Some of the Effects of Pornography

"The word pornography derives from a Greek word meaning writing about prostitutes." Although many use the term for anything artistic or sexual that they deem obscene; however, under law pornography is not obscene. Any obscenity is something that the courts have ruled to be breaking some statute that deals with sexual material. As for the effects of pornography, there is still much to be discovered. However, studies have shown that people tend to react to porn in a manner that is true to their ethical and moral attitudes. People that follow religions that view pornography to be sinful and moral reprehensible usually tend to react negatively to any form of sexual material. People that have a more open outlook on sexuality in general tend to have a more positive reaction. Past moral feelings, it depends on the each individual's personality. A super masculine male that views females as subordinates will generally enjoy footage that shows the man as aggressive and in control of his female counterpart. A male that sees females as his equal will usually steer away from this footage and gravitate toward porn that portrays men and women as consensual in each aspect of the experience. Not to say that the super masculine male is watching films about rape because that makes up the tiniest percentage of pornography, but there is part of the industry that focuses on aggression and occasionally violence. For those that are constantly exposed to pornography tend to have a more calloused, indifferent view. The more we are exposed to anything, the less phased we are by it. There has been a study conducted on whether sexually explicit material promotes violence and aggression within the individual. The study exposed participants to sexual and aggressive material, only aggressive material, and only sexual material. The only material that appeared to promote aggression was just that, the material that contained aggression. Many people believe pornography to be harmful and promote negative morals and attitudes within society. From the reading, it depends mostly on the person's predispositions, such as their morals, their homelife, and their personalities. Many people use pornography as a learning tool, a sexual outlet, or in the case of couples as a way to enhance sexual pleasure.

Davis, Clive. "The Effects of Exposure to Sexually Explicit Material." Annual Review of Sex Research, 1993. Syracuse University. http://www.sexscience.org/publications/index.php?category_id=440&subcategory_id=336