Is porn bad in general?

[The Thinker]

Hey guys,

I was just thinking about how different some views of you are about porn in general.
There are some that seem to condemn it altogether, and some that just mark it as a bad thing in their own, personal behaviour.

For me, it's a mix of both. I find myself strangely reminded at vegetarism / veganism:

At first, I think it's an unnoticed problem of epidemic proportions, since nearly everybody today has internet, and porn is so easily available in every variety and getting more and more extreme.

AND: There's a whole generation of 20-somethings out there, who grew up with the novelty of internet and internet-porn, that are now becoming parents - yet they mostly seem to be unable to control their internet-behaviour, not to speak of teaching their children what's right or wrong there.
Our society has come to this point by not acting against it. So I really think there should be a public discussion. Although there are a lot of documentaries about internet- or porn-addiction, people tend to separate this information from their own situation (speaking for myself here, too) and don't see, that they're already affected themselves.
I wonder if there is a porn lobby? Surely, such a discussion would not be in the interest of that industry.


So... back to my initial question: Is porn in general a bad thing?
NO! There are also forms of art that provoke with pornographic elements. They are a form of culture (not speaking about the common porn you find on the internet here, of course). Think of music videos and movies. Of course this is a double-edged sword, since there were less sexual images in such media in the past.
But also, if one was to PMO occasionally, and would still maintain a healthy sexlife with a real partner, I see no problem there.

BUT: The way we deal with internet sexuality has taken an unnatural and unhealthy direction - I think this can in fact be generalized.

I'm a kind of person who doesn't force their beliefs on others, and act mostly by the saying "living and let live". But realizing lately what is happening in front of our computer-screens makes me really wanna go out on the street and hold signs up - just to make people think.


So, what's your opinion about porn in general? I'm curious.

 

[sender]

To ask if all porn is bad is a bit too broad.

Some porn is bad because people are harmed in making it: human trafficking, forced prostitution, etc.
Some porn is bad because it is violent towards women
High-speed internet porn is dangerous because it's addictive, and its over-use can cause serious problems and destroy families. But that's different from saying it's bad. Alcohol is dangerous in similar ways but that doesn't mean it's bad.

Here are a few more specific questions to think about (some of which you hint at), such as:

what is the risk / cost to our society of high-speed internet porn (the bulk of which is becoming increasingly violent towards women)? What will this do to our collective sexuality?
How is the big business of porn affecting our public policies towards internet porn and skewing them in their favor?
Why is it legal for hardcore porn to be freely and easily accessible (even by accident) to all, including kids?
Why are sex and pornography taboo topics for public discourse? If we can't talk about it, then we can't fight back...

Just like with cigarettes, these companies are banking on having access to kids so they can hook them young. That is wrong and it shouldn't be legal. It's not about telling others how to live. If adults want porn, they should have a way to get it. But let's not have it in everyone's faces, ok?

You are right that something has to be done about it. You are right that we need to speak out. I think the most useful thing you can do is to begin to open the public discourse in any way that you can. Talk to your friends about it. Write to your politicians asking that something be done about it. If everyone starts complaining about it or even just talking about it, then eventually there will be enough support for something concrete to be done.

 

[Hotshot]

My personal view is that if you are rationalizing why porn isn't a bad thing, you have a problem with it and need to really look at why the question has even spurred. Good luck!

 

[suyash_4376]

In my opinion, porn is a bad thing. Thats because it reinforces the concept of synthetic sexuality instead of a deeper understanding of it. You see, the clear message that is being screamed out silently in the movies is that if a woman doesnot have a ton of makeup on her face and revealing clothes on her then she is not worthy of male attention.

I disagree that one can maintain a healthy sexlife with a partner while occasionally doing PMO. I think it is a clear illustration of the fact that the person still considers synthetic sexuality as a source of personal stimulation instead of a healthy relationship.

Early treatises on sexuality are very different from porn because they did not belittle women or compare them based on their sexual assets. A majority of music videos gain attention because of the sex appeal of women in general present in it. Its not good.

People should be made aware of demerits of porn and should consider abstinence. It will automatically improve their perception of women as it happens in my personal case. Although it may not be enough...

 

[Shakti]

Porn damages both those who watch it and those who make it. Easy access to it doesn't change a thing. Just like with cigarettes - the fact that you can buy them almost anywhere doesn't change the fact that smoking slowly destroys your health.


Porn is also a bad thing because it lures young men and women into having sex for money in front of camera as a way to earn for life. Withour porn those people would have to find another job, a real job.

Makes me wonder how many future brilliant engineers, actors, doctors, sportsmen, etc. flushed their careers down the porn drain. Because that's how the harsh society works: once you did porn - you are a porn actor and nothing else.

"Amateur" porn is no better, think how many marriages and relationships were destroyed due to a tape that leaked to porns sites. Or how many are posted intentionally, to hurt ex-GF, ex-BF, to mess up with their lives.

 

[Jasoon]

I feel like we remove the taboo from porn and examine it like we do other things, then we stand to gain a better understanding of whether it's really 'bad' or 'good'. Too much of anything will eventually turn into a bad thing, and this applies to porn as well. When one PMO's occasionally with a healthy lifestyle, porn isn't at all harmful. Many experts even say that it's healthy. But when viewed constantly and coupled with an introverted, unhealthy, antisocial lifestyle, it can potentially damage a person's mental and physical health.

 

[know_a_bit]

Yes. I didn't used to think this. But now I do.

 

[suyash_4376]

I feel like we remove the taboo from porn and examine it like we do other things, then we stand to gain a better understanding of whether it's really 'bad' or 'good'. Too much of anything will eventually turn into a bad thing, and this applies to porn as well. When one PMO's occasionally with a healthy lifestyle, porn isn't at all harmful. Many experts even say that it's healthy. But when viewed constantly and coupled with an introverted, unhealthy, antisocial lifestyle, it can potentially damage a person's mental and physical health.

Dude you dont understand. Porn is addictive. Thats why its use cannot be controlled. A viewer will become addicted and want more and more of it. It is not alcohol that can be used in moderation. It is a drug. So, jasoon, would you have a small teaspoon of heroin with your breakfast? Of course not. Same principle...

 

[peter26594]

I feel like we remove the taboo from porn and examine it like we do other things, then we stand to gain a better understanding of whether it's really 'bad' or 'good'. Too much of anything will eventually turn into a bad thing, and this applies to porn as well. When one PMO's occasionally with a healthy lifestyle, porn isn't at all harmful. Many experts even say that it's healthy. But when viewed constantly and coupled with an introverted, unhealthy, antisocial lifestyle, it can potentially damage a person's mental and physical health.

I agree with your post, it's not like doing porn is super bad the end result from what I know is just lots of pleasure lol. I just joined this site as I thought I was sometimes wasting too much time to porn. I don't see masturbating as a bad thing in itself. But I also wonder how I would mentally change if I didn't watch porn or masturbated for x amount of days.

 

[Johnnyutah9]

I used to think it "was just a good way of getting pleasure" too. I didn't realize the effects high speed porn has on brain chemistry. No one is immune to addiction , it just manifests itself differently from person to person. Stopping porn for the first time let me know after week 1 how much of a habit it really is. Combining 2 extremely stimulating things like P and M can hook anyone. Most people haven't fapped without P in years and wonder why they're conditioned like Pavlov's dog, myself included.