With recent developments in communication technology and the internet, everything a person could ever need is available at the tip of their fingers. However, this includes unrestricted access to pornography and other deplorable videos and activities on the dark web.
Pornography mainly includes materials and contents representing graphic imagery meant to arouse and stimulate the viewers and readers sexually.
Pornography has become a lucrative industry, with millions of users streaming from around the world. Easier access to such websites has created a considerable demand and thereby created an abundance in the content of porn.
As the consumption of porn increased, pornography has become more immersive and engaging in its scope. And it is bound to become more in the future years. Virtual reality technology is the future, and there is a high chance of such technology being absorbed by the pornography industry, thereby blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
The Indian administration banned pornographic sites in 2018 after a petition claimed it was the reason for the increase in rape cases. The argument was that such sites give access to depraved content with seemingly no restriction, including non-consensual videos and, in some extreme cases, child pornography. Such videos might evoke desires that are not met through consensual means due to the orthodox nature of Indian society when it comes to pre-marital sex.
It is of enormous concern that there has been a spike in porn surfing among young children. It is worrying, primarily because the youth rely on such sites for answers due to a lack of sex education. Due to societal taboos, there is barely any awareness about sex, even among adults.
Parents and teachers have a responsibility to teach children what is acceptable regarding sexual activities. Instead of shying away from such discussion, they should educate them extensively on the importance of consent and boundaries when it comes to such relations.
There has been an increase in the streaming of videos that contain aggression or violence; however, whether porn has the power to encourage or trigger sexual violence has long been debated. Although barely any data indicates an increase in sexual assault or rapes, researchers agree there are still ill effects caused by porn.
It propagates a skewed sense of consent and is also said to change the viewers’ attitude towards women.
They are more likely to believe myths about rape, such as a woman is asking for it when she wears scanty clothes. It is a tricky area to form any basis of opinion, but to quote a researcher, “Porn consumption can be compared to alcohol; it isn’t inherently dangerous but can be for those who have other risk factors.”
Pornography can desensitize perversion and may also fuel unrealistic expectations about sex as a majority of the women in such videos are shown as sex objects.
Production and consumption of pornographic content that portray women as mere objects to satisfy their sexual fantasy need to stop. These videos normalize and also sexualize non-consent and coercion. Continual unchecked objectification is bound to make people rationalize these kinds of desires.
Another problem is the lack of restrictions in users uploading content on such sites, which has led to a substantial increase in revenge porn. Revenge porn is non-consensual pornography where nude photos or videos of the victim are uploaded on the internet without their permission.
The porn stars in such sites become widely famous but also face ill-treatment. They also have to face the scorn and contempt of the public. Sunny Leone and Mia khalifa can’t seem to live their past down. The same people who watch such videos try to shame them and stigmatize them online. They are also human and need to be respected as such and treated with empathy.
The Indian government has banned close to 3000 websites; however, this has not deterred usage. These websites change their addresses, or users can still access such sites through a VPN.
The pandemic has caused a surge in viewership amongst all age groups.
Pornography can either make the user open-minded about sex and help in healthily dealing with fetishes or cause the spread of perversion. The only way to successfully prevent the latter is not by banning such sites but only through awareness and education.
Please check the below links for additional information relating to:
