“To what extent does pornography affect human
attitudes and behaviours?”
Life Orientation IEB ORT 2021
St Mary’s School Waverley
Completed by Hannah Moore
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1
, Table of contents
1. Introduction 2
2. Literature Review 5
3. Analysis, Interpretation & Discussion of Findings 28
4. Conclusion 37
5. Reference List 40
6. Appendix 44
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,Introduction
The main objective of this research task is to examine the effects of pornography on individuals
who use and participate in the pornography industry. Pornography can be defined as
representations designed to arouse and give sexual pleasure to those who read, see, hear, or
handle them. A 1986 Federal Government Commission on pornography defined the term as
“material predominantly sexually specific and intended for the purpose of sexual arousal” 1
In order to achieve the main objective of this task, I will investigate the following:
● How does pornography affect the human brain of the user, and how does this in turn
influence an individual’s attitudes and behaviours?
● Does pornography lead to increased violence and abuse of women in real life?
The changing nature of internet pornography, higher addiction rates, and the social-
acceptability of pornography have contributed to many social problems, including increased
child pornography, human trafficking, the abuse of women and the breakdown of relationships
and families. In today’s society, viewing pornography is seen as the new norm and even
encouraged by sexual experts, media and talk show hosts. Owing to the development of the
internet, pornography and cybersex have become much more accessible and free from
regulations and social stigma. More people are consuming pornography, which is becoming
increasingly extreme and violent. At an increasingly younger age, boys are accessing internet
pornography through friends and cellphones, resulting in alarming addiction rates. The effects
of pornography on the brain and consequently, attitudes and behaviour, is largely ignored due
to the normalization of the pornography industry. It is widely believed that pornography is an
innocent form of art, sexual exploration and self-expression which hurts no one, but this
research task will seek to investigate whether this is a true assumption.
1
Krueger, :., Weiss, S., Kaplan, M., Braunstein, L. and Wiener, E., 2015. The Impact of Internet Pornography Use and Cybersexual
Behavior on Child Custody and Visitation. [online] Taylor & Francis. Available at:
<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15379418.2013.781860> [Accessed 13 July 2021].3
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, Children aged 12 through 17 are the largest consumers of pornography on the internet, with
42% of children first viewing pornography before they turn 13.2 With the ever-increasing
availability of technology and the internet, pornography via the internet becomes easier and
easier to access. Many websites offer free pornography of every kind and intensity, thus
removing the