Researching this topic is difficult. Like most males (or more realistically "most people"), I have seen and consequently been effected by pornography. I was 12 years old the first time. Digging deeper into just what those effects are is frightening work for many, many reasons. . . perhaps the most alarming of which is the prevalence and early exposure among younger and younger kids. Then, you start thinking ahead. . . and it's scary.
The good news is that there seems to be more and more anti-pornography information on the Internet. If you haven't already seen the site for Fight The New Drug you need to check it out. Here's a helpful infographic from the site that you can use to guide your discussions with the kids you know and love. . . and a link to the graphic and additional stats with references. . . .
2 comments:
This is very interesting stuff Walt... It strikes me thought that a lot of the facts and figures given in this graphic describe a causal relationship where there isn't adequate support. For instance, you say "Twice as many people who use internet pornography are reported to have severe clinical depression compared to non-users." This communicates that porn causes sever clinical depression (which it may in fact be linked in this way); however the statistics does not support that claim, the statistics is descriptive. This fact could equally say that for people that are severely clinically depressed are twice as likely as those not to engage in viewing internet pornography.
I am not trying to build a case that viewing pornography is not related to negative outcomes, or positive, for that matter. I am very interested in the topic of healthy sexual identity and want to make sure that we accurately represent what facts and statistics can, and cannot, accurately say. Thank you for tackling such an important topic!
Travis - thanks for your comment. I agree on statistical interpretation. I would go ahead and float your concerns to the creators of the infographic. I would be most interested in their response.
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