Pornography

What is Pornography?

Pornography, or porn, refers to all types of adult entertainment, including videos, explicit images, games, and even erotic literature. As a rule of thumb, content must include displays of sexual acts or notions to qualify as pornography.

Pornography isn’t the same as nudity, as nudes are prevalent, for example, in indie films and other types of artistic content. So, for something to be considered pornography, it needs to feature some sort of explicit display or reference to acts of unquestionable sexual nature.

The Evolution of Porn

Pornography has existed since the dawn of time and is believed to have originally evolved from cave paintings. Nowadays, though, most porn users rely on online resources to find sexual relief (masturbation is common among pornography viewers).

If pornography was once limited to print media and hard-to-find videotapes, nowadays it’s more democratized than ever. Along the way, the stigma traditionally associated with porn has virtually disappeared. Today, 6/10 Americans have confessed to watching it regularly.

The global porn industry is believed to be worth a staggering $97 billion and is constantly evolving. Emerging technologies such as VR and AI, for example, have given origin to new pornographic services in the form of, among others, VR porn websites and AI porn chats.

Remember: not everything that includes nudity qualifies as pornography.

The Dark Side of Porn

While pornography is fun and steamy for the most part, it also has its fair share of downsides. If you’re watching too much porn or feel like it’s getting in the way of your life, pay attention to the following risks:

  • Pornographic content keeps you coming back for more and can give way to crippling porn addiction;
  • Porn promotes unrealistic and often exaggerated sex, straining intimate relationships and causing confusion among sexually-active men and women;
  • Some pornography glorifies violence and other dangerous traits that can challenge widespread notions of respect and consent in sex;
  • Unfortunately, bad agents in the adult entertainment industry are often linked to human trafficking and other social issues.