Let’s Talk About Pornography
From Pompeii to Pornhub: A look at eroticism in the digital age
Maybe it’s no secret by now that internet pornography is a part of our culture. Judging by how little the topic makes its way into standard discourse, though, maybe it still is. And if you’re not yet acquainted with this digital realm of erotica, allow me to be the bearer of strange news.
While state laws skirt around the issues of psychological damage versus privacy rights, statistics regarding internet porn usage continue to skyrocket. Whether you fall into the “hands off my hands” camp or the camp that rightfully is worried about shattered marriages, erectile dysfunction and teens with intensified internet addiction, there’s clearly much to be discussed that isn’t being discussed.
For every risqué fantasy that’s ever tiptoed across your mind, there’s a video. Probably a thousand. And the overabundance is weighing on society in ways we’re only just beginning to understand.
For every perverse daydream you’ve ever had, there are at least a hundred pornos. Yep — even that one you wouldn’t dare to confide in your closest friend.
There’s college porn and senior porn. There’s cartoon porn and there’s role playing porn. There’s vintage porn and webcam porn and funny porn. There are sadists and masochists engaged in foursomes, fivesomes and sixsomes. And for each craven fetish, we’ve quietly hollowed out corners of internet real estate and populated them with shorts, videos and livestreams.
The extent of it is simply overwhelming. According to Pornhub, the internet’s largest porn distributor, in 2016, 91,980,225,000 videos were watched on the website. By 2018, that number jumped to more than 109,012,068,000. More recent figures are difficult to source, but assumptions can be easily drawn.
Every year, we collectively consume 665 centuries worth of pornography — and that’s just on Pornhub. In fact, websites devoted to porn cumulatively receive more traffic in the U.S. than Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Netflix, Zoom and Pinterest combined.
According to Psychology Today, 73 percent of women and 98 percent of men reported internet porn use in the last six months. So why, given its ubiquity, does porn still remain in society’s shadows?
As one might guess, the answer is hardly a simple one.
Historically, the line between art and eroticism has been perpetually blurred and shifted with each passing era. From the lascivious frescoes of Pompeii to Japan’s Shunga art, the portrayal of sex is hardly limited to modern society. Yet, the digital age has catapulted it to unprecedented levels of accessibility.
What’s been considered through much of history as one of life’s most sacred acts is now something that can be seen by almost any adolescent with a laptop or smartphone. For most, finding porn takes little more than typing “boobs” into a search bar.
That porn has become an inseparable part of our culture is practically undeniable. One need look no further than their email spam folder for proof. From erection pills, to size and libido enhancers, to weight loss pills and breast augmentation procedures, there’s no escaping the reach of the porn industry.
So what does consuming such vast amounts of porn do to us mentally? Psychology journals are rife with studies dissecting its impact, but a consensus has hardly been reached. Some suggest it enhances couples’ intimacy, while others issue dire warnings about its potential to skew self-esteem and body image perceptions.
Opinions on the value of masturbation are equally divided. Some claim that abstaining from self-pleasure can have a wide array of benefits: from increasing energy, focus and testosterone, to improving emotional and spiritual health. Others claim that the act of masturbation can aid with everything from sleep and pain to immunity, concentration, and, ironically, nearly all of the same benefits that abstaining is purported to provide.
Because sex, masturbation and pornography are such polarizing subjects, the research done in this area is particularly susceptible to researcher bias. Findings can sometimes be more a product of culture than anything else. It’s the reason why homosexuality was originally classified as a mental disorder in the DSM until the 1970s.
Additionally, because of the difficulty in performing large scale studies on such contentious topics, researchers will often resort to sampling the most convenient populations, like college students, rather than ones that reflect society as a whole.
Economically, the porn industry is one of the greatest forces the world has ever known. With corporate giants insidiously cashing in on every branch of the industry, the empire of erotica has soared well into the billions. In fact, many of the largest technological innovations of recent decades were directly driven by development within the porn industry. As VR porn and AI continue to proliferate, the industry is only expected to grow larger.
It’s clear that Big Porn grapples with daunting ethical challenges. Exploitation, dubious consent, and non-consensual distribution are searing topics that demanded attention even before the advent of artificial intelligence. Today, it seems that ethical concerns are multiplying in every back alley.
As AI begins spreading its roots into more and more areas of everyday life, it’s no surprise that it’s found a home in the world of porn. With the emergence of “deepfake” images and AI-generated pornography, the industry has grown quietly into something that profoundly affects all of us. The future ahead is one of VR helmets, deepfake apps, and realistic AI partners.
De-population is beginning to pose serious threats for the future of humanity, and the evolution of the porn industry is one of the greatest drivers of this development. As artificial intelligence continues to advance and virtual reality continues to improve, we’re quickly approaching a time in which real romantic connection is superfluous.
When even the most intimate of interactions can be replicated on HD screens attached to our faces, it will be a precarious juncture for humanity. And by some measures, it’s only the next stop along the tracks of this never-ending train ride. Some believe we’ve already barreled past it. And when I see the virtual worlds that we’re privy to today, I’m inclined to agree. There’s little now that stands in the way of a life lived entirely online.
In recent years, study after study has emerged detailing the ways in which our digital lives degrade our social skills. In the decades to come, we’re likely to just keep developing substitutes for real life experiences and connections.
The religious and political landscape adds yet another layer of complexity. From conservative theocracies that condemn and criminalize porn to the more liberal societies beginning to grapple with its societal implications, it’s clear that attitudes vary widely.
Education is now at an eerie crossroads. Do we weave porn literacy into sex ed, clarifying consensual encounters from staged fantasies? Do we teach about the ways that artificial intelligence can now imitate our likeness? Do we divulge the dangers of deepfakes? Or do we sidestep the mammoth with the colossal erection in the room?
Are we ready for a candid discourse? Or will porn remain a digital specter, obsessively consumed yet rarely discussed? Will it stay in shadows even as it reshapes the entire world around us?