The Internet is for Porn

Sex has always been a topic that pretty much every human being in existence has some interest in. Many people, in fact, develop such an interest for it that they become clinically addicted to it. Consequently, it’s of no surprise to find out that porn is the largest and most profitable online industry and the topic of which the most number of websites are based on.

In the article, ‘Internet Porn: Worse than Crack?’ written by Ryan Singel, a great point is made, being that the younger generations of society today are at the highest risk ever of becoming addicted to porn. This is because porn is so readily available online, for free, 24/7, and younger people are by far more knowledgeable about computers and the net in general than older people. Unfortunately, it really is a recipe for disaster.

‘The internet is definitely the main culprit behind the explosion of porn addiction. A study published in the journal Pediatrics stated that 42% of internet users aged 10 to 17 have been exposed to pornography. By the time these children reach adulthood, pornography can be a pervasive part of their lives and, for some, this can lead to serious problems, such as porn addiction.’ (http://www.askmen.com/, ‘Dealing with Porn Addiction’, by Sarah Stefanson)

I have never given it much thought before, but it now seems completely ridiculous not to raise the awareness of the dangers of internet porn amongst society. It almost seems too late to effectively prevent further damage being done worldwide, and I think this is because the potentially detrimental consequences of the internet were not realized soon enough after the net was initially launched. That said, I don’t really care if people look at porn or not, but I do care about the effects doing so can eventually have on marriages and relationships. There’s a major emotional side effect to engaging in cybersex or looking at porn that is the respect and consideration (or a lack thereof) one has for their partner. The younger generations of society are at increased risk of becoming unable to commit to and form successful relationships due to the great presence of pornography today. But I guess marriage is becoming a bit unfashionable in today’s society too, so maybe it’s not that big a deal.

The other factor to consider is that people are always going to want porn and sex, whether they realize the dangers or not. Pornography is not illegal, and I don’t really believe it ever will become so as long as it is produced by consenting adults for consenting adults. I won’t enter further into the moral debate surrounding pornography and sex, otherwise I’d be writing for a little too long. However, I will say that I personally don’t see why so many people devalue the love and intimacy one can experience in a relationship with a special partner, and persist in looking for new and different women/men instead.

There are growing numbers of therapy organizations and groups who have identified the threat that internet pornography poses. Ironically, the internet is a key place to find out what defines a porn addiction and the methods available to overcome it. The anonymity aspect is one which draws people to the net for help about their addiction, and fortunately many organizations have realized this and offer online therapy programs.