or when pornography is used simultaneously in a romantic relationship, it boosts sexual pleasure for partners. Participants stated experiences and reactions to pornography usage ranging from improved closeness and higher quality sexual encounters to worries of being detected in pornography use and decreased sexual excitement with their partner in a research study done by Campbell & Kohut (2017). These findings suggest that there may be more complexities to the use of pornography in relationships than have been studied in most of the pornography research. On the other hand, according to a study done by Shuler et al. (2021), women who view pornography have better communication with their spouses about their sexual dreams and aspirations, positive sex encounters, and broadening of women’s sexual horizons.

Although most research has focused on the negative impacts of pornography usage, a few studies have documented the positive effects. Pornography has positive consequences, according to Brown et al. (2017), such as making customers less inhibited about sex. Furthermore, Rasmussen (2016) pornography aids in the maintenance of sexual attraction in long-term partnerships by providing educational information that encourages partners to be more open-minded about sex. As a result, scientific data supports the use of pornography as a sex aid and a sex educator. Pornography has long been thought to have a cathartic effect, releasing sexual tension that may otherwise lead to aggressiveness or sexual assault. These researchers, according to, give preliminary evidence of situations in which pornography consumption may have a cathartic impact, at least in the aggregate.

Conclusion

My analysis has led me to believe that my argument is correct and that pornography is not detrimental when used in moderation and at the proper times. Due to a lack of direction, many individuals, particularly youngsters, utilize pornography as a source of education and sexual behaviors. Furthermore, I discovered that there are more false claims that pornography is detrimental than beneficial. I believe that personal inclination and one’s morality are what fuels so much anti-pornographic sentiment, making the debates completely opinion-based rather than evidence-based.

References

Brown, C. C., Carroll, J. S., Yorgason, J. B., Busby, D. M., Willoughby, B. J., & Larson, J. H. (2017). A common-fate analysis of pornography acceptance, use, and sexual satisfaction among heterosexual married couples. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46(2), 575-584.

Campbell, L., & Kohut, T. (2017). The use and effects of pornography in romantic relationships. Current Opinion in Psychology, 13, 6-10.

Harper, C., & Hodgins, D. C. (2016). Examining correlates of problematic internet pornography use among university students. Journal of behavioral addictions, 5(2), 179-191.

Rasmussen, K. (2016). A historical and empirical review of pornography and romantic relationships: Implications for family researchers. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 8(2), 173-191.

Shuler, J., Brosi, M., Spencer, T., & Hubler, D. (2021). Pornography and Romantic Relationships: A Qualitative Examination of Individual Experiences. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 47(6), 605-620.

Spišák, S. (2016). ‘Everywhere they say that it’s harmful but they don’t say how, so I’m asking here’: young people, pornography and negotiations with notions of risk and harm. Sex Education, 16(2), 130-142.