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Kyle Bogert
Malcolm Campbell
UWRT 1103
3/30/2015

The Moans and Groans of Pornography

Living beings have three natural survival instincts: eat, sleep, and reproduce. While
eating and sleeping are parts of everyday life, why has sex become the human races greatest
taboo? Why has civilized society chosen to look down on this beautiful aspect of our biological
development? However, because sex is so forsaken, it has also became the worlds greatest
fascination. Sex has very deep and secure roots in our society, from suggestive images of
beautiful women in the media, to illegal prostitution and sex trafficking. With the oncome of the
internet, pornography rose to the forefront of this sexual culture. The more connected the youths
of America are to the internet, the easier it has become to access this library of adult videos. Porn
is only tightening its grip on America as more free sites are becoming popular. Yet, contrary to
popular belief, porn isnt necessarily a bad thing. Viewing sexual content releases dopamine in
the brain, causing a sort of feel good sensation in the brain that can become a stress reliever for
many Americans, not just teenagers. The dangers only arise when the desire to indulge in these
pleasures overpowers all other motives, as porn can become addicting and cause deteriorations in
the brain.
Should teens watch porn?
Many parents struggle with these questions, and while it is a very uncomfortable situation
to catch or be aware of their child partaking in these acts, porn isnt a slippery slope leading them
to partake in unhealthy sexual relationships. Most young adults will view pornography before

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turning 18. In a survey concerning college aged men and women, %87 of men and %31 of
women view pornography (Hilton). Almost all of these men and women will go on to have
healthy sexual and emotional relationships. The key factor for parents comes with the most
dreaded talk when they begin to notice their son or daughter begin to experience a fascination
with the opposite sex. Teens will attempt to imitate what they have viewed and parents or a more
experience role model should fill in the gaps. For eample, only about a third of the industry
wears condoms in favor of resorting to a pull out method of orgasm. This is very dangerous as
not many teenage boys are capable of the timing involved in this feat, so a condom is necessary
not just to prevent pregnancy but will also stop the spread of any diseases their first partner may
be carrying. Also, while porn will vividly display the basics (where what goes, possible
positions, etc.) the teenagers must be aware that what they are viewing is not how sex will be
like. Their first sexual experience will be clumsy, awkward, and an all-around horrifying and
degrading experience. Carrying these expectations into the bedroom may hinder performance
and create a negative outlook concerning sexual matters. Teen males can be so stressed it
becomes impossible to become erect, not only damaging the males ego but also causing the
female to believe she is not sexy enough for her partner. This trauma has been known to lead
teens to depression and cause further difficulties with sexual matters.
How Successful is the Porn Industry?
The Porn Industry makes more than Hollywood. In 2007, Porn had amassed $13 billion
in profits. Hollywood made $8.8 billion that same year (Bridges and Wosnitzer). How did porn
become so successful though? Online sites make millions every year simply from the demand for
more porn. 13,000 pornographic videos are produced each year with the United States being the
leading producer or porn (Stop Porn Culture). Every week the U.S can pump out over 400

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videos, and its viewers are only demanding more. Online, pornographic content is searched for
on average 68 million times per day (Stop Porn Culture).
Porn and Sexual Fetishes
To state it bluntly, what porn you watch influences what types of sexual activities you
will want to or will take part in. For example, if one male grows up watching anal pornography
(which is become more of a standard practice in mainstream porn) that male will likely push his
partner to have anal sex. This relatively innocent fact doesnt seem particularly dangerous, those
who watch porn with a lot of blondes will seek blondes, those who watch porn with African
Americans, will seek intercourse with African Americans. The scary part comes when compared
to the most searched and most viewed types of pornography. The worldwide most commonly
searched porn category is teen, basically all porn containing teenage male or female actors.
While this is mostly caused by teenagers themselves looking for porn more relatable to their own
experiences, there are still older adults still infatuated by these emerging adults and fantasizing
about having sexual intercourse. Taken to another level, researchers found an %85 correlation
between those who are viewers of child pornography and those who commit sexual acts with a
minor (Bourke and Hernandez). The most horrifying finding by far is the amount of violence in
pornography that is directed to their female actors. %88 percent of pornographic videos contain
some aggressive acts, whether verbal or physical, towards women. This has led to many
questions aimed at the industry and society in general. For example, has our society become
desensitized to crimes such as sexual assault or rape from the majority of our population being
exposed to these acts online in their younger years? Are these videos awakening mens sexual
desires to injure a women or force her to commit sexual acts? Are we losing sympathy for the
victims of sexual assault with the simple reasoning that they deserved it?

