The question of what the proper role of pornography is in our society is a difficult one. To start off with, I'm not sure there is a "proper" role of porn. Porn, at least my conception of it, is never really proper. It has no conceivable social value. That said, it's not going anywhere. Porn is always gonna be around. I think that we need to recognize that fact, but also set some boundaries. For one, porn should only be intended for and target toward adults. Those depicted in porn need to be doing so of there free will, and of legal age. Other than that, porn should not be made illegal. We live in a free society, and I feel porn is therefore protected under the first amendment.
I'm not sure anyone benefits from pornography, aside from those who profit from it. To be sure, people can be, and are, harmed by pornography. Children and young adults can become exposed to such material, making them deal with concepts and actions not befitting their maturity level, causing confusion and possible psychological problems. Porn can become an addiction, and lead to relationship strain. Men may develop a warped sense of sexuality, and therefore want to engage in rather bizarre practices, or look outside of his relationship for fulfillment. Ultimately porn is a vice. It's something that will never go away, thus efforts to prohibit and restrict it can be counterproductive. The implications of it, however, are very real, and should not be ignored.
Klosterman writes that the internet is indebted to pornography for its development. If that is true, don't we all benefit from pornography, since we use the internet?
ReplyDeleteI think that's fair to say, though that is a very indirect benefit.
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