Measured Against Reality

Friday, March 02, 2007

Newsflash, teenage boys like pornography

University of Alberta researcher Sonya Thompson decided to find out kids pornography-watching habits, and when she found (surprise surprise) that 13 and 14 year olds watch a lot of porn (too much to count), she declares it "a little frightening".

Yet she didn't check to see if there's anything wrong with these kids. She (and everyone else) just assumes that watching pornography must make you some kind of pervert who can't maintain a normal relationship. I want to know why we still have this Victorian idea that sex is best hidden from view completely, and that bringing it out into the open at all will totally destroy society. I've previously mentioned that readily available pornography appears to decrease rape. However, I say "appears" because correlation does not necessarily indicate causation, something that the media should remember more often.

She also said sexually curious teens who are watching porn are getting the wrong messages about healthy sexuality and don't distinguish between actors getting paid to perform and real-world sexuality.


There's absolutely no indication of how she gathered that information. Did she just pull that conclusion out of her ass? Judging by the rest of her article, I'd guess that she did. But what I really want to know is what is "healthy" sexuality? Seriously, someone answer me that. I remember hearing someone attributing the quote "the only unhealthy sexual activity is none" to Freud, and I'd be inclined to agree (to some extent).

I say it's high time we stop caring so damn much about what people are doing with their penises and vaginas, and stop assuming that because it's not what you believe they should be doing, it's wrong.

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2 Comments:

  • I don't think they meant it was harmful in any way except that expectations of sexual encounters actually happening (i.e. you are thirteen, out on a "date" with a girl, and mistakenly assume that sex is the thing to do because you see that pretty often) and also expectations of what sex is actually like and then disappointment when you find out that it isn't always about crazy postions, or that women's bodies are most often not that perfect. I am not a prude, and I don't think there is anything wrong with pornography for people who know all the FACTS about sex. However, for a young man who has no first-hand experience, and probably hasn't even had any frank discussions/q&a sessions about sex, yes, it could be detrimental to his sexual development and future relationships.

    --nikki

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:39 PM, March 02, 2007  

  • Nikki, perhaps, but how can someone who has never experienced something have realistic expectations of it anyway? Besides, popular culture gives equally unrealistic expectations for relationships, sex, and even life. By your reasoning, I'd say the Disney Channel's total lack of realism in any life scenario is more dangerous than pornography's glorification of sex.

    Although I'll admit I may have misinterpreted what the author meant by "harmful", your guess is better than mine was.

    By Blogger Stupac2, at 4:16 PM, March 02, 2007  

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