Pornography: Harmless Fun?

The pornography industry revenue is larger than all combines revenues of all professional baseball, basketball and football franchises, bringing in $57 billion dollars world-wide. In the United States, every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography, 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography, 372 internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines. A new pornography video is being created every thirty-nine minutes.

Forty million United States adults regularly visit internet pornography websites, of this forty million, ten percent admit to addiction. Eighty-one percent of Americans, eight out of ten, believe federal laws against internet pornography should be forcefully enforced.

Pornography impacts families in new and devastating ways.

Parents work hard to protect their families from pornographic material, and research funded by Congress has shown Internet pornography to be “very intrusive”. Additionally, a variety of fraudulent, illegal and unethical practices are used to attract new customers. The privacy of our youth and all of those who wish not to be exposed are jeopardized by this profit-driven assult.

Sexual addiction experts contend on-line sexual activity is “a hidden public health hazard exploding, in part because very few are or taking it seriously.
According to research, effects of internet pornography sabotages an already vulnerable culture of marriage. Research also points out that due to the numerous negative effects of pornography, it is difficult, if not impossible, for families to combat on their own.
A logical point of impact to examine is the marital relationship because it is easily conflicted by outside influences. Research also indicates that a majority of male internet users seeking help for problematic online sexual behavior married. The research indicates pornography consumption is associated with the following six trends, Increased marital distress, and risk of separation and divorce, decreased marital intimacy and sexual satisfaction, Infidelity, Increased appetite for more graphic types of pornography and sexual activity associated with abusive, illegal or unsafe practices, Devaluation of monogamy, marriage and child rearing, An increasing number of people struggling with compulsive and addictive sexual behavior
These trends reflect a cluster of symptoms that undermine the foundation upon which successful marriages and families are established.
Although, the marital bond may be the most prone relationship to internet pornography, children are the most susceptible audience.
When a child lives in a home where an adult is consuming pornography, he or she encounters the following four risks: Decreased parental time and attention, Increased risk of encountering pornographic material, Increased risk of parental separation and divorce and Increased risk of parental job loss and financial strain
When a child or adolescent is directly exposed the following effects have been documented: Lasting negative or traumatic emotional responses, earlier onset of first sexual intercourse, thereby increasing the risk of STD’s over the lifespan, the belief that superior sexual satisfaction is attainable without having affection for one’s partner, thereby reinforcing the commoditization of sex and the objectification of humans, he belief that being married or having a family are unattractive prospects; increased risk for developing sexual compulsions and addictive behavior, increased risk of exposure to incorrect information about human sexuality long before a minor is able to contextualize this information in ways an adult brain could.

The United States is ranked amongst the top producers and consumers of pornography around the world. Through educating the public about the risks of pornography consumption, supporting research that examines aspects of internet pornography currently unknown, allocating resources to enforce laws already in place, and lastly, legally implement technological solutions that separate internet content, allowing consumers to choose the type of legal content they wish to have access to, the federal government can address this issue.

In closing, I am convinced Internet pornography is not just “harmless fun” and is grooming young generations of Americans in such a way that their chances of enjoying healthy and enduring relationships are handicapped.