In 2007 the iPhone was officially released to the public, marking a significant turning point in technological development.Since then, users of iPhones and smartphones alike have been able to chat with distant relatives, bank online, and download a complete library of music. Apps like YouTube, Twitter, and Meta (formally known as Facebook and Instagram) became mainstream media sites. People used the iPhone in a way that increased productivity. With all the hype, parents felt obligated or pressured to give their teenagers phones and tablets. Eventually, smartphones and tablets were brought to classrooms to be used as learning tools. But as some of us understand, technology is both a blessing and a curse.
The unintended consequences of giving young people access to powerful technology 24/7 has been a massive oversight. Sites like Pornhub.com are easily accessible to anyone with a smartphone. Anyone can lie about their age with a simple tap. YouTube videos shuffle through an automatic playlist based on an algorithm, which can quickly become twisted and perverse. By allowing children access to infinite content, we have endangered developing minds. Not only do young children have access to pornography, adults have access to this new genre of distracting “entertainment.” Young minds can be exposed to content depicting scenarios that reinforce a narrative that they too can engage in obscene acts with no consequences.
It’s no secret that pornography has been around since the invention of video and print. One could make the argument that porn is a loosely used word. If we expanded this word to include drawings, we could safely say it has been around for ages. Even during the Roman era, they had images that were pornographic. Famous scenes of young male prostitutes engaging in sex acts with older men was not uncommon. History of humans tells us that porn is embedded in society, whether that be through videos, drawings, or pictures. With the invention of the internet, the possibilities of pornography became limitless. Sites like Pornhub host studios that cater to just about anyone all around the world. Thanks to this flexibility, people with dark desires can indulge, even if those desires include pedophelic fantasies.
In a channel 4 documentary titled “Porn Actors Pretend To Be Underage During Sex,” the adult actor Austin depicts himself as an underage boy. This is unfortunately common in themes of pornography. The films are centered around "daddies" having sex with their sons. The genre is called Daddy/son porn, and similar incestual genres exist. Now people have access to fantasize about daddies having sex with their own sons. Not only is this incest, it is also pedophilic. One can fantasize about something to such a level that they may consciously or unconsciously seek it out in the real world. These videos are often allowed to exist, even if the actors are technically underage, largely due to laws in other countries where the age of consent is lower and the laws are looser.
To say this content doesn’t have devastating effects on the human brain would be utter folly. Multiple scientific studies have proven that when grown men in particular regularly consume pornography, their motivation is whittled away while their prefrontal cortex becomes weaker. Anything one does frequently can alter the brain, but frequent pornography consumption quite literally cripples the part of the brain that makes decisions, plans, and regulates emotions. Additionally, pornography changes the way adults relate to one another as well as their sexual expectations, which are typically unrealistic as well as violent depending on the type of pornography a person is interested in. Therefore, trying to regulate and normalize pornography for young people who haven’t reached full cognitive development is extremely dangerous, and has the potential to create a generation of miswired hyper-sexualized adults who aren’t able to connect or empathize with one another. In fact, one could argue that that has already happened.
This is the destructive side of limitless technology, and sites that host pornography are well aware. They simply do not care. The sites that cater to these individuals have a Machiavellian agenda. They are putting this content out to garner more dollars, and they argue that this content is to help pedophiles experience their fantasies without engaging in any illegal activities. But not only does pornography rewire the brain, it creates addictive behaviors and opens doors to ideas and concepts to both adults and children alike that could prove detrimental to their wellbeing. Porn sites have been paving a long immoral road to normalized pedophilia with no regard as to the long term impacts on society and future generations. We have to start acknowledging this and holding these sites accountable for enabling this darkness before it’s too late.
REFERENCES
“How Does Pornhub Make Money: Business Model Explained.” Adent Blog, 24 Mar. 2023, adent.io/blog/how-does-pornhub-make-money
Porn Actor Pretends To Be Underage During Sex YouTube 1 December 2021 youtube.com/watch?v=ENbJem8VvRc
Your Brain on Porn and Other Sexual Images - Scientific American