Warning: This article mentions explicit content about the dangers of the pornography industry.

Everywhere we look, pornographic and provocative material fills our gaze. Our culture promotes undignified sexuality readily to everyone, even young children. Right by a candy stand in the store, Cosmopolitan magazines boast headlines such as "Great Sex Tips to Make Him Love You" or "His Great Sex Wishes." These headlines are demeaning to women and echo male egoism. Oftentimes, we don't even bat an eyelash to the provocative material that surrounds us. Even food commercials have taken on a sex appeal.

Porn is ruining our culture and desensitizing men, women, and young children alike. A study conducted by Life Site News found that "continued exposure to porn gives the brain an unnatural high—something it literally isn’t wired to handle—and the brain eventually fatigues. Anatomy and physiology instructor Gary Wilson notes this is the same pattern noticed when drugs are abused: the brain becomes desensitized." The hyper-reactivity caused by viewing pornographic content can be harmful to the brain, negatively affecting important structures of the brain, such as the pre-frontal cortex (the part of brain involving problem solving and processing difficult thoughts).

Another study conducted by a group of PhD scholars within a Cyber Psychology and Behavior publication found that exposure to pornography for children and adolescents resulted in more delinquent behavior among the youth, and they are four times more likely to engage in violence if the individual viewed pornographic content. Similarly, of all participants surveyed, 53% of the children exposed to pornography was due to unwanted exposure. They were also two times more likely to have major depression and higher rates of body dysmorphia.

Pornography, especially pornographic films, create an unnatural expectation of what sex should be like. Women are dolled up and men are allowed full control over a woman's body. There are no boundaries. BDSM and Rough Sex videos where women are forced into sex are some of the most popular categories of pornographic videos. What idea does this leave for the minds of the youth? They learn that consent is not important. They learn that demeaning a woman is okay. And they learn that the ideal body is unattainable.

This is our youth. These children are our future. And porn is ruining them.

Because of society's view on sex and consent being so misconstrued, we have cases like that of Brock Turner--a rapist who was let off easy because he was a "good kid" who "made a mistake."

No. This is not okay. This never was and never will be okay.

"Soft core" pornography, that which is seen in tabloid magazines and ads, is also unhealthy. Young girls today have the highest rates of anorexia, suicidal thoughts, and feelings of worthlessness. Young boys are not too far behind, and they are also made to believe that they have to fit certain societal standards to fit in by false advertisements.

Porn is a lie. You see what society wants you to think is pleasing to see. The reality is that your porn habits directly fuel sex trafficking. Each year, two million women in the United States become victims of sex trafficking and are forced into the porn industry. They are given drugs to numb the pain from multiple sex scenes. If a woman is on her period, this doesn't prevent filming. She is forced to put a sponge in her genitals to prevent leakage. Porn is extremely detrimental, especially to poorer populations of women, who look to porn for a stable income. Yet, these women are met with abuse and deceit.

If this article has made you uncomfortable, then I've done my job.

Let's stop pretending that viewing pornography is healthy for anyone. Your spare time is better spent elsewhere.

For more information, feel free to check out these websites:

www.yourbrainonporn.com

www.fightthenewdrug.com