Philip Rybarczyk

Dr. Adrienne Cassel

English Composition 2

5/5/2021

Pornography has been around for centuries but has not always been the mass produced

billion-dollar industry it is today (Sprague). Porn saw a spike in popularity during the 2nd world

war, as many soldiers took an interest in it (Sprague). It continued gaining popularity until the

1970s when a U.S. Supreme Court case, Miller v. California, set restrictions on the types of

material produced (Sprague). Today the majority of men are estimated to have looked at porn at

some point in their lifetime, but what is more shocking is that about 40% of adolescence have

looked at pornographic materials within the past month (Sprague)( González-Ortega and

Begoña). This is where my research question comes in, what are the effects of pornography on

young people? If just under half are viewing this content, there should be some noticeable

difference in their behavior (given the viewership has any effect).

There are some, who come from a religious viewpoint, making an argument based on

morals, but there is little scientific research to backup these arguments. However, there are

correlations between viewing porn and delinquent behaviors, this makes a much more

compelling case for why it is morally wrong (“Adult Entertainment”)( Quadara, et al.). Just so

feminists also make the case that porn is degrading to women, because of the obscene ways it

portrays women as objects instead of individuals (Sprague).

Others claim porn is a harmless way to see fantasies acted out and nothing more (“Adult

Entertainment”). They tend to deny any claims made by part of researchers, choosing instead to
say that those who don’t want to watch it should just choose not to (“Adult Entertainment”).

They also claim that there is no connection between viewership and delinquent actions taken

(“Adult Entertainment”).

Shifting to the societal effects, a different picture can be seen from those who support the

pornographic industry. Doug Gross makes a well formulated argument for some of the societal

benefits porn can provide, after all porn is a multi-billion-dollar industry (Gross). From the rapid

development of movies, to the ability to share videos over hosting platforms, Gross attributes

these technologies to the porn industry (Gross). Even online credit card payments were

developed with the aid of the porn industry, and some even attribute the success of the internet as

a whole to pornographic content producers (Gross).

The counter argument here states that the harmful effects outweigh the benefits. Many

argue that porn crosses too many lines when it comes to depictions of child molestation, rape,

and incest, which lead many to wonder about the implications on a societal level (Showers).

Again, the argument is brought up that porn depicts women as submissive to their dominate male

partners (Quadara, et al.). As well some are concerned that minors who are exposed to these

types of porn, before learning about sex from a parent or teacher will develop misconceptions

about the realities of sex and relationships (Quadara, et al.).

Lastly, psychologists have begun to see addiction like behavior from those who watch

porn compulsively. They liken it to the addictiveness of crack cocaine or heroin, leading many to

seek clinical help for their destructive behaviors (“Adult Entertainment”). Some psychologists

have seen individuals’ friendships, marriages, and families be affected by “porn addiction”,
which is not technically a chemical dependence but rather a mental compulsion leading to use

(“Adult Entertainment”).

To conclude, both sides of the argument make cases for the pros and cons of

pornography. Yet it does seem that the consensus among academic research is that porn is

detrimental to people as a whole. Research on the effects of porn on teenagers is scarce, so I may

need to broaden my research question to individuals as a whole, and have teens be a topic within

the essay. I also need to compile more academic research on the topic and provide a better

background for what we already know.

 Works Cited

Adult Entertainment: A Psychosocial Study of an American Obsession—Educator's Edition.”

Films On Demand, Films Media Group, 2007, fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?

wID=19259&xtid=37311. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.

Antonia Quadara, Alissar El-Murr and Joe Latham. “The Effects of Pornography on Children

and Young People.” Australian Institute of Family Studies, 6 Dec. 2017,

aifs.gov.au/publications/effects-pornography-children-and-young-people-snapshot.

González-Ortega, Eva, and Begoña Orgaz-Baz. “Minors’ Exposure to Online Pornography:

Prevalence, Motivations, Contents and Effects / La Exposición de Los Menores a La

Pornografía En Internet: Prevalencia, Motivaciones, Contenidos y Efectos.” Anales de

Psicología, vol. 29, no. 2, May 2013, pp. 319–327. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.6018/analesps.29.2.131381.

Gross, Doug. "Internet Pornography Benefits Society." Policing the Internet, edited by Roman

Espejo, Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010466223/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=6081f363.

Accessed 16 Mar. 2021. Originally published as "In Tech World, Porn Quietly Leads the

Way,", 23 Apr. 2010.

Showers, H. Robert. "Pornography Harms Society." Pornography, edited by Helen Cothran,

Greenhaven Press, 2002. Opposing Viewpoints. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010158234/OVIC?u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=d9a6fd87.

Accessed 16 Mar. 2021.

Sprague, Carolyn. “Pornography.” Salem Press Encyclopedia, 2021. EBSCOhost,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89185629&site=eds-live.