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Your Brain on Porn
Researchers are only recently studying the effects of pornography on our society. For
many years the leaders of the porn industry have simply brushed off any accusations as only
being from moral or religious reasons. However with such a large majority of the population
viewing pornography how could it not impact society? Rather than an emotional/moral
standpoint, can porn effect viewers on a biological standpoint? Yes it can, in the exact same way
gambling, overeating, and heroin effect the brain. When porn is viewed, dopamine is released in
the brain. With continuous doses of dopamine, the dopamine receptors become less effective and
require stronger releases to reach the euphoria previously obtained, similar to drugs that affect
the dopamine system. The brain succumbs to a natural addiction and craves more sexual
content to reach its high. During a study on addicts that display compulsive sexual desires, scans
of their brains showed deterioration in the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe is in charge of impulse
control, leading to the patients inability to withdraw themselves from sex. These same
degenerations were found in patients with eating and drug disorders. With all this evidence,
researchers and society should begin looking at pornography from a sociological and biological
perspective instead of our moral judgement.
Porn and Relationships
A pornography addiction can devastate a relationship, or ignite a new flame in the sexual
lives of the partners. Pornography and masturbation can leave a man feeling wanting while
having sex. Chronic masturbators are used to an endless stream of women at their fingertips. The
speed at which they are capable of masturbating far surpasses what they can reach in the
bedroom, so the stimulation isnt as extreme or fulfilling. This could cause difficulties becoming
or staying erect. Reaching orgasm becomes near impossible with a single girl. The female

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partner feels unwanted and ugly, the male partner loses his sense of masculinity. This creates a
rift in their relationship and they lose their lust for each other. A strong sexual base can support a
healthy relationship, but the loss of desire could destroy one. Women can also feel as though
viewing porn is cheating on them. They can lose trust in their partners if they need to view other
women nude. Inversely though, using pornography as a spark and incorporating it into foreplay
can help get both partners in the mood. By including the partner in this sexual experience will
show them the enjoyment and include them in the lust rather them isolating them.
Conclusion
Pornography is not a moral or religious issue. Pornography and its effects need to be
studied in a more scientific manner to fully understand the impact it has on society and culture.
Why has this particular enterprise become so profitable? Humans will continue to indulge in
whatever makes them feel good, and with porn being so accessible and convenient, there is no
reason not to view porn whenever the opportunity arises. While kept in check, porn and
masturbation are great for relieving stress and helping to unwind after a long day. The dangers
arise when every free moment is used to watch porn. Porn addiction can become as serious as
drug addiction, and relationships will suffer because of it. People should become more aware of
the dangers that chronic porn use could lead to, but porn is not a bad thing.

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Work Cited
Hilton, Donald L., and Clack Watts. Pornography Addiction: A Neuroscience Perspective.
Surgical Neurology International. Medknow Publications, n.n. Web. 7 Mar. 2015.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3050060/?report=classic.
Flood, Michael. The Harms of Pornography Exposure Among Children and Young People.
Wiley. N.p., 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 7 Mar. 2015. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.librarylink.uncc.edu?
doi/10.1002?car.1092/edpf.
Our Culture Is Porn Culture. Facts and Figures. Stop Porn Culture, 04 Nov. 2013. Web. 7 Mar.
2015. http://stoppornculture.org/about/about-the-issue/facts-and-figures-2/.
Ghose, Moushumi. The Good and Bad Sides of Porn. GoodTherapy.org Therapy Blog. N.p.,
22 June 2011. Web 7 Mar. 2015. http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/good-bad-sides-porn/.