Most adults have at least some exposure to pornographic material. Yet real life is far different from what’s shown on camera and people need accurate information regarding sexuality in order to remain healthy and happy.
Porn can provide inspiration and exploration; however, it should never become an opportunity for direct emulation – which unfortunately often happens.
It’s a fantasy
As our culture embraces masturbation more freely, pornography has grown increasingly popular. Yet many still struggle to comprehend how or what porn actually does or even exists – many view it as something which leads to sexual aggression and other undesirable results – yet many who watch porn use it simply for relaxation or pleasure; it provides stress relief, sleep aid, natural energy boost with few side effects than coffee; passively appreciate beauty while imagining being desired are just a few benefits it provides users.
Pornographers take advantage of this interest by including content cues that encourage exploration, introspection and sexual education. This is especially prevalent within queer and indie porn, where representations of feet, breasts and butts challenge conventional notions of beauty – challenging conventional beauty standards while providing opportunities to discuss safe sex practices and consent topics in videos that have also proven to promote safe sexual encounters and conversations about safe sex practices and consent discussions.
Porn can provide couples with an opportunity to explore new areas of their relationship and figure out what they really desire in bed. But it’s important to keep in mind that porn is simply entertainment – not an accurate depiction of real sex happening regularly in reality! So whether watching alone or with your partner, make sure your ego stays in check when watching porn and don’t use it as a guideline for future sex experiences.
While sex porn can be an entertaining and stimulating pastime, not everyone should watch it. Due to its highly addictive nature and harmful and distorting views of reality it promotes, such as normalizing incestuous relationships or non-consensual sexual acts – which run counter to healthy respect between self and others. As such, it’s crucial that one seek out content which encourages healthy sexuality by seeking out safe porn rather than any that depicts violence or incest.
It’s a joke
Contrary to what pornography may lead one to believe, real sex doesn’t look anything like its depictions in porn. Real life sex can involve many emotions and experiences beyond simply arousal; respect, affection, intimacy are also critical components. Therefore it is crucial that partners discuss any plans they have regarding condom use or birth control use prior to engaging in sexual relations.
Pornography doesn’t teach people all these concepts, and therefore it can be dangerous to assume that anything shown in porn is true in reality. Porn is just an illusion which doesn’t capture what real sex and love are really like – instead it promotes ideas such as commitment being boring, mutual pleasure not being of primary concern during sexual encounters and that sex should simply serve as a means to an end.
There are creators who make porn with an eye toward social activism and sexual education in mind. Queer pornographers like Pink & White and TROUBLEfilms have made it their goal to highlight bodies and sexualities often overlooked by straight porn industry standards, while including explicit consent and safety information in their content. Academic Amy Sueyoshi(opens in new tab) has worked closely with Asian American pornographers to create content that challenges bias and encourages personal growth, yet these efforts won’t be effective without making sure pornography is more diverse and inclusive; therefore it is imperative that we create the metaverse together – including marginalized communities in its design process.
It’s a commodity
Pornography is more than an escape: it’s also a commodity. Pornographic material sells men on the notion that exchanging women will help establish their masculine identities and gain respect from other men. While this concept has existed since at least the 1800s, its rise has increased since internet became accessible, providing viewers with anonymity viewing options and easy accessibility.
Pornography’s depiction of female sexual exploitation as exploitative can be shocking, yet reality can often differ significantly. Far from depicting sexual work as simply another source of easy money-making or an industry that relies solely on obscenities for success, many sex workers, including professional porn stars, can enjoy sexual intimacy as part of a healthy relationship and may even take great satisfaction from their work; yet mainstream media still have not caught up to this new reality.
Though the industry is filled with violence against both women and men, and its activities often exploit degrading and humiliating behaviours, some pornographers are making strides toward positive changes within it. Some have responded against popular and demeaning stereotypes regarding Asian male sexuality while others address persistent sexism in pornographic scripts.
Pornography can provide immense latent value if it is presented in such a way as to foster exploration, introspection and sexual education. Many pornographers incorporate cues into their content that encourage this kind of sexual exploration; such as showing stop-action shots of condom application. Furthermore, many pornographers make an effort to feature characters mentioning condom usage throughout their discussions with each other or have them mention it within scenes themselves.
Real sex differs greatly from what’s depicted in porn, and replicating what you see will lead to instant physical connection in any romantic relationship. But this approach can be both risky and unrealistic; real sex requires commitment, communication, and the necessary understanding in order to be enjoyable and satisfying experience.
It’s a distraction
Many people assume that pornography is detrimental to relationships and should be avoided at all costs, yet viewing it together can actually be used as an educational and erotic ritual, deepening imaginations in both partners. Sex expert and educator Tyomi Morgan suggests watching pornography together can help couples communicate about sexual fantasies and kinks more openly which will ultimately foster emotional and sexual intimacy between partners. But in relationships where one partner has suffered trust injuries or body image issues it should not be used as part of this activity.
Pornography often portrays an inaccurate portrayal of sexuality and love. It teaches people that commitment is pointless, mutual pleasure is unimportant, respect and intimacy aren’t as valued, while looks/sound are more valued than real intimacy or respect for one another. Therefore many will turn to porn as a substitute for real-life sexual encounters – not realizing how similar some forms are with sexual education (since most porn is explicit and contains sexual actions).
While many use porn for sexual fantasy and eroticism, some can become addicted to it – known as Sexual Addiction or Pornography Addiction and can affect both men and women of all ages. Professional intervention may be required in these instances but there are ways to stop this from occurring in the first place.
Research has demonstrated the addictive and sexual dysfunction-inducing nature of pornography, making it a leading source of heterosexual marital discord. Yet some producers(opens in new tab) are working towards improving these issues by creating more diverse and inclusive pornographies while advocating for safe sexual content with explicit consent, like Pink & White or TROUBLEfilms(opens in new tab). They accomplish this by increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ bodies while offering educational content.
Longer term, it is imperative to pursue systemic changes that make sexual education accessible and inclusive for everyone, but in the meantime it would be foolish not to explore as much of porn’s instructive potential as possible while recognizing where it borders between useful fuel for reflection and exploration and pure unreal erotic fantasy.