PORNOGRAPHY ADDICTION
Þ Definition:
“Pornography can be defined as the pictures and writings of sexual activity intended solely to excite lustful feelings of a particularly blatant and aberrational kind, such as acts involving children, animals, orgies, and all types of sexual intercourse.”
Þ Pornography Addiction the social problem
Now a days, social media is a silent killer of our society and Pornography Addiction is one of the most emerging social problems. Pornography has always been a societal concern. A society is said to be healthy when all the organs it has are working properly, each carrying out its part effectively. Problems like pornography are experienced when some of these organs have failed in their functions. Such are the family, the government and also the state including internet service provider.
For example, there is a lack of sex education and sexual awareness at school level and somehow our culture don’t accept it if someone want to take about their sexual arousals that’s why many adults hesitate to share their emotions and talk about their sexual problems and then they use the porn content in order to make their own fantasies.
Pornography give rise to various social problems. Addicts are antisocial beings that have an unusually low opinion about women and are ready to accept explanations that tend to justify sexual crimes like rape, sodomy, etc. socially it has had profound effects whereby incidences of child molestations have been directly linked to pornography. Serial murders have a history of having an addiction for pornography. They finally start replicating the content of these pornographic materials as a way of living their fantasies.
Þ Sociological analysis
I will explain this social problem “Pornography” by using the following sociological perspectives:
1. Symbolic interaction perspective
The perspective of symbolic interactionism theory is used to understand the process of formation of individual behavior because of the social environment. In the perspective of symbolic interactionism, it shows that the condition of the society will continue to be created repeatedly through individual interactions with symbolic representations of the surrounding society. Symbolic interactionism enables individuals to develop their own self-sense to be socialized in social life.
Every individual give meaning to the symbols displayed on pornographic internet content. Aspects of symbolic interaction through actions, gestures, significant symbols, mind, self, society. This analysis is to find out the formation of sexual scripts of adolescents who experience internet pornography addiction. Symbols on internet pornographic content are slow motion, sound, facial expressions, cosmetology, indoors, outdoors, musical accompaniment. Individual give meaning to internet pornography shows as a form of sexual intercourse that are actually experienced in a real situation. The symbols in the video either in the form of sexual scenes, sounds, words or places can give meaning to sexual symbols.
2. Functionalist perspective
The Functionalist Theory makes an excellent argument for the functions, manifest and latent, of pornography in our society. Through this theory pornography can be explained by its manifest uses in sexual release, experimentation, entertainment, and by its economic benefits.
One latent function of the porn industry is that it helps boost revenue for many other companies that help make it all happen. Porn is also valuable for bankers, software producers, internet providers, and hotel chains. Another latent function includes a correlation between the availability of porn and the amount of rapes. To the functionalists, it’s important to look at both the positive and negative consequences porn has on society.
3. Conflict perspective
Conflict Theory may explain best is the struggle between conservative groups and supporters of the porn industry to control ratings, access, and distribution of product (let alone its very existence). There is an imbalance of power between men and women derived from females being portrayed as objects. Generally, pornography encourages the idea that men are superior to women and helps to enforce inequalities between the sexes in our society. Most pornography devalues females and reinforces expectations of how a girl should look, act, and behave.
Þ Causes
There are the following causes of pornography addiction:
1. Unhealthy cultural norms
In our cultural, it is prohibited to talk openly about sex and sex related issues. That’s why most of the individuals use pornography as a safest option in satisfying themselves
2. Biological causes
Certain biological factors including changes in brain chemistry when a person view porn increase the risk of addiction.
3. Relationship problems
The sexual dissatisfaction in the marital relationship may also lead towards the pornography.
4. Psychological problems
Depression, history of physical and sexual abuse plays a critical role in pornography addiction due to loneliness and overthinking. Those who are suffering from psychological problems are more vulnerable to the addiction of pornography.
5. Drug and alcohol use
Researches shows that most of the drug addicts are also the porn addicts. Pornography use lead to a chemical dependency commonly experienced with illicit street drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
Þ Consequences
1. Porn and Rape
The easy access to the pornography increases the 85% of rape cases and child abuse in the past 25 years while access to pornography has become freely available to teenagers and adults.” On the other hand, the researches show that pornography raises the rape incidents and pornography poses a greater risk for sexually aggressive behavior.
2. Dysfunctions in the society
There are also many dysfunctions that pornography can be linked to addiction, deviation of existing norms and values, and the deterioration of marriage. Some of the common damaging effects of pornography for users can include addiction, isolation, increased aggression, distorted beliefs and perceptions about relationships and sexuality, negative feelings about themselves, and neglecting other areas of their lives
3. Psychological effect of pornography
It is important that how people evaluate their own sexual conduct by comparing themselves with the pornography. The scenes in pornographic content, assumptions, are portrayed by figures who are handsome, good-looking, and beautiful, with an ideal body. Adolescents perform internet pornography watching activities which contain exploitation of a woman’s body and sexual harassment. Men as a symbol of strength must be strong, muscular while women should be slim with big breasts. Sexual behavior that appears on the subject in is performed by having sexual intercourse followed by masturbation. Individuals become more conscious about their bodies which ultimately affect the social, personal and occupational life.
4. Effect on family
1. It decreases marital intimacy and sexual satisfaction
2. Infidelity (unfaithful to the intimate partner)
3. Devaluation of monogamy, marriage and child rearing
4. Marital distress and separation leading to divorce
5. It leads towards the elimination of affectionate family life.
5. Effect on community
1. Presence of sexually oriented businesses significantly harm the surrounding community which leads to increase in crime.
2. Sexual violence and crimes are increased like rape and drug use.
Þ Possible solutions
There are the following possible solutions:
1. Provide sex related education and awareness in five major social institutions.
2. Not an easy access to the porn
3. Replace watching porn with the healthy habit
4. Psycho-educate the people (especially parents) in order to make it easy to talk about the sex related problems.
5. Restrict the content in films, dramas in which they portray women/men as a sex objects.
6. The Internet Service Provider should critically analyze the content before make it public.
7. Justifying restrictions on pornography
8. Law against child pornography
9. Psychological and Emotional treatment
10. CSAT (Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist)
Þ Statistics
The Government of Pakistan has placed ban on internet websites containing such material since November 2011. Major pornography website is already barred in Pakistan. In 2016, it was reported that government of Pakistan ordered Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Pakistan to block more than 400,000 websites which contained pornographic content. Later in 2019, around 800,000 additional website containing pornographic content were banned by the Pakistan Telecom Authority on the order of government of Pakistan.
Child pornography is illegal in Pakistan. Culprits found involved in child pornography and child sexual abuse will be subject to 7 years in prison and a fine of US $7,000 as per the Pakistani laws. The punishment was later increased to 14 years to 20 years in prison and a fine of 1 million Rupees. Pakistan also has cyber unit to curb child pornography within the country. The unit has a team of 40 members and one director-level official, who will be independent to investigate the matter and the unit is integrated with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Before introducing its own laws regarding the child pornography, Pakistan had ratified the Optional Protocol to the UNCRC on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.
It is important to remember when working towards recovery that your addiction is routed in complex emotional and psychological causes. Treatment must identify and address these causes. It is also essential that you maintain a focus on these causes as you continue your recovery. So, it may not be always easy for you to quit porn cold turkey or gradually on your own. You may need to alter your life in other ways to help you in your recovery.
A CSAT is a Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist, who has completed extensive training through the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP), which has become the industry standard for treating sex and love addictions, as well as some other process addictions like unhealthy relationships with work and money.
