The digital age has transformed the accessibility of pornography. With nearly 13 percent of all websites being pornographic, it is safe to say the days of stealing our parents’ dirty VHS tapes or traveling to our local adult shop are long gone.
The increased feasibility of watching mainstream porn has birthed an abundance of perpetual viewers across communities and demographics. Pornography’s increased convenience and pervasiveness has resulted in a generation that is unconsciously being fed an off-kilter perspective about sex. This has resulted in less progressive attitudes toward gender roles, extolled belligerence and has clouded the importance of consent and placed an emphasis on body image.
According to one study, men are approximately 543 percent more likely to watch porn than women. On average, men are expected to begin their porn viewing habits at just 10 years old. As a result, young men are likely to first acquire their knowledge about sexual activity from the porn industry rather than by viable means such as parental conferences, pedagogical sex education or actual intercourse itself.
A large quantity of scenes in pornography tend to showcase sexual aggression, typically imposed by a man onto a woman. Repeatedly observing these actions can foster unrealistic ideas about how women should be treated during sex or even in non-sexual situations. Additionally, persuasion or forceful initiation of sex is far more likely to occur in porn as opposed to a clear establishment of consent between both or all partners. Regardless of gender or sexual orientation, sex without consent is rape; unfortunately, porn today tends to do a poor job of embedding this message and sometimes goes as far as to glorify sexual assault.
Another devastating consequence of watching porn is its ability to tarnish self-esteem due to its impractical portrayals of body image. Many porn stars undergo surgery to modify their face or body, tainting the possibility of a realistic and relatable model for many viewers. It is important to remember that there is no single attribute, look or body type that can define beauty or sensuality and that we ought not to base our notions of these concepts on what we see in porn or the media as a whole.
Whether you choose to watch porn or not, there are a handful of things to keep in mind when applying your thoughts to the real world. You must always obtain clear consent by a sober subject for both sex and particular sexual desires, you should use a form of contraception unless you and your partner have both agreed otherwise and remember to never compare yourself to that person on the screen.
Sophia San Filippo is a junior majoring in English.