The Beaver the newspaper of the LSE Students' Union

Why is it that pornography, which has existed throughout the ages, through erotic figures, paintings, books, photos and films, is today portrayed as something to be ashamed of?

Those who condemn porn do not seem to realise that, for most of us, it is an outlet and nothing more. Many of us need to release our sexual urges, and porn aids masturbation. Most men do not secretly wish that their girlfriends looked, or acted, like the mute, glazed-eyed and fake-breasted girls in porn videos. Some men might find it hot to watch a MILF get triple-teamed by guys with penises the size of baseball bats, but the majority of us do not want anything like that in our own bedrooms. Watching porn allows men and women to easily live out their sexual fantasies, without the difficulties of organising it in real life.

Unfortunately, there can be too much of a good thing. If you find yourself skipping going out in favour of cracking one off, you might have an issue that needs to be addressed. But for most of us, it is harmless fun. Let’s face it: as much as people decry it, porn remains awfully popular.

Why is porn taboo?

Watching porn is a healthy and commonplace activity, so why does there appear to be a widespread feeling of shame when admitting to watching porn? Part of it stems from the lack of openness, and ignorance about the motivation and use of erotic images and videos. However, most feelings of anxiety are linked to the negative reputation porn has in society, caused by the small percentage of extreme material – namely the availability of eccentric sexual material (even though images of bestiality and necrophilia are illegal), violent material (which is illegal) and material involving children (also illegal). There also remains the fear of exploitation, as you can never be sure whether the material was entirely consensual.

There are groups who are strongly opposed to porn, as they feel that it is insulting and degrading to females. However, the vast majority of porn users make the distinction between their real relationships and sexual fantasies. Research shows that watching pornographic videos does not impact sexual habits or relationships – vodka adverts do not lead to alcoholism. An unexpected hurdle in the banning of extreme pornography is that there is no evidence that those who watch such activities are more likely to take part in it.

Why do men tend to watch more porn than women?

In a sentence: men tend to be turned on by things they can see, while women seem to prefer the fantasies they have in their heads. For men, arousal is linked to images, and from their teens they are likely to masturbate while looking at pictures of female bodies. In contrast, more women read erotic novels than men. Women prefer to fantasise about overall sexual experiences and relationships, including emotions and the build-up, rather than the penetration itself. Why do you think Twilight is so popular among women?

Does porn harm relationships?

Porn can harm relationships, but this is primarily in cases of porn addiction. It is a very real problem, but addicts represent a tiny percentage of porn users. Porn can become a problem when men choose porn over their partner, withdraw from socialising, give up hobbies, and fail to get enough sleep. However, for addicts, the problem is not sex; a man does not need to look at pornography for six or seven hours if he just wants sexual gratification. Like many addictions, porn is about escapism.

There is also the concern that porn can skew what people expect in their own relationships. Many women are anxious and upset about being asked to do things which they are uncomfortable with, but which they know are activities that their partners perceive as routine because of seeing them on the internet, such as anal sex and ejaculating on their face. However, most men realise that life is not like porn. In real life women don’t get turned on without foreplay, men have pubic hair, and people cannot climax for hours on end.

Moreover, porn can help relationships. It can actually increase self-esteem, as many who appear in porn do not have perfect bodies. Much of the material involves men and women who do not meet society’s ideal of attractiveness, which just goes to show the desirability of different shapes. Porn can act as an educational aid, as couples can watch videos and decide what turns them on, and whether they want to incorporate aspects into their sex lives. As well as supporting communication within a relationship, porn can help men and women with arousal difficulties and inability to climax.

Porn statistics

1. 25% of all search engine requests are pornography related – that is 68 million a day.

2. 35% of all Internet downloads are pornographic.

3. Every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography, and 28,258 internet users are viewing porn.

4. 40 million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites.

5. 12% of the websites on the Internet are pornographic (that is 24,644,172 sites).

6. The worldwide industry is worth $4.9 billion (the US alone pulls in $2.84 billion per year).

7. The least popular day of the year for viewing porn is American Thanksgiving.

8. The most popular day of the week for viewing porn is Sunday.

Source: Online MBA Statistics on Internet Porn (June 2010)

 

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Tags: lsex, PartB, sex

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