Sexually arousing content isn’t something uncommon or new. As unpleasant as the thought is, our parents, grandparents, and every generation before have consumed content to experience sexual pleasure. For the generation that has grown up with the internet, erotic or pornographic content has only been a google search away. And lots of it. Over 69 per cent of the men and 30 per cent of the women surveyed by WifiTalents reported consuming pornographic content at least once per month.
Today there is a lot of variety in what kinds of content is available — books, audio, video, pictures, all can be made to elicit sexual arousal and pleasure. The creation of each of these looks very different, and the implications and effects vary.
Mainstream video porn has been proven to be addictive, and a Swedish study found that adolescent boys who are exposed to a lot of pornographic content showed more interest in actualizing what they saw in real life.
Mainstream porn sites like Pornhub have been sued on charges of profiting off of sexual trafficking, and were accused of hosting child abuse and rape related content. Although the platform has removed all unverified content, it is difficult to verify how performers are actually being treated, and how consensual the acts are.
Companies like XConfessions by Erica Lust, Pink Label TV, and Four Chambers are working to counter this, seeking to create safe workplaces for performers, provide fair pay and/or ongoing royalties, showing realistic examples of sex, and providing diverse depictions of pleasure.
On her podcast The Whore’s Bedroom, sex worker Lucy Huxley said she believes that ethical porn is more of a spectrum. But she did make a point that on mainstream platforms like Pornhub and other tube sites, there is no guarantee that the performers are being treated well, and if you want ethical porn, it’s not free.
“The general rule if you’re looking for ethical porn where the performers are being treated well, you need to pay for it. If you’re accessing porn for free, somebody along the line is getting shortchanged and it’s probably the performers. So if you want to make sure the performers are being treated well, you need to be paying for your porn.”
Content like audio erotica often involves only one person, with little or no actual sex being had, and provides a large layer of anonymity to the content if the creator chooses. Erotic fiction provides the advantage that no real people were involved in the sexual acts, and so there is little room for someone to be exploited in the process of making the content.
The type of sex and the events in its scenes are important. Depictions of sex can start sexual trends and normalize certain acts. For example, erotic asphyxiation or choking was previously an uncommon event even in BDSM, that now has become commonplace among young people. Many were introduced to the concept through porn, and do it without knowing the risks. Sexually charged content has the power to change how we interact with sex, so we need to be paying attention to what it is saying and normalizing.
Companies like popular audio erotica app Quinn screen all content posted to their platform holding the directive of including explicit examples of ongoing consent, foreplay, and aftercare, as well as working to avoid sexist or racist stereotypes that can often be found in mainstream porn.
Porn is also a vessel for people to explore their sexuality with. It can serve as a safe way for people to experiment in ways they may not currently be able to explore physically, learning more about themselves and their body. Audio erotica apps like Dipsea, Bloom, and Ferly also include embodiment and body exploration audio that can help individuals become more in tune with their bodies, and help couples connect on deeper levels.
There is no easy answer to content used for sexual pleasure, there are real harms in the current mainstream content, but there are many companies working toward healthier alternatives. Additionally, shaming or ignoring the subject is not only unrealistic, but holds its own harm.
My conclusion? Be thoughtful about what is in line with your beliefs, what attitudes the content promotes, how it is created, the impact on those involved, and how your brain and personal relationships are affected. If you choose to explore, explore safely.
