Pornography
Most of us know that it is illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to view or purchase pornography. This is a straightforward law in our society, but with the advent of the World Wide Web, laws concerning pornographic material need to be augmented to deal with the ease of accessibility that the Web provides. In this section we will discuss three aspects of pornography and the law: Internet porn, obscenity, and child pornography. The sale of pornographic magazines and videos in stores will not be discussed because these forms of porn are easier to restrict from minors than it is porn on the internet.
Internet Porn
The World Wide Web has become the information and communication tool of choice in the past decade. With this boom came an explosion of pornography on the Web, making it is easily accessible from the privacy of one's computer terminal. There is nothing illegal about adults viewing sexual material, but who is stopping children from doing the same?
Websites with nude people and/or sexual interactions generally have the disclaimer that "no one under 18 may enter." They also say that the viewer is responsible for his or her own actions and must be aware of the laws in their community regarding the viewing of such material. While this may relinquish any legal responsibilities the website has regarding illegal viewing, it does not stop young people from viewing porn. Programs such as Net Nanny and others allow parents to block their children from reaching these sites, but parents often don't use them.
It is important to know that in the United States it is illegal for anyone under 18 to view pornographic material, on the Web or elsewhere. The government is trying desperately to find ways of patrolling the Internet to curb illegal activities; but many obstacles lie in their path, and a solution does not seem near. If you are a parent, please monitor your child's activity on the Internet. The Web can be a great informational and learning tool, but it can also be a place for illegal activity.
Obscenity
In determining whether sexual pictures are appropriate in our society, the word "obscene" has become a favorite among legislators. Factual pictures are OK, be obscene images are not. The problem is, nobody knows how define the word obscene, especially in relation to pornographic material. "I know it when I see it" is Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's definition, but feminist activist Gloria Steinham has a completely different one. The fact is, something may seem obscene to one person that is aesthetically acceptable to another.
So is there any objective way to determine if pornography is obscene or not? The most modern view is based on sexual criteria. If the work comes across as clearly offensive to the community as a whole, it may be considered obscene. However, a work may not be considered obscene if it has any artistic or literary value, maybe even political or scientific value. Finally, to be obscene the material as a whole must incite lustful interest in sex. These three guidelines are the ones used by the U.S. Supreme Court when it tries to determine whether or not something is obscene. But as we saw already, sometimes it is hard for even the Justices to follow these rules, as ever case is unique.Child Pornography
The viewing, distribution, and/or making of child pornography, or "kiddie porn," are ILLEGAL. There are 7 states where the possession of child porn is not illegal, but it is illegal to produce or distribute such material in these states. Child pornography is a big problem in the United States because it exploits innocent children who might not understand why they are being photographed naked. Children in this situation can become emotionally traumatized, resulting in distress that is difficult to remedy. The Internet is making the problem even worse, for it is now easier for men who enjoy child pornography to view it. But viewers in the 43 states where it is illegal are committing a crime, one that has serious consequences for those who get caught.
On Porn Know-It-Alls
A common problem for many women these days arises when they run into men who believe that they know everything they need to know about sex because they watch pornography. Such men are often way off target. First of all, most pornography targets a male audience. In catering to a male audience, most pornography depicts fantasies that are common for males, but most likely are not what females like or expect out of sex. A lot of men also expect certain things out of females because of what they have seen in pornographies, and sometimes these expectations can make their female partner uncomfortable. For example, it can be frustrating for a girlfriend when her boyfriend thinks that because the woman in the pornography "seemed" to enjoy a certain activity, his girlfriend will automatically enjoy it as well.
Many pornography films and videos depict the women as having an orgasm in all encounters, especially during penile/vaginal intercourse. In reality, it is very difficult for most women to orgasm solely from penile-vaginal intercourse. Usually some sort of foreplay or stimulation of the clitoris is needed in order for a female to reach an orgasm. Pornographies also tend to show women as having orgasms only minutes after the initiation of sexual intercourse. It usually takes women longer than a few minutes of stimulation to reach orgasm. The false ideas, about female pleasure that males learn from pornography can lead to stress in the relationship and dissatisfaction in sex life. The females may become unhappy because they are not receiving the attention they need in order to reach orgasm, and the males may become worried because their partner is not coming as easy and often as do the females in the pornography they are watching.
Some women are also annoyed by the fact that females are often sexually exploited in various ways in some pornography. Female porn-stars are almost always put in submissive roles that are degrading to women. In the last few years there have been a lot of advances in the types of roles women play in pornographies because of the many women's movements fighting against the ways women are portrayed in pornographies. However, there are still pornographies that compromise women's place in society because, sadly, these are often the pornographies that sell.
The problem is that pornography actually gives men lots of false information. Most pornographies do not contain information about anatomy, female pleasure, certain types of male pleasure, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, or successful relationships. It is very important that people take the initiative to learn about human sexuality either at a school or hospital or from an educational book or website such as ours.
It is important that everyone understands that this web page does not claim that all pornography is bad. If men are educated enough to know that they should not expect their sex life to be a mirror image of pornography and that everything that is shown in pornographies is not necessarily true, pornography can be an excellent way of creating sexual arousal. The bottom line is that it is important to receive your factual sex knowledge from an educational source.
Edited 2/26/07