Content warning: mentions of sexual assault, child sexual abuse, nonconsensual porn, and sex trafficking
The Cimmerian darkness of Incognito mode, the insulating presence of earphones, the feverish desperation for a hit of dopamine… an all too familiar description of how most of our nights are spent during this period of social isolation. For those of us who are quarantined without partners and barred from meeting Tinder matches (who we would inevitably end up ghosting anyway), there is not much to do but rely on our internet connections and two trusty hands. This surge in self-gratification has not gone unnoticed. In March, when most countries implemented lockdown measures, PornHub reported an 18% rise in global traffic and even made their premium services free for a population starved of physical touch. However, this bulging consumption of porn has been accompanied by an increased consumption of child and nonconsensual porn (and in turn, trafficking), thereby proliferating the problems of an industry that is already inundated with such issues. This has been coupled with an almost instantaneous response in production, which has made transparent the impact of our seemingly insulated Dionysian choices on the porn industry—and the very real power that we possess to change it.
To be exceedingly clear, this is not some prudish call to return to simpler times of chastity belts and un-cucked men, when touching yourself was akin to summoning the devil and the only naked body you saw was that of your betrothed. Today, masturbation has snipped the skin of shame and firmly established itself as an act of self-care—and rightly so. In this hedonistic age, it may seem like only a masochist would deny themselves of such a pleasure. The woodblock Shunga of the Edo period, the salacious words of Sappho, or the edutainment of the Kama Sutra are evidence enough that the documentation and exploration of human sexuality are not recent phenomena by any standard. Yet, there is something so cataclysmically different about the way we consume it today. If it is human to desire the erotic, then the porn industry has fashioned this desire into an appetite that is insatiable. Having sex relentlessly shoved down our throats has rewired our brains, resulting in Pavlovian effects on our behaviour.
It does not help that porn is usually carefully and deliberately crafted, acting as both fodder for and an idealization of male fantasies that only perpetuate the inequality between genders. While early anti-porn feminists like Andrea Dworkin worried that the hyper-consumption of pornography would make men more rapacious and unable to keep their hands off women, the biggest problem we’re facing is…well, dysfunctional in a different way. A 2016 study conducted by Naval Medical Center in San Diego attributes increased rates of erectile dysfunction and lower libido to the excessive consumption of porn. You know we’re fucked when the warmth of the bottom of a laptop erects a greater response in men than the warmth of human touch.
But porn doesn’t just exist on our laptops. It has permeated into our realities, coercing our desires and expectations. For many of us, porn was our first glimpse into the forbidden—a form of provisional sex-ed. By the time we learned that not all bodies looked like that or not all women enjoyed being treated like that (and that they definitely do not sound like that), it was too late. We’d already begun a performance of our own. Our formative scripts for not only sex but also intimacy, gender dynamics, and human bodies are based on material that is unrealistic, inaccurate, and harmful. We transformed from a puritan population to one that is hyper-sexual seemingly overnight. And women, once again, found themselves on their knees for a salvation that was never really meant for them. At best, the porn industry preys on an alienated generation plagued with loneliness. At worst, it is responsible for it. Although the psychological and social implications of the hyper-consumption of porn are extensive and devastating, they are hardly the most urgent issues.
Perhaps the largest blow to the critical discussion of pornography is the pretense of morality. The notion that sex work is inherently empowering ignores the grim realities of many women in the industry. This is not to shame to sex-workers—they’re a vulnerable group who deserve our unequivocal support and respect—but rather, to turn our attention to systems over individuals. While there is genuine liberation and reclamation of sexual autonomy to be found in the erotic, it will never occur in conjunction with a multibillion-dollar industry that couldn’t care less about those ideals. Although the adult entertainment business may seem like the ultimate symbol of the success of the free market—a bastion overflowing with choices, catering to every desire imaginable (Google “Rule 34” at your own discretion)—one corporation, MindGeek, owns eight of the top ten tube sites, including PornHub. Hiding behind quirky, personable tweets and environmental advocacy is a company that is complicit in and actively benefits from the exploitation of countless people. “This is a company that is generating millions in advertising and membership revenue and yet they do not have an effective system in place to verify reliably the age or consent of those featured in the pornographic content it hosts,” states Laila Mickelwait, founder of Exodus Cry (an organization dedicated to ending sex trafficking).
While you may not seek it out, there is a high chance that you are consuming nonconsensual porn. When you use websites like PornHub that don’t have adequate checks in place, there is simply no way of making sure the content is consensual; users only need to upload a piece of a paper with their name on it to get “verified.” As a result, there is no shortage of harrowing stories to read about: from a mother finding explicit videos of her missing 15-year-old daughter on PornHub to the corporation’s stubborn refusal to take down revenge porn. This thread about the increase of violence and trafficking in times of crisis is especially pertinent to our current situation. GirlsDoPorn, a popular channel on PornHub that was charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, amassed more than 677 million views. Large porn aggregators are simply not in a position to plead ignorance to the massive amounts of child porn and abusive content hosted on their platforms. The harsh truth is that PornHub is an active benefactor of these exploitative practices and is unlikely to forgo profits for basic morality anytime soon. So maybe it is time for another sexual revolution, one that looks outwards rather than within.
Ethically consuming porn involves knowing where your porn comes from and the labour conditions under which it was made. There is an emphasis placed on the performers’ rights, consent, and safety. Paying for your porn may seem like a ludicrous notion, but it is the best way to ensure ethicality. The abundance of porn undoubtedly contributes to porn addiction, and paying for the service assists with maintaining moderation. Several ethical porn platforms also have the added bonus of representing various body types and being more inclusive of different desires. With the advent of OnlyFans and camming, the performer has even more autonomy. If you are still skeptical of paying for a resource that seems to exist in abundance, then Bellesa, MVTube, and amateur porn subreddits are great alternatives. Perhaps now is also the time to consider a foray into the under-appreciated world of erotica. There is still much to consider and be mindful of when consuming porn, but making sure that the material is not a product of exploitation is a great place to start.
I know that unlearning takes time, and a horny mind needs porn like a sword needs a whetstone. And it is difficult to fathom that just a couple of clicks on our computer screens can result in extensive trafficking and enslavement. And YES, it is exhausting to think constantly about the content we are consuming. But we cannot jerk off with our right hand and point blame with our left. We need to recognize how our behaviour is complicit in the oppression of many—and changing this, although hard, is necessary.
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