...Over the past fifty years, there has been a rise in pornography usage in the United States. Pornography, which is sexually explicit videos and photographs used to elicit sexual arousal, is estimated to be a $13 billion dollar industry in the United States (Carroll et al., 2008). Pornography is more pervasive today due to technological advances. The Internet allows individuals to access pornography and pornographic content freely. Millions of websites allows users the anonymity to view and upload pornographic videos and images. Although pornography is mainly directed at men, through the seductive and submissive portrayal of women in videos, many women also view pornography. One study found that about 50% of college students watch pornography; another study found that of a sample of 506 college students, 56% of men and 35% of women viewed pornography (Carroll et al., 2008). Although pornography is defined by its use to elicit sexual arousal, individuals may watch pornography for a variety of reasons. Some may view pornography out of curiosity, to learn new sexual techniques, and/or to enhance their offline sexual encounters (Carroll et al., 2008). In addition, although pornography viewing is usually considered a solitary activity, some...
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...Josephine Nguyen Professor Mark Harrison English 1A 6 December 2013 Should the First Amendment Protect Sexual Images? Very few of us are strangers to pornography. Pornography is not only defined as four-letter-word and indecency but it also is an issue that has and will keep on calling upon a lot of debate. There are numerous different opinions about pornography. While many people who identify pornography as derogatory, disgraceful, and abominable, there are also a large number of people who recognize it as an attraction, a form of sexual countenance, and amusement. Pornography is sexually accurate substance, such as pictures, videos, or even writing, whose constitutional element is to cause sexual awaking. Moreover, sexually explicit material becomes more and more abundance on magazines, television, movies, and on billboards, and it can be much more accessible through the Web. After exploring the war on pornography, although there are a lot of people who stand for pornography, I still think that pornography should be censored on magazines, movies, television, and on the Internet, and there also should be limits for pornography because it’s harmful to our society. First of all, let’s talk about the differences between sexual images of consenting adults and sexual images of children. Most people consider pornography to be stirring images of consenting adults. In particular, sexual images of consenting adults are images of someone who is legally eighteen years old or...
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...Masha Shkuro Alves Honors English 10 09.01.15 Pornography Pornography influences everyone in one way or another. Though plenty of people do not view it themselves, it is impossible to escape the dreaded clickbaits and spam emails proclaiming sexy singles in your area. With the topic of pornography, many questions may arise. Is porn harmful? Does it pose a negative effect on people who indulge in it? Pornography has an unjustified negative stigma, despite contradicting evidence. This stigma came about due to a lack of education on the topic, and assumptions made as a result of that lack of knowledge. The subject of pornography is a peculiar one, seeing as it is not something the average person can typically discuss with their parents during dinner. I have always been deeply fascinated by pornography. However, my fascination lies not with the content, but with the science and logic that creates a “need” for porn. I believe that the majority of people vastly lack an education on and make general assumptions about porn. In addition, I love to learn and educate on myself on topics like evolution, of which the main goal is reproduction and the transfer of genes down to proceeding generations. This means that overall, the main goal of life is sex. Pornography is a word that is difficult to define. In past times, it was “used broadly to refer to sexually explicit words or images. Today, the meaning of the term has been narrowed somewhat to describe sexually explicit material...
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...Pornography on Public Library Computers An Ethical Controversy by Bret Clancy Ever since the fall of man the seed of immorality has continued to grow, adapt, and morph like the influenza virus. Pornography is one of those immoral viruses that persistently sicken societies. Scientists continue to make vaccines against the illness and while some are more effective than others, none of them have ever cured the illness. The same can be said of pornography. Defining pornography is not black and white. There are a variety of definitions for pornography and some definitions are used by individuals to help their cases when taking legal action. Merriam-Webster defines pornography as, “the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction” (merriam-webster.com). Merriam-Webster describes pornography in a docile manner making it appear inviting. The Oxford dictionary defines pornography in a more intense visual cue of the actual intent. The definition states pornography is, “printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate sexual excitement” (oxforddictionaries.com). Dictionary.com defines pornography as, “obscene writings, drawings, photographs, or the like, especially those having little or no artistic merit” (dictionary.reference.com). They appeal to the artistic aspect of pornography by stating that pornography is not art because of the obscene nature...
