Contrary to (then) popular belief, porn is not a cause of sexual assault or anything. No, au contraire, it actually releases built-up tension. Aside from sparking curiosity in adolescents, it just stays that—a release. And yes, this once-taboo thingy actually empowers women and puts them somewhat in control than just objects.
It is unclear what long-term effects porn will have on us, but little is stated about porn’s redeeming qualities. What, if any, ways is porn beneficial to us?
So here, folks!!!
1. Does porn make men see women as objects?
Let’s not forget that we’ve been treating women as things for CENTURIES, long before cheerleaders started having frolicsome locker room orgies. Can we truly conclude that porn is to blame for this objectification? Is it leading to increased abuse? Is it possible that something more sinister is at work?
According to the Atlantic, the prevalence of porn has been associated with a significant decrease in sexual abuse directed at women. In reality, as pornography became more widely available (about 1990), sexual assault rates fell – by 55% in the last 20 years, according to the National Crime Victim Survey.
“There is no more extreme or pernicious act of using and abusing women as sexual objects rather than treating them as humans. And to get rape rates as low as porn-saturated 2013 and 2014, you’ve got to go back to the 1970s.”
Furthermore, Milton Diamond evaluated a wide range of studies that investigated the alleged negative impacts of pornography in a 2009 paper published in the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. He concluded, “If anything, there is an inverse causal relationship between an increase in pornography and sex crimes. No such cause and effect has been demonstrated with any negative consequence.”
2. Porn increases sexual and overall satisfaction.
This may seem obvious, but watching porn tends to make people feel happy.
A 2008 study by researchers studying hardcore porn’s effects on Danish men and women found that “respondents construed the viewing of hardcore pornography as beneficial to their sex lives, their attitudes towards sex, their perceptions and attitudes towards members of the opposite sex, toward life in general, and overall.”
The paper’s abstract ends with: “We conclude that the overall findings suggest that many young Danish adults believe that pornography has had primarily a positive effect on various aspects of their lives.”
When someone says “self-care,” you should think of boosting your life satisfaction by engaging in some hand-to-gland fighting.
3. Porn encourages masturbation.
Despite persistent beliefs and erroneous information (such as blindness and hairy hands), science has consistently demonstrated that masturbating is healthy, promotes fertility, and can even make us better spouses (because people who masturbate are taking care of their own sexual needs). And what promotes masturbation more than porn?
What about my deep, inner sexual imagination, you might ask? That’s all well and good, but the 99 percent of us who aren’t Amélie require a bit more assistance.
Do you need more reasons? Masturbation, according to Planned Parenthood, relieves sexual tension, reduces stress, helps you sleep better, improves your self-esteem and body image, helps treat sexual problems, relieves menstrual cramps and muscle tension, and strengthens muscle tone in your pelvic and anal areas, reducing women’s chances for UTIs, incontinence, and other fun things like “uterine prolapse.” In men, masturbation helps reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
4. Porn is a form of safe sex.
Unlike physical intercourse, watching porn causes no diseases, no pregnancies, and no cruel judgments such as slut-shaming (unless, of course, you’re into that). In addition, utilizing porn to satisfy one’s sexual urges is safe, inexpensive, and convenient. As many couples can attest, it can even be utilized as a sex aid for real-life intercourse.
“Porn can actually help foster emotional and sexual intimacy,” says psychologist David Schnarch, author of “Resurrecting Sex: Solving Sexual Problems and Revolutionizing Your Relationship.” “A significant portion of our work in helping couples develop a deeper sexual connection is through erotic images. Erotica, as well as couples’ own masturbatory fantasies, can be useful tools for helping them develop as adults.”
5. Porn makes you better at math.
Even if you aren’t masturbating, simply watching porn or reading erotica might help you relax. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon forced males to stare at semi-erotic photographs (think Victoria’s Secret catalogs) and then take a math test in what is possibly the best study ever conducted. The results showed that males who looked at pornographic photographs performed far better on the test than those who, I suppose, flipped through “Better Homes and Gardens.”
Why? Men’s cortisol (the stress hormone) levels were cut in half after viewing semi-erotic images. Reduced stress = improved concentration (and better mental performance in general). This is equally true for women, so ladies, the next time you’re faced with a long division issue, pick up a copy of “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
6. Porn helps to normalize desires.
Do you enjoy getting off to women farting on cakes? What about squeezing balloons between your thighs? Putting on panda costumes? What about Harry Potter? What about Ronald McDonald? Do you enjoy having sex with your vehicle? If you can think of a desire, there’s a very good probability that online porn exists to satisfy it.
This trove of xxx-rated images and videos aids in the eradication of sexual stigma and shame by demonstrating to would-be-wankers that they are not alone, that their desires are legitimate, and that, while certain fetishes may not be as popular as others, they are still available, which is a good thing.
7. Mainstream porn gave rise to awesome, queer, diverse, indie porn.
Nobody denies that mainstream porn has flaws — but one beautiful benefit of mainstream porn’s dearth is that we now have a plethora of sex-positive, feminist, queer, indie, hairy, nonbinary, body-positive, and ethical porn to pick from. Sites like the Pink & White Productions, Indie Porn Revolution, Naughty Natural, FTM F**ker, and many others are changing the porn game, allowing new, diverse desires to be seen and enjoyed and wanked to.
DIY porn is also seeing its day in the sun, with directors like Madison Young urging folks to get behind (and in front of) the camera. “We can’t wait for the mainstream to represent our stories and our sexuality in a way that is authentic and resonates with us,” Young told me in a previous interview. “It’s up to us — the artists, the activists, to care about and create change for the cultural advancement of our communities, and the way in which we are represented as individuals and sexual beings.”
There’s no better way I can think to stick it to the man than by sticking it to yourself and supporting indie artists and entrepreneurs.
8. Porn helps you figure out what turns you on.
How can sexual beings discover what they want in bed? You’re probably getting your dream fuel from porn and erotica, unless you’re one of the few liars, excuse me, individuals who only jerk it when thinking of your monogamous relationship. After all, it is, like masturbation, one of the instruments at our disposal for determining what turns us on.
This is especially true for persons who have non-mainstream wants, such as queer people, kinksters, and those interested in BDSM. Masochists don’t just wake up one day, put on a ball gag and a rodeo clown suit, and go down to their local dungeon for some impact play and needling. Porn is one of the ways we educate ourselves about ourselves, our desires, our no-nos, our no-ons, what delights us, what disgusts us, and what disgusts us in a way that we might like with the right person in the right situation.
It’s a safe, judgment-free environment in which to experiment, broaden our horizontal horizons, and learn about the wild, wild world of arousal.
9. Porn is entertaining.
This Tumblr of indifferent cats in amateur porn would not exist without the existence of smut. Is that truly the kind of world you want to live in?
Neither would “safe for work” porn, in which porn performers are digitally altered to appear to be doing things like drinking a cola, shaving a poodle, or assisting Santa Claus in delivering presents.
Then there are Blackboards in Porn, in which someone examines the math equations, grammar instruction, and other writing on blackboards in the backdrops of porn videos.
And let’s not forget Just Another IKEA Catalog, a Tumblr dedicated to “Scandinavian modern style furniture and accessories in amateur pornography.” The list goes on and on.