The Impact of Internet Pornography - Essay Example

Pornography is indebted to the internet for the surprising growth it had in the recent past, internet is indebted to the pornography business for presenting it with a considerable number of loyal visitors.

Accurate data on pornography use is difficult to collect. However, from studies, it becomes evident that the total number of porn visitors on the net in a year is about 72 million. Surprisingly, 25 percent of the total search engine requests are for pornography. The 372 million pornography pages and 4.2 billion websites help the internet generate an amount of 2.5 billion dollars a year.

The impact of internet pornography on the lives of people is beyond the imagination of many people. It enables people to access porn any time and anywhere they want; at home, school work, and internet cafes. Many a time, porn pops up even when not searched for, and thus, it has become an important part of the cultural landscape. However, things take an ugly turn when one looks into the explanation of social scientists about the impact of the onslaught of porn on society.

Admittedly, children are the most vulnerable victims of internet pornography. DeAngelis makes the startling revelation that 40 percent of teens and preteens visit pornography content on the web either deliberately or accidentally. The first impact as identified in one study is that teens who watch online porn are more likely to develop a ‘recreational’ attitude towards sex. They tend to consider sex as a purely physical need.

Another important revelation is that the higher the exposure to internet porn is, the more likely the teens are to view women as just sexual objects. In other words, the ones who get addicted to internet porn will not be able to make a satisfactory mutual relationship.

Another serious issue as identified by social scientists is that exposure to pornography can result in developing the mindset in children that sex without responsibility is acceptable and desirable. This not results in a collapse of the social system, but also leads to venereal diseases and unwanted pregnancies. In a study as reported in ProtectKids.com, six hundred American males and females of junior high school age were interviewed. Surprisingly, 91% of the males and 82 % of the females admitted that they had exposure to hard-core pornography. In addition, a third of the males and 18% of females admitted that they wanted to do the same things they had seen in pornography (“Protecting children”).

In addition, there are various studies like the one by Onyejekwe that point out that the rise in violence against women has an undeniable connection with internet pornography. It has been acknowledged by various studies that the increase in pornographic material in all media including the internet has resulted in viewing women as sexual objects, and consequently, in more sexual atrocities towards women.

To better understand the impact of the constant presence of pornography, one should go into the ‘Lucifer effect’ in humans as identified by Philip Zimbardo through his Stanford Country Prison Experiment. His experiments clearly show how easily a normal human being can turn unbelievably evil through social influence.

To sum up, it becomes evident that it is essential to prohibit pornography on the internet for the safety of the social structure and human values. Read More