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...The word “pornography” has caused a lot of arguments lately. Some people think that pornography is good, some think it is bad and some simple do not know what to think for they do not completely understand what is the exact definition of pornography. Whether it is a perversion or not is not even the issue. The issue is that the moment these films start being exposed to large audience they start hurting the morality of the society and degrade the men’s attitude towards women. So, should it be banned? Pornography videotapes are popular and available as they have never been before or may be also called “home pornography”. Such video pornography is usually sold or rented and often include extra-violent tapes where women are hurt by being penetrated by unhealthy objects, raped, and forced to do humiliating things. So, basically saying, the tapes include obviously illegal acts of a sexual character. In such tapes women are depicted as sex objects for the satisfaction of men’s primitive sexual needs and entrained into degenerate conversations. Such hard-core pornography shows women being raped by several men or even beaten. It comes as no surprise that there are even pornography motion pictures having the NC-17 rating and TV pornography that is on special pornography channels on cable television. And the worst thing is that such channels are almost never censored and may contain any type of violence. Internet pornography is a separate case for it has everything listed above. Cyber-porn...
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... There is a variety of responses received from people regarding the subject of pornography. It depends on how people perceive the subject depending on their information about the topic, their personal experiences, and through the things they come across in their every day encounters that are filtered through their senses, personality, attitudes and values that they have acquired from their lives in society and in their respective cultures. To better understand this discussion, background on the subject being written will be laid out. The Merriam – Webster dictionary defines pornography as the depiction of erotic behavior which can be in pictures, videos or writing intended to cause sexual excitement. Another definition states that it is a material that depicts erotic behavior with the same intent as the previous definition. It may also be the depiction of acts in a sensational manner as to arouse a quirk intense emotional reaction. Therefore, pornography can be in any form which depicts erotic behavior to cause sexual and emotional excitement. The authors have generated their own personal definition of pornography: “Pornography may be defined as the ‘explicit’ depiction, through any sort of medium, of sexual activity with the primary purpose of stimulating sexual excitement and pleasure.” (Gabaldon, Manlunas and Sandejas, 2009) Pornography roots from the Greek word, pornographos which means ‘to write about prostitutes’ or depiction...
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...Pornography is adultery Author Institution Date 1. What is the main argument of the essay? You should use a diagram here, with a brief explanation of the key assertions, and of the argument’s structure. The notion about watching pornography and having fantasies about other women leading to infidelity and divorce has been afloat for ages. The main argument of this essay is that pornography is adultery but comes with its equal share of benefits Pornography is sometimes considered as adultery because it brings a third party into the relationship, third party can be the porn-stars in the pornographic material. The effect of these is that it can lead to serious consequences in a relationship, which could be break ups or even a divorce (Awad, 2011). Though pornography does not involve one being physically present at the scene or taking part in the act, it can still lead to adultery in the end because the mind is thinking about it and the only thing stopping someone is the chance and the courage to do it. On the other hand, pornography is beneficial to a relationship. This is because it can also lead to the strengthening of a relationship. As long as one does not physically touch the other person and only uses the mind in fantasizing, there is nothing wrong with it. Adultery involves an encounter of two parties, flesh and blood, but in pornography, none of that is involved. In relationships, if the partners are extremely honest with each other...
