The Results of a Porn Saturated Culture
By now, everyone is aware of the war against sexual harassment. It's been on every social media site, covered by every news station, and seen in just about every work field possible to imagine. Everywhere, people are stepping out of the shadows to share their stories and to prevent other innocents being hurt like they were.
However, I'm also sure that most of us have asked ourselves the question, "How did we come to this? Why are so many people being treated as though their only value has to do with their bodies? What is the root cause?" I don't know for certain, but I do know that the pervasiveness of pornography in our culture probably has a great deal to do with it.
As time has gone on, there have been more and more cases brought to light that link porn use with cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. That's not to say that everyone who has started using porn is involved in cases like these, just that the mind sets that result from frequent use of illicit materials are the same ones seen with those involved. In an article from Fight the New Drug, the writer shows evidence from a study linking porn use with behaviors or tendencies such as societal norms that support sexual violence; societal norms that support male superiority and sexual entitlement; hostility towards women; general tolerance of sexual violence within the community; and coercive sexual fantasies, just to name a few. (https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-bill-cosby-porn-rape-culture-are-all-intertwined) (https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/riskprotectivefactors.html).
Perhaps with that in mind, it's not so hard to see how things have gotten to where they are today, where women are constantly on guard for unwanted sexual contact or comments, or where they constantly are comparing their bodies to impossible standards. The problem is not that men are all inherently bad, as some feminist articles have been suggesting; it's that the information we are getting in society about sex, love, pursuit of love interests, and appropriate behavior between men and women is being colored by the sheer numbers of people who are looking to pornography for answers or fulfillment. As we have already discussed in other articles, almost every person has had some contact with pornography by the time they turn 11 years old, and 64% of college-age men and 18% of college women watch porn at least once a week (http://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats). Those people using it frequently are getting the subtle (or not-so-subtle) messages that it's ok for a man to take what he wants from whomever he wants it, and that women are expected to do nothing.
So, how do we combat this problem? Well, to start, protect your own home. Keep your own children safe, preferably with a filtering/monitoring system of some kind. NetAngel can help with that. Then, make sure that you teach your own children about appropriate interactions between men and women; do not rely on schools or others to teach them, since it is possible that what they are taught will be biased or altered by porn culture.
Start changing your own thinking about sex and male/female interactions. Men, remember that if your impulses are guiding you to be domineering, violent, or entitled towards women sexually, you may be being influenced by porn culture. Women, if you are under the impression that men will not want you unless you do exactly as they tell you with your body, be that with your clothes, or appearance, or in a sexual relationship, you may be being influenced by porn culture. Kick porn and porn ideals out of your romantic relationships! As more people do this, society can begin to heal itself, people will feel safer and happier, and relationships will be more fulfilling.