Hello everyone and welcome back for another edition of Sexplorations!
Summer is finally on its way which is definitely welcome news considering how chilly the last few months have been. But, if you're still feeling the cold, don't worry because this May edition will definitely get you heated - in more ways than one.
If we look back at puberty and pubescence, we can see that a lot of our first introductions to physical sex acts are through some type of pornography.
This could be from flicking through late night TV and coming across *that* channel, finding a dirty magazine or, more recently, stumbling across NSFW content online.
This can be shocking to a virginal eye at first, but pornography can be a key part in sexual development. Using pornography during masterbation/solo play can help with understanding the purpose of sexual organs, what feels good and how to achieve orgasm prior to attempting sex with a partner.
This can sound like a good idea on paper, but how does something as heavily refined and polished as mainstream porn compare to genuine sex?
Pornographic content is often extremely manufactured. Actors are often tanned, waxed, and made up to perfection. Scenes are staged for the sole purpose of looking good for a viewer, not actually feeling good for the person performing them. Almost everything filmed is then edited and spliced together to create the most idealised and perfect version of a scene, just like in film and television.
In short; perfectly perky boobs, huge penises, OTT moans and groans, AND women finishing in the space 90 seconds?... I smell bullshit.
This output of unrealistic sex can severely damage our perceptions of what sex is actually like in real life. It's no secret that most young people learn how to have sex via porn which is accesses through sites such as PornHub, Xvideos and social media such as X (formerly Twitter).
The issue with these platforms is that they are mostly unregulated. Despite X's commitment to crackdown on NSFW content on the app, promotional videos and accounts dedicated to posting X-rated material are still just a click away on the app.
Violent sexual videos are also readily available on both PornHub and Xvideos, mostly without restrictions or warnings. This also means that underage consumers can easily access sexually aggressive content incredibly easily.
This, accompanied with the blurred lines of reality and entertainment, can lead to young people assuming that violent sex is normal sex and therefore begin acting out what they see online in their own sex lives.
Another issue with unregulated platforms is the lack of formal authorised consent given by those whose content is on the site.
A person may take part in a recorded sex act and that video may then be uploaded to a site without their consent. This then violates the consent originally given by the person who was being filmed as the video has then been distributed without their informed consent and knowledge.
This can be a type of revenge porn or, if a performers work from a separate private platform is then uploaded to a public one, that is then an infringement on their work and intellectual property.
These issues make publically accesible pornography seem unethical for many consumers. So, the question is, if mainstream accessible porn is unethical, where should we get our porn from?
We'll discuss everything from ethical porn consumption to what it's actually like to work in the industry next month, in conversation with those who work and have worked in the industry through sites such as OnlyFans.
Thank you for reading this edition of Sexplorations!
Edited by Emily Duff