Is porn problematic?

[GoldenRose]

With people spending more time at home at the moment and with more free time on their hands website like ‘Porn Hub’ are offering free premium subscriptions. But mainstream porn websites are potentially problematic as they can display physical aggression.

Australia’s Porn Problem (article in SMH online) (TW- Sexual Assault)

This article states that “About 88 per cent of the most popular porn includes physical aggression”.

Do you think that this is an issue? Do you think that it actually influences people and their own sexual interactions?

The point they made about how there is an expectation for women that they should be doing this sort of stuff really stood out to me.

Here is another forum post on ethical porn that explores alternative porn options, that display more realistic representations of sex and are more ethical for the actors involved.

What is ethical porn?

What are your thoughts on porn and aggression in porn? Do you think mainstream porn is an issue?

[Aunt_Flo]

It’s hard to say. I don’t think that porn in and of itself is the issue – I think ethical porn kind of proves that point.

For me, the issue is that porn is often violent, doesn’t show safe sex, doesn’t show consent, and is heavily geared towards males. When websites like PornHub are people’s main sources of porn, that’s the issue, because it normalises sexual behaviours that can be harmful.

It’s especially problematic if porn (the ‘mainstream kind’) is a kid’s first introduction to sex and sexuality.

Plus, there is the issue of becoming ‘desensitised’ or addicted to porn, and needing more intense or aggressive content to become aroused. I wonder if this issue would still exist among purely ethical porn viewers?

It’a scary to wonder if the porn we can access for free online is legally and ethically obtained. I’m so glad that ethical porn exists as an alternative, but I’m not sure how it can ‘compete’ given it’s often not free.

Something I’ve been seeing lately is a huge influx of sex workers creating OnlyFans accounts. I think that’s more ethical (emphasis on I think, I don’t know too much about it), as creators can choose what and when to post, and how much or little to show.

[champagnepapi]

Such a complex issue! I appreciate both sides in that a lot of the porn out there is exploitative and portrays some violent acts, as well as unsafe sex. This has a flow on effect to young people who start to internalise some of the messages and apply them to their own lives. But at the same time, porn and sex work is a legitimate income stream for a lot of people. I think because the industry is so unregulated, actors can have a difficult time finding work that falls under safe and ethical categories, and availability of work could also be affected by the demand for it.

I do think streaming websites (not naming names) are quite problematic in that their business models don’t allow for actors to get paid via royalties or other means. Also recently, one streaming website left a child abuse video up despite complaints. This is the kind of porn I take issue with and it’s sad that there’s demand out there for it.

[Nurse_Nettie]

This is an important topic and I appreciate all of your thoughtful comments. Just wanted to acknowledge here that any discussion of sexual violence can be triggering for people, particularly those who have experienced assault or abuse before.

If you’re feeling distressed, make sure to reach out to a friend or have a chat with a counselor over the phone. You’re not alone. These are some free telephone & online chat counseling services:

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Lifeline: 131 114
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
QLife: 1800 184 527

[Author]

Posts