The UK government intends to block all internet porn in an aim to combat the early sexualisation of children. Parents would have to request to access pornography. What an excellent move this is! As you know, if you have ever stayed in a hotel, porn is on tap and you have to request to turn it off. Why not have it the other way around and require people to 'opt in' and have to make a request for it. That is is what the UK government is doing. They are turning off the tap at its source. Adults will have to 'opt in' if they choose to do so.
Internet pornography is a huge temptation for everyone. It is a multi-billion dollar industry and it is drowning many people in a cesspool of sexual lust.
Christian psychologist, Arch Hart in his book The Sexual Man outlines the dangers or pornography for men (although the same dangers exist for women):
1. Pornography can cause men to prefer a fantasy woman over a real woman. They move from the challenge of a real relationship to an image. Fantasy is less challenging. However, fantasy is not reality.
2. Pornography can be substitute sexual excitement for intimacy. Men can too easily separate sex from love, something that women are far less prone to do.
3. Pornography produces a chemical high and can become addictive. The more you use it the more you need it and the further you drift from reality. More and heavier pornography is required for excitement. Pornography is like junk sex.
4. Woman are de-humanised and become an object to look at rather than person to relate to. It is easy for men to see women as a face and a figure. Pornography intensifies this issue.
5. Many young men have their sexual beliefs and attitudes shaped by pornography and exposure often begins quite young. The fact is that pornography often sets young people up for disappointment in the real world. The vast majority of real women cannot possibly measure up to the air-brushed, colour-enhanced, glossy photographs that can become that standard of reference for some males. Pornography distorts a man’s views of how women feel about sex and what can be reasonably expected from sex.
6. Pornography damages marriages. Research on viewing pornography reveals that both men and women rated their spouses less attractive and felt less in love with them. Repeated exposure to pornography results in a decreased satisfaction with one’s sexual partner, with the partner’s sexuality, with the partner’s sexual curiosity, a decrease in the valuation of faithfulness, and a major decrease in the importance of sex with attachment.
No doubt, removing the ease in which pornography can be accessed is a small step in the right direction.
Wouldn't it be great if the Australian government did something similar.
Great post Mark. I concur, it would be great to have to ‘opt-in’. Porn wasredaily available when we were growing up in the 80’s – but what chance have children got now. Even MTV is really ‘soft-porn’.
Agree, Richard! My understanding is that those behind it decided against a ‘moralistic’ approach as a motivator for change, but instead focused on a research report showing the damage that porn, violence and other such matters have on children. Very smart!
I applaud the UK – as for our Government – we need to be the voices that ask them to do the same and begin to wipe porn from all of our screens.