The Great "anti" Porn debate

I watched the video. It has convinced me of two things. One, addiction is bad. Two, people can be addicted to porn. Or pretty much anything else. If you are addicted to porn, it will cause problems and you should probably stop watching it and get help.

I can even conceded it is particularly bad for people who are addicted to it.

What I remain unconvinced about is that it is either inherently addictive or that because some people are addicted to it that it should limit the ability of those who enjoy it and have a healthy relationship with porn to enjoy it as they see fit.

Methodologically the talk has a ton of problems, especially treating recovered addicts as a control group.

The talk is about helping porn addicts recover, which would be great if it was pitched that way. The problem is that it is making general claims from a very specific group, most of which (by his own admission) are not generalizable.

 

imagine if they did...…….

 

You don’t want your children watching porn? Supervise them better and don’t babysit them with electronic devices capable of providing open access.

 

It being free or not is no excuse for overindulgence. Personal responsibility.

 

I don’t care who earns the most. If porn stars and sex trade workers don’t like the pay, try different professions.

 

All of this is coming from members of a Christian community who "struggle with pornography" as something they clearly feel is forbidden and immoral.

I have almost no interest in the question of what Christians struggle with, as I am not one.

Further, the measure of addition is not and has never been based on self-reporting. I suspect that means "I know I shouldn't do it, because it is wrong, I just can't help myself." Based on self-report 18% "think they are addicted" or are "unsure." Again, none of that passes any kind of rigor in terms of clinical analysis.

If those people want to seek help for their addiction, I support that. If people want to choose to belong to a religion that shames them for their curiosity about sexuality or desire to watch pornography, that is their choice. But the idea that any of those people and their problems should in any way dictate what I am able to look at online is absolute anathema to me.

Find a random sample of men. Apply well known and statistically valid measures of addiction. Factor for other influences and see if you can determine if there is any measurable relationship between watching pornography and known standards of addiction.

I suspect it will be impossible to make a case that someone who watches porn once a month finds that it is interfering with their job, life, or relationships in any meaningful way.

The argument seems to me to be an ideological one, trying to pose as a scientific one.

 

What I care about is free will, personal freedom, less government control, personal responsibility and not being held to another’s puritanical standard. Pay scale and benefit arrangements should always be left to the employer and never mandated by an outside agent. Again, if the employee doesn’t like the pay/benefits package, work elsewhere. And don’t presume to know why I defend a position on any subject.

 

Again, sex trade workers are NOT limited to nor are they required to only seek employment as sex workers. There are hundreds of job titles that don’t require the removal of clothing or the servicing of clients. As with any other profession, these people are free to upgrade their employment at any time.

 

Cigarette companies actually did give away free packs of smokes at many sports gatherings. It was a perfect way to support that particular event and sway customer opinion over brand preference. I honestly considered it a shame when tobacco was no longer allowed to advertise at many sporting events and the sponsors rotated to mom’s laundry detergent or a brand of baby lotion.

 

Ok. Let’s just agree to disagree. I simply find it an oddity that a site based on sex is against any other form of legal sex related material.

As an aside-As a former sex worker, I find my opinions worthy of airing.

 

The OP began this thread with,

“The ones who follow my journey know of my obsession against Porn.”

 

Wasn’t a porn star, never claimed such. As a blue eyed, fair haired, slight guy at 18 I found I could get by quite well as a hustler in SF. Was introduced to a producer who found me to be too slight and my roommate made it his mission to have me workout daily to fill out and fit the producers needs. Kinda ruined my buzz at the time and I left the field entirely. Look back at it as a blessing now because I had a lot of fun, had a lot of experiences others never get to try and got out before the explosion of HIV only a couple years later. So, yeah, I was out there and it didn’t break me, so I know it can be done.

 

My replies were never about continued masturbation. That’s kinda the idea of this site, the enjoyment of denial. My responses were only to push forward the idea of free will. I will always defend freedom of choice.

 

Interesting thread.
I've also been doing some research on this topic. Addiction was a problem for me for a long time. It has real personal and societal affects and it is worth making people aware of them. The responses by people defending all porn as harmless fun, and ignoring any negative affects really speaks to the need for more awareness.
Increasing violence in porn is one of the big problems I see.
https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-consuming-porn-can-lead-to-violence/