Don't Ban Porn
An opinion piece from the New York Times has been making the rounds for the past few days.
The article begins well, clearly stating the issues that our culture faces when "the most important sex education may take place on Pornhub".
The writer relflects that the moralizations of the feminist left ought to be applied just as much to porn as they are to sexual harassment and other misconduct: "And indeed, I think the part of the #MeToo movement that’s interested in discussing sexual unhappiness and not just sexual harassment clearly wants to talk about pornography, even if it doesn’t quite realize that yet."
Writer Ross Douthat continues:
In many of them, you see a kind of female revulsion, not against Harvey Weinstein-style apex predators, but against the very different sort of male personality that a pornographic education seems to produce: a breed at once entitled and resentful, angry and undermotivated, “woke” and caddish, shaped by unprecedented possibilities for sexual gratification and frustrated that real women are less available and more complicated than the version on their screen.
These are all good points to be making. This is an important discussion that needs to be had in a culture where porn is ubiquitous part of adulthood and the sexual maturation process. And it's not just an issue plaguing men: porn viewing and addiction among women is on the rise as well.
Banning is not a Solution
Look, porn is terrible. Study after study shows the destructive nature of porn, how it rewires our brains, destroys relationship intimacy and influences our expectations. Don't let the title of this post fool you. I am staunchly against pornography. But banning porn won't solve anything.
Look back through history or even at current events to see how well bans on high-demand products work.
What will happen if porn is banned?
- Porn won't disappear. It will move to the black market.
- Like all black markets, the porn industry will become an industry of crime, violence, warring competitors, etc.
- Underground pornography will riddled with abuse, rape, and slavery (even moreso than the current porn industry).
- Actos and addicts will be punished rather than helped.
- Our jails will be filled to the brim with even more nonviolent offenders.
If you really believe than a ban on porn will work, ask yourself these questions.
- Did Prohibition stop the flow of alcohol?
- Did prostitution cease in the face of illegality?
- Has the War on Drugs accomplished... anything?
All of these things created dangerous black markets, gangs, and a terrible culture of violence.
I don't know what the solution is, but don't ban porn. It won't work. It will only make things worse.
~Seth
Yes, banning pornography wont save humanity in general. I still believe that family greatly affects the nature of a person. If parenting and family-ties are strengthen, this issue will be minimized and perhaps be solved.
You're right. The only real "solution" will not be a system or rule. The real solution is in the heart, and it can be nurtured through positive interactions like a strong family.
Thanks for commenting.
Yeah, that is another good point again
Leaders, politicians, government officers, teachers and many more should think like you to really make this world a better place to live.
Honestly, I supposed to comment last night but due to the limit of bandwidth I need to rest in steemit for awhile.
Banning ISN'T a solution, as you mentioned eloquently above, however I tend to think all pornography on the internet should be completely behind paywalls so that random individuals can't stop by Pornhub impromptu for a quick session.
Addicts of any sort are going to find their way into obtaining their particular poison. I think, however, that the ease of access is the primary issue here, not the existence of the subject matter itself.
And how can ease of access be prevented? So long as the internet is open, there will be people out there who will put up easy access porn.
Hence why I suggested a paywall for legitimate distributors of adult media, however there are also the issues of torrenting/peer to peer downloading and etc. I think a lot of individuals would be deterred from going down those avenues, though, simply because it can be monitored/caught by one's internet service provider... which can land you in a whole host of copyright infringement issues.
This idea would still have many of the same effects as a ban, though not as extreme. It's a "light ban" where there are approved or "legitimate" sources. A black market of "illegitimate" producers and distributors would quickly form. Just think of the cigarette black market.
No matter what... you can't ban porn. As you said there is alway a black market . But I also think that porn is not as bad as some people think. Sexuality is natural and to show natural sexuality is ok in my opinion. But ......there should be no room for violence in porn.
I'm trying to develop a porn game show for Dtube. Guess I can't count on your viewership.
Lol, probably not. But at least I won't try to get you banned!
EDGY.
No really, tell me more :D
It's going to be called Let's Boink! and it will follow a trivia show format. 3 rounds and 3 contestants with the lowest score being eliminated. Round 1 features the Boink Board & the Wheel of Immorality. The board will have categories and crypto amounts. Control of the board and 50.0 of STEEM goes to the the contestant that chimes in and gets the preliminary question correct. The Wheel of Immorality is for when contestant doesn't know the answer but is willing to take a spin. Round 2 will be the lightning round. Best of 7 rapid fire questions will certain devices are employed. Final round the remaining contestant will be given the offer of answering the final question, spin the wheel, or walk off with their winnings.
perhaps it's the way that such banning is always carried out: pursuing and punishing the producers, as if it is the producer's fault that consumers want their products. how would it be different if consumption was banned, taxed, or otherwise made more 'costly' while leaving producers unencumbered? production follows demand, not the other way around.
I'm ambivalent about porn as far as whether it's good or bad for an individual to consume it, but as long as everyone is consenting I can't justify condemning its production. despite the stories, plenty of people on both sides of the camera enjoy their work in the industry.