The Effects of Internet Pornography on Adolescents, Married Couples, and Families

Since the dawn of the internet, pornography has become more readily available than ever before. With so much sexual material ready to be accessed at the touch of a button, it is fair to assume that it could change attitudes towards sex. What effects does sexually explicit content actually have on teenagers, married couples, and families? Due to the growth of the porn industry, more and more research is being done to find the answer to that question. Studies have found that exposure to internet pornography can lead to a change in attitude towards sex and threatened stability in marriages and families.

The focus of much of the research being done is on the effects of internet pornography because of the inherent accessibility, anonymity, and affordability of sexually explicit content online; researchers refer to these factors as the “Triple-A Engine” (Manning 133). This Triple-A Engine is one of the main contributing factors to the growing usage of pornography by teenagers, which in turn has changed their attitude towards sex. Jochen Peter and Patti M. Valkenburg of the Amsterdam School of Communications Research performed various studies on adolescents and internet pornography that reinforced the idea that “[e]xposure to sexually explicit online material was, via the perceived realism of such material, associated with recreational attitudes toward sex” (p. 654). When looking at the effect of internet pornography on marriage and families, Jill C. Manning of Birgham Young University came to the conclusion that exposure to internet pornography led to instability between married couples, along with decreases in sexual satisfaction and intimacy (p. 156). A correlation was also drawn between pornography in the home and impaired emotional and sexual development in children, among other effects (Manning p.157). In most cases, men are often the main perpetrators (Manning p. 134)

The problems presented by the findings listed above are numerous. When looking at a teenagers “recreational” attitude towards sexual intercourse, it is important to keep in mind the implications that could result from such a belief. This attitude is a direct result of exposure to internet pornography, in which men and women are treated as objects and sex is treated as a fun, exciting endeavour, and nothing else. This can lead to an increase in unsafe sex practices and a general change in attitude towards women, devaluing them. The problems get progressively worse when you think of the number of marriages that are ruined by pornography. Both men and women feel betrayed when a spouse is caught viewing sexually explicit material alone and it can greatly damage the feeling of intimacy between couples, not to mention the harm it does to children whose lives are then affected by the fallout, be it quarrelling or divorce. It is hard to know what to do about adults who are addicted to pornographic content, but in the case of children and adolescents, it is in large part up to the parents to ensure that their children’s lives are not affected by pornography. Apart from this, stricter regulations should be put on suppliers of pornographic material to the internet, making it more difficult for children and teenagers to access.

With the internet gaining more users every day, the popularity of pornography is only going to rise. Men and women of all ages will need to deem for themselves what content is appropriate and inappropriate for them and those they are responsible for.

Works Cited

Manning, Jill C. "The Impact of Internet Pornography on Marriage and the Family: A Review of the Research." Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 13.2 (2006): 131-65.

Peter, Jochen, and Patti M. Valkenburg. "Adolescents’ Exposure to Sexually Explicit Online Material and Recreational Attitudes Toward Sex." Journal of Communication 56.4 (2006): 639-60.