Pornography: Bad for society?

[Rosilien]

So lately I've been reading quite a bit of material about how the porn industry has changed society's view of sexuality. On one hand, it is touted as being empowering and freeing for both genders, allowing people to enjoy watching two consenting adults act out their sexual fantasies. On the other hand, much of "mainstream" porn is said to be degrading to women, shows abuse and emotional absence, and inadvertently teaches young people to expect and/or willingly receive many unnatural sexual acts.

What do you think?

Is it a greatly beneficial facet of our changing society? Or is it a dangerous phenomenon that is harming our sex lives?  

[Puppet on a String Theory]

Strong Pokemon... Weak Pokemon...
That is only the selfish perception of people...

Pornography is inevitably more dangerous than useful. Unless one can view it and gain no meaning from it whatsoever, it's harmful. The fact that it exists often reveals more than most kids should learn at an early age, and it just altogether often shows, as you said, degradation, abusiveness, emotional absence, and the like. Normally, anything like it tends to corrupt people's minds at an early age [or a not so early age], and I just find it unnatural and wrong. There would most likely be a lot less degradation, perversion, and the like, if it wasn't in existence.

Truly skilled Trainers should try to win...
With the Pokemon they love best.

 

[Rosilien]

iiTetshinji-Kun

Strong Pokemon... Weak Pokemon...
That is only the selfish perception of people...

Pornography is inevitably more dangerous than useful. Unless one can view it and gain no meaning from it whatsoever, it's harmful. The fact that it exists often reveals more than most kids should learn at an early age, and it just altogether often shows, as you said, degradation, abusiveness, emotional absence, and the like. Normally, anything like it tends to corrupt people's minds at an early age [or a not so early age], and I just find it unnatural and wrong. There would most likely be a lot less degradation, perversion, and the like, if it wasn't in existence.

Truly skilled Trainers should try to win...
With the Pokemon they love best.

I generally see pornography in a similar light. The problem is, when someone who quite often consumes porn hears this, they claim that they are no different than I morally except for the fact that they actively enjoy porn. Are they really that affected by it? And how so?

(sorry if I sound like a humanities professor, I just like intelligent discussion and hearing people form opinions)  

[Puppet on a String Theory]

Mortelle Sourire

My face is reflected in the water...
It's a shining grin full of hope...

One normally does not notice the changes that something causes to them. And if they do, and someone is trying to use it against them, they most likely won't admit to it. Majorly, it causes perversions in the mind and sets images in the brain that aren't meant to be there for years to come. And amongst that, watching it probably changes one's sexual life, as well. It may make them sexually active early on, or the like. All in all, it changes the "victim's" mindset more towards sex and perversion, distracting them from some of the more important things in life, and putting their mind in a place where it might not want to be. I mean, socially as well, it could affect. It may make the victim lose some friends because they're talking about perversions and whatnot. Like I'd said, though, it changes one's mindset, distracts them, and has the chance of lessening their socials and statuses.

... Or it could be a look of somber silence struggling with fear...
What do you see reflected in your face???

 

[Rosilien]

iiTetshinji-Kun

Mortelle Sourire

My face is reflected in the water...
It's a shining grin full of hope...

One normally does not notice the changes that something causes to them. And if they do, and someone is trying to use it against them, they most likely won't admit to it. Majorly, it causes perversions in the mind and sets images in the brain that aren't meant to be there for years to come. And amongst that, watching it probably changes one's sexual life, as well. It may make them sexually active early on, or the like. All in all, it changes the "victim's" mindset more towards sex and perversion, distracting them from some of the more important things in life, and putting their mind in a place where it might not want to be. I mean, socially as well, it could affect. It may make the victim lose some friends because they're talking about perversions and whatnot. Like I'd said, though, it changes one's mindset, distracts them, and has the chance of lessening their socials and statuses.

... Or it could be a look of somber silence struggling with fear...
What do you see reflected in your face???

My goodness, you are eloquent~
I agree wholeheartedly. There have been posts on porn sites by men saying that they at first were shocked by the brutality of a certain porn actor, but then grew to like his work. This seems to me like desensitization to sexual violence, which is terrible. They have learned to be turned on by beating someone into submission, a trait that was not uncommon in serial rapist-murderers throughout the 1980s.
What do you think could be done to slow down or even stop this desensitization?  

[Deice]

It's a pretty hefty generalization to say that:

There is violence in porn.
Therefore porn is violent.

I look at naked photos that were produced specifically to get off. But they do not depict acts of misogyny, abuse, or "socially deviant" sexual behaviour.

I began having sexual relations when I was young, but I graduated as Valedictorian with a large scholarship to go to a good university. I'm also in a stable, long term relationship with someone who I regularly have intimate, consensual sex with...

Of course there is the chance that I'm an outlier in the statistic, but if that's the case then why do I even care about the statistics in the first place.

I would really be tempted to call bullshit on some of these studies unless they were able to fairly accurate identify the causation vs. the outcome. Unless they can establish this connection, I would have to consider the studies to be inconclusive kind of like "this MAY be the reason, but we're not quite sure."

Is it not safe to assume that those who view violent porn are already predisposed to be violent in the first place?  

[Puppet on a String Theory]

Mortelle Sourire

My face is reflected in the water...
It's a shining grin full of hope...

At our current year and time, I don't believe it is possible. The only thing that could completely be rid of it would be mass genocide of all pornography, and even then, it may take decades for every last bit of memory and knowledge of it to be gone. I think, until something like that [or some newer advanced technology] were to be created, due to human nature, it cannot be lessened at all. It's just improbable for the lust and sexuality to not kick in. While with some people, pornography is nothingness, to most, it's a pretty large turn on, whether it be from the start or later on. The emotional effects that one feels brings the person back to it. It's like a drug, sort of. It creates an "addiction" or a habit, and then from there on out it is very hard to break, get rid of, or delete memories and knowledge of. And because of this, I do not believe that any of it can be lessened without the use of some mass genocide or some other technology to be rid of it, or even lessen it to an extent.

... Or it could be a look of somber silence struggling with fear...
What do you see reflected in your face???

 

[Pelvic Sorcery]

Bear with me while I play devils advocate.
Look at countries that outlaw porn. Do they just stop having sexual urges? ******** nah. They just get all rape-happy. People with rottenness inside and out aren't going to get laid, but they're still going to want sexual satisfaction. That's where perverts come from. Without some form of release, people are going to develop sexual frustration and aggressiveness. Now, if you're worried about the effect it has on children, I would use the same argument against that as most people use against television censorship; give responsibility to the parents. It's the parent's job to teach their kids the dangers of pornography. The danger in pornography comes from how people try and pretend it doesn't exist. A thirteen year old stumbling onto porn shouldn't be getting his initial impression of it from the type of sleazebags that provide it. If necessary, it's abundantly easy to find ways to restrict their kids from it. There are plenty of child-blocking programs and freeware on the internet. Though, that kind of sexual repression around pubescent ages could lead to some serious psychological ********.  

[Rosilien]

Devtar

Bear with me while I play devils advocate.
Look at countries that outlaw porn. Do they just stop having sexual urges? ******** nah. They just get all rape-happy. People with rottenness inside and out aren't going to get laid, but they're still going to want sexual satisfaction. That's where perverts come from. Without some form of release, people are going to develop sexual frustration and aggressiveness. Now, if you're worried about the effect it has on children, I would use the same argument against that as most people use against television censorship; give responsibility to the parents. It's the parent's job to teach their kids the dangers of pornography. The danger in pornography comes from how people try and pretend it doesn't exist. A thirteen year old stumbling onto porn shouldn't be getting his initial impression of it from the type of sleazebags that provide it. If necessary, it's abundantly easy to find ways to restrict their kids from it. There are plenty of child-blocking programs and freeware on the internet. Though, that kind of sexual repression around pubescent ages could lead to some serious psychological ******** class="clear">

[Pelvic Sorcery]

Rosilien

i personally did not have access to pornography until about 2 years ago and i am an extremely healthy person as far as sexuality goes, so keeping porn

Wooohohoah there. Let me stop you right there.
One word: testosterone.
It varies, especially in men, and men with increased testosterone can have much higher libido than others. This is a nature-vs-nurture scenario. It's not all about what you're exposed to, it's about how you're built. Even things like the diet a kid is raised on could lead to increased testosterone levels. That's why a lot of men start to lose their sex drive as they get older. You gotta take biological factors into account.

( As for this being a two year old topic; I'm just trying to get people to use the non-game subforums more. )