Question on porn.

[Brakeman]

I disagree that it is completely reflective. Porn has been proven to have a massive impact in how people view sex, especially the younger generations. As someone who grew up able to access and watch porn it definitely gave me a warped perception of what sex is like and has influenced me to a great extent. Not in a way that I consider all together good either.

In reference to the OP, I'd say it is both.

The OP referred to "world sexuality" not individual sexuality. As a whole, we buy what we want.

Anyway, you claim that porn gave you a warped perception of what sex is like.
I am surprised by this claim. Can you give a couple of the main particular examples?

[Napoléon]

The OP referred to "world sexuality" not individual sexuality. As a whole, we buy what we want.

I never got that impression.

Besides most porn nowadays is not bought. Most porn businesses (I would assume) make money from advertising revenue.

Anyway, you claim that porn gave you a warped perception of what sex is like.
I am surprised by this claim. Can you give a couple of the main particular examples?

I'm surprised that you're surprised, I genuinely thought it was common knowledge that porn can do this. There's entire movements out there dedicated to getting people off the porn. I tried r/nofap on reddit for a good while. There's a lot of information on there that would suggest porn (as well as masturbation) are negative influences on people's mindsets. Not saying I believe it all but there's certainly some truth to it.

From a personal point of view, sex (when I had it for the first time) was nothing like what it is depicted as in porn. I'm sure it's the same for virtually everyone, no?

A more specific example? Titty jobs are far less exciting than porn would have me believe. I doubt I'd of ever thought to go for that unless I got the idea from porn.

So in that sense, that is something that porn has directly influenced.

[Brakeman]

A more specific example? Titty jobs are far less exciting than porn would have me believe. I doubt I'd of ever thought to go for that unless I got the idea from porn.

So in that sense, that is something that porn has directly influenced.

Really, that's what you mean by influence? it gives you positional or method ideas? A sex list on wikipedia could give you that. That's not directly related to porn any more than the ancient karma sutra, I would call that an indirect influence and I wouldn't call it a negative influence.

That's not what I perceived as "influence of porn."

[max-greece]

Nice to see everyone exchanging opinions. Brakeman is right - I did say world sexuality, but I really meant along the lines of trends which would encompass individual sexuality.

It seems to me that porn leads rather than follows. In the effort to attract more customers they have gotten steadily more extreme. When I was a lad it was magazines with pictures of naked women, with body hair (yeah - the '70's and early '80's). There were no men in the pictures at all. When men were introduced it was without erections.

Now not only can you see any possible sexual act but you can see it in video and for free. You only pay if you want it in full HD.

The vast majority of women portrayed are shaven - that was almost unheard of when I was in my teens. I can't say for sure the trend came from porn but it does seem to be that way.
Anal sex (man woman). Didn't even cross my horizon till I was well in my twenties. Even then it was something guys wanted and women most certainly didn't. Of all my friends in steady relationships none claimed their wives/ SO's would allow them - and it would have been some bragging rights in the group if they did claim it and were believed.
Deep throating - unheard of except in relation to discussions on Linda Lovelace - porn star. It was very much regarded as her being one of the few in the world that could. None of us even thought of asking our other halves to give it a try - we thought they'd choke to death.

Now no-one bats an eyelid at any of the above (and I could continue the list). One could argue these things are now expected.

I'd say, for better or worse, its porn driven.

[Losty]

But people's feeling about sex and sexuality must have been changing before porn, or else porn would have never happened.

[Brian37]

Anything left without regulation can become exploited. Why human sexuality gets such a taboo is sick. Our species would not have evolved if we didn't find our private parts fun to play with. Porn should be treated no differently than any other aspect of life. Regulate it so it is safe for those who partake in it, value consent between the adults doing it. Go after the crime element in it but don't think you can rid the world of it completely.

You look at any other big business and you can see exploitation as well. Sweat shop factories built on child labor, and slave wages all over the world. Big businesses polluting the environment all the time.

Every time especially religious fundies bitch about porn, all I can think is how many of those same people view it themselves.

[FreeTony]

Every time especially religious fundies bitch about porn, all I can think is how many of those same people view it themselves.

No need to wonder, a study was released and the more religious states of America had higher porn viewing figures. http://people.hbs.edu/bedelman/papers/re...states.pdf
Apparently they also watch more gay porn, though I'm not sure if this includes men watching girl on girl stuff.
You only get these results if you track them without asking, i.e. with credit card details etc. If you ask people then Christians are more likely to deny it.

So not only do they watch as much or more porn than the average person, they are more likely to lie about it too. I have a hypothesis that this is actually great for the churches as they make the people feel guilty about it, which in turn increases "guilt" donations. I'm not sure how this could be tested though.

[max-greece]

But people's feeling about sex and sexuality must have been changing before porn, or else porn would have never happened.

Well that's the question I am asking. Was it changing anyway or was it led to change?

[Napoléon]

Really, that's what you mean by influence? it gives you positional or method ideas? A sex list on wikipedia could give you that. That's not directly related to porn any more than the ancient karma sutra, I would call that an indirect influence and I wouldn't call it a negative influence.

That's not what I perceived as "influence of porn."

How is that anything but an influence on sexuality? The question in the OP was "Does Porn reflect sexuality in our world or does it influence it?". What definition of influence are you using? I gave a specific example of my own (that you requested) that suggests it had at some level influenced my own sexuality. I'm a part of this world no? Why is it a bad example of influence? If I'd have read the Kama Sutra and tried out things in there I'd say it would be an influence too. I'm not sure how you reach any other conclusion personally.

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But people's feeling about sex and sexuality must have been changing before porn, or else porn would have never happened.

I don't think so. There have always been a few people interested in viewing sexual images and the like, or the more extreme sexual acts. The availability of porn is simply what has allowed it to grow and have influence more. First it was dirty magazines, then it's late night shows on TV, now it's the internet. I don't think it's necessarily sexuality itself driving this, just that it's easier to access due to advances in technology.

Would you say the increase in eating exotic foods over the course of history has been driven by the foods themselves or the availability and accessibility of them? I'd say it's the same principle with porn whatever your answer.

[paulpablo]

Someone wrote that it has to be a reflection of what people like in order to sell, that's half right.

It needs to be a reflection of what some people like in order for some people to have made it in the first place but it doesn't need to sell at all, a lot of porn is amateur stuff put on xhamster or porntube these days.

As for being an influence personally I can't even count how many ideas I've taken from porn and put into practice, I can think of at least 5 or 6 now just off the top of my head and all of them were fucking amazingly good.

I personally think it does effect society greatly, makes taboo subjects less taboo, makes a lot of people realize it isn't so freaky to be into certain things.