Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines pornography as “the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement.” This definition, however, does not come close to highlighting the prevalent and harmful effects of pornography. Not only does this industry hide its involvement with sex trafficking, but pornography also can alter the brain and affect the relationships of a porn consumer.
It may be simpler to write off anti-porn organizations as religiously motivated or scientifically invalid. But this isn’t about an evangelical purity culture. This isn’t about shaming people. This is about scientific evidence and personal stories that all point to the same conclusion — pornography harms everyone involved.
For porn consumers in a relationship, porn gives unrealistic expectations of women, men, and sexual performance. If pornography shows ideal or fantasy sex, how can actual sex meet that idealization? As is true with any content, any type of pornography — even violent or extreme acts — can begin to seem acceptable or desirable if it is consumed enough, warping partner expectations. While somewhat contested, many studies indicate that porn use can alter the brain and may have addictive qualities. Studies have found that porn addiction may be comparable to food addiction and even addiction to hard drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine, specifically in pedophilic porn.
No matter if these studies are disputed, however, the fact remains that porn negatively affects those viewing it and causes harm to those involved in its production.
From the surface, it seems that porn websites only show consenting adults in sexual activities, but consent is an ambiguous and alarming issue on these sites. There are numberous stories of pornography being made non-consentually and distributed online. For example, in Florida, a missing 15-year-old girl was located after her mother found sexually explicit photos of her distributed online, including on Pornhub and Snapchat. For others, they may consent to the activity, but not to online distribution. In San Diego, 22 women filed and won a lawsuit against GirlsDoPorn creator Michael Pratt. They were told that the videos of them engaging in sexual intercourse would not go online, but the videos appeared on porn websites within weeks.
As the organization Fight The New Drug explains, the problem with consent is that it is difficult to determine from the outside; there is no way to know the type of consent the actors in these productions have given. The age of consent in Canada is 16 years old, so minors under this age cannot legally consent to sexual activity. Even 16- and 17-year-olds cannot consent if their partner is in a position of trust or authority, such as coach or teacher, or if they are dependent upon their partner for support. As a broad definition, child pornography includes anyone under the age of 18, so these convoluted ideas of consent are even more layered.
For adults, some may consent to sex but be uninformed of filming or, in the GirlsDoPorn case mentioned above, unaware that it would be distributed. Others may not be aware of the activity or violence their partner intends, even if they originally consented.
In these cases, the fact that much of pornography is possibly consensual is not important. There is enough evidence toward the contrary that it is impossible to look beyond it. If even one person is being abused or mistreated due to the porn industry (and evidence shows that this is not a single occurrence), those involved in the production of filming unconsentual sex — including the porn site that hosted such footage — need to be prosecuted.
Even for people in the porn industry who do choose to be apart of it, their futures and career opportunities are often limited once they leave the industry. Bree Olsen (whose real name is Rachel Oberlin) is a former porn star who found her transition out of the industry difficult. In a Real Women Real Stories video, Olsen said that she has extremely limited career options, that she cannot even leave the house without the judgment of others, and receives no royalties for videos of her that are still being viewed countless times every day. Olsen said, “Porn is the one industry where the more successful a woman is, the more she will suffer for the rest of her life.”
Fulfilling our human need for sex and relationships in front of a screen will never compare to the love and joy found in real, authentic relationships. Pornography is a taboo subject, but we need to bring this industry to justice. Don’t call yourself a feminist if you support pornography. Don’t protest against human or sex trafficking without calling out the porn industry. If you advocate for the emotional, mental, and sexual well-being of our world, keep the discussion going.
Danaye studies English and procrastination at UFV and is very passionate about the Oxford comma. She spends her days walking to campus from the free parking zones, writing novels she'll never finish, and pretending to know how to pronounce abominable. Once she graduates, she plans to adopt a cat.