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...Pornography’s Effect on Sexual Crime Rates Overview: Our Research Topic Be it in film, magazines or even fiction, pornography has always been a controversial topic. It is many things to many people: a guilty pleasure, a shameful addiction, a stress relief, foreplay, an obscene creation or even a vulgar pastime. However, as time passes, pornography is becoming decreasingly taboo, and this could result in a significant impact on societal values and perceptions. Introduction: Questions and Objectives Long has there been war between those who are for pornography and those against it. Is pornography harmful or harmless? Just what are the effects of pornography on society? Is it just simply a harmless way to release pent-up lust or does it play a big role in shaping society? Could minutes of watching pornography a day affect society in a big way - say for instance, the rates of sexual crimes like rape, molest and sexual harassment? In this essay, we will attempt to prove that there is a strong and direct correlation between pornography and sexual crimes by critically examining the arguments provided before we draw a conclusion. Our hypothesis is that, indeed, increased pornography viewer-ship will cause a rise in sexual crimes. This is an easy conclusion to draw, as one would expect those who frequent pornography to be more sexually imaginative, active and accepting as compared to people who would normally not watch pornography. We are tackling...
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...Censorship Benefits Society Nowadays access to pornography is much easier than many years ago, and that makes pornography more harmful to society. But there are many questions and concerns about this issue that makes it even more controversial than many people think. Also, there are different views on this issue, but in my opinion censorship of pornography is very important to our society and to our children. Therefore some censorship and restrictions are necessary in pornography, and because of that the first amendment should have some limits on free speech in order to keep the society healthy, stop degrading women, and protect the future generations from overexposure to the pornography which may cause mental and emotional problems and behavioral effects in many children and adults in the United States. There are a lot of arguments that pornography harms public morality and in a very interesting way Michael Craven in his article “Pornography Should Be Censored” argues that everyone has different religious beliefs but those who are thinking more logically that the pornography harms and it could be recognized as something bad and evil. Therefore it is everyone’s responsibility to stop harming the society and reduce the harm that is caused by many men and women that don’t think about our society. In Cravens article it is clear that by censoring pornography, everybody will benefit, and something like pornography that many families sees as something bad and evil for their children...
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...some websites that needs to be censored in order to protect our children from viewing inappropriate websites that promote drug usage, violence and pornography. Parents and school officials are the first ones who need to begin the process of censoring out those inappropriate websites. The Internet is an easy way to access all sorts of information. Because the Internet has become so popular in such a short period of time, the opportunity to censor it has passed by almost as quickly as the public discovered its usefulness to our everyday lives. The Internet has some bad source of information that’s not helpful to our kids. Parents and schools officials are the ones who should start the process of censoring those websites that our kids view each and every day of their lives. Because they are ones who know what sorts of information on the Internet that is best for our kids. So that’s why, Internet censorship should be enacted to prevent teenagers from viewing inappropriate websites that promote drug usages, violence and pornography. The first reason as to why Internet censorship should be enacted is that our teenagers use websites that promote the use of drugs. Using drugs at a young stage in your life is very dangerous to teenagers because it affects their physical health. For example, smoking marijuana can have short term effects to your body. The short term...
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...Pornography benefits women, both personally and politically (McElroy.W 1995. XXX: A Women’s Right to Pornography). Comment on this statement examining both sides of the argument. Pornography is any type of material that depicts erotic behaviour and is intended to cause sexual excitement in its audience. It is an issue that has been under constant debate in our society and there are many arguments for and against pornography it has been extensively debated whether pornographic material should be legally protected or banned. Those who believe pornography must be protected argue that the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, including sexual expression. A strong defender to this view is McElroy, who reflects this in her writing of “XXX: A Woman’s Right to Pornography”. Opponents of McElroy’s view raise moral concerns, arguing that the First Amendment does not protect expression that corrupts people's behaviour, therefore defending the suppression of pornography because it perpetuates gender stereotypes, as women are reduced to nothing more than sex objects which promotes violence against women and that men are viewed as “naturally” oppressive and violent and they are ruled by their sexual natures. Opponents also believe that even if pornography is viewed as speech it should be treated as a low value form of speech that is not entitled to First Amendment protection. According to the Radical feminist view, men are socialized to have sexual desires...
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...today is significantly more provocative compared to previous decades; if Kim Kardashian’s naked body was the face of the media anytime during the 20th century, the public response would be chaotic, however in 2014 this was not only tolerated but to some extent, it was glorified. Significantly influencing the morals and values obtained by society, the content that flows through the media appears to have a link with social issues such as gender stereotypes, which has shown to produce gender inequality. Throughout recent globalization, it is clear that the values within western culture has rapidly evolved along with technological advancements as well as the development of mass media and particularly, social media; throughout this process, pornography and sexual content in the media has become normalized as well as a social and cultural trend. It is important for sociologists to study and identify whether the values we adopt are moral, harmless and will not corrupt the large population of people exposed to the...
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... Due date: 15/06/2012 11:45pm ‘Internet pornography can not be considered as leisure; discuss this statement.’ Today throughout the world, Internet pornography has grown into a major business and is constantly growing. Based on the theory of leisure, Internet pornography is accepted and considered as a form of activity, however associates of the Catholic Church are forever arguing against the Internet pornography business based on the fact that it is sinful and immoral. The main issue associated with Internet pornography is balancing individual pleasures and freedom against the various types of social harm that can eventuate. These views explore fascinating points and can be argued either way based upon personal opinion and belief. Research shows that participation in leisure has many benefits that can influence an individual’s psychological health, physical wellbeing, social health, economic health and spiritual health. Furthermore, all of these benefits contribute to the quality of life of an individual. Having a healthy spiritual life comes from living a healthy lifestyle and being emotionally stable. Being spiritually healthy may involve believing and following a specific religion to shape one’s morals. From a spiritual perspective, the Catholic Church condemns the pornography industry based on the grounds that it affects a person’s family, marriage and overall wellbeing. The body can create an addiction to pornography but yet the mind can generate negative thoughts...
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...Family from the Peril of Pornography Pornography has long been a destructive element in our society but since the arrival of the Internet, it has grown to proportions that no one could ever have imagined. Unfortunately, it has infiltrated our churches through the lives of Christian men and women and it is clearly undermining the development of godly character and leadership. The human body has become an object of worship, a god in our society. In his book Sexual Healing: a Biblical Guide to Finding Freedom from Sexual Sin and Brokenness, David Kyle Foster is right when he says, “One of the greatest problems that we have in dealing with pornography is that we do not recognize that it is evil. We minimize, rationalize, and deny the truth behind it. We do not repent for being idol worshipers and grieving the heart of our God” (205). Pornography not only destroys the man but it is ruining marriages, families, and even churches. It has created such a stronghold on men within the body of Christ that many have become neutralized from being any kind of force for the kingdom of God. Ephesians 6: 12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (NASU). Pornography and sexual immorality are from the supreme ruler of darkness. It is one more device to draw men away from serving God. Pornography is not just a secular problem...
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...An Article Review Written by: Sabah Sayed Ali In 2012, the American Journal of Family Therapy published an article titled “Structural Therapy with a Couple Battling Pornography Addiction” by Jeffrey J. Ford, Jared A. Durtschi, and Darell L. Franklin. This remarkable publication addresses an issue about how the increasing availability of pornographic material is becoming detrimental to couples’ relationships. It notifies the reader that boundless addictions to pornography are affecting individuals in a relationship, and as a result, therapists are pursuing effective ways to solve this significant issue. In this article, it is mentioned that pornography causes personal distress and symptoms of withdrawal and tolerance, which, in turn, can adversely affect relationship and neurological functioning. Unfortunately, there are many instances where therapists encounter victims of pornography addiction, but due to its uncommon occurrence, importance is not given to these addictions. The effects of this addiction are often underestimated, and it is often ignored that these addictions are as severe and difficult as other types of addictions. Therefore, this article addresses the severity of pornographic addictions, in addition to introducing the implementation of a successful structural therapy for obsessive patterns of pornographic addiction. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the structural therapy, the authors present a case study of a couple battling a pornographic addiction. The...
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