'Porn', one word we all know but do not mention in public. It is a term we use mostly when talking to our close friends. Its something we've all watched or atleast heard of one time or the other. Behind closed doors, in office cubicles, on computer memories, on hidden DVDs, as cellphone clips, in secluded cyber cafes, lies thousands of gigabytes of porn. Anal, BDSM, teen, lesbian, ebony, asian, latina, hardcore, gay; it comes in categories. Pornography has become very common today, and people dont shy away from talking about it. Nothing wrong in watching some harmless good ol' porn right? Wrong. The viewpoint definitely changes once a person realises the negative effects of pornography.
COMMON EFFECTS:
Pornography is mostly used for sexual stimulation and excitement, and many times results in masturbation to relieve it. But this external way of stimulation has many proven harmful effects. The damage that pornography causes includes violent tendencies, strained marriages and problematic childhoods. Often people think that porn is harmless.However, these individuals are often unaware of the damage they may be causing to their psyches and also the effect on their social behaviour and conduct.
Based on a study, Psychologist Edward Donnerstein, of University of Wisconsin, found that breif exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behaviour. Male viewers tend to be more aggresive towards women, less responsive to pain and suffering of rape victims, and more willing to accept various myths about rape. Watching porn increases violence in men and a repeated exposure causes desire for more abnormal violence such as sadomasochism and rape. Such violent tendencies can take a toll on married life. Feminist author Diana Russell notes in her book 'Rape and Marriage' the correlation between deviant behaviour and pornography. She also found that pornography leads men and women to exerience conflict, suffering and sexual dissatisfaction.
People who watch porn an a regular basis develop a psychological dependence on it and feel the need to watch more. Also they become less devoted to their spose and are more likely to engage in extra-marital affairs. When people hide porn, it leads to guilt and stressed relations with loved ones. In an article on Oprah.com, Rabbi Shmuley says, "Pornography subtlely undermines male respect for women by detaching a woman's personality from her body, reducing her to a mere sexual commodity."
CHILDREN:
Children are the biggest victims of pornography, either accidently or otherwise. Each year, about 1.2 million children are affected by child pornography and/or child prostitution (Rogers, 1990). Studies show that approximately 70% of printed pornographic material eventually end up in the hands of minors. Negative effects on children include modelling the behavior; emotional problems such as anxeity, guilt, confusion and shame; stimulation of premature sexual activity; and development of harmful attitudes and beliefs about sex and sexual relationships (Lauer & Lauer, 2008).
There are documented cases of children who are exposed to porn tending to have earlier experiences with sexual intercourse and thus having an increased risk of STDs. They also lose interest in a stable monogamous relationship and are more prone to adulterous behaviour later in life. It is for the parents to ascertain that such a harmful vice does not reach the hands of innocent children.
ADDICTION:
According to Wikipedia, 'pornography addiction, or more broadly overuse of pornography , is excessive pornography use that interferes with daily life.' People with pornographic addiction have various symptoms of emotional and psychological problems. Porn addicts start off with soft porn and gradually move on to harder and more sado-masochistic content. Porn addiction can lead to a condition where the person cannot be aroused naturally by a physical partner, but by explicit images or videos only. Some people who are deprived of love and affection often find comfort in pornography which tends to "nurse" them. A leading researcher, Mary Anne Laydel compares it to drug use, "Porn addicts have a more difficult time recovering from their addiction than cocaine addicts, since coke users can get the drug out of their system, but pornograpic images stay in the brain forever."
INTERNET:
These days, internet is the prime supplier of pornographic content. Just at the click of a button, a thousand fantasies of the mind come alive. Statistics according to toptenreviews.com reveal that the pornographic industry succeeds in making revenues more than that of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple, and Netfix all put together. Stats say that "every second, 28,258 users are viewing porn online." Sexually explicit and suggestive multimedia has a huge impact on the world's conceptions and practice of sexual relaionships. Mary Anne Laydel adds, "The internet is a perfect drug delilvery system because you are anonymous, aroused, and have role models for this behaviour."
SOLUTIONS:
Harmful as it is, pornographic addiction is difficult to cure completely, yet possible. All it requires is a healthy lifestyle, keeping yourself occupied with productive tasks, and maintaining healthy friendship with members of both the sexes. It will need an understanding of your problem and willful abstinence from viewing porn. If at all aroused, masturbation should be performed only by imagining and not by explicit imagery. Staying away from erotic material is difficult, but you should not let it affect you. In his article, The Pernicious Effects of Pornography, Joe Dallas says, "Erotic images pose a challenge. I dare you to try to escape them. Take a drive and you'll see some model flasing her wares on a billboard. Thumb through a magazine- a regular magazine, mind you- and you'll get hit with clothing ads that show more flesh than clothes. Try as you may, you cant get away from erotic images without going into hibernation." Despite this fact, it is ultimately your decision to get your mind into it.
Number of networks and organisations which stand for the prevention of pornography as well as rehabilitation of program for addicts, exist. People can seek help at sash.net or iitop.com. Another place to help yourself is a society called Sex Addicts Anonymous which can be found on the net. Keeping the filters on sites 'on' is a great way to keep yourself away from unwanted content. Remember, only you can hep yourself do the right thing. And the first step there is awareness. Have a safe and healthy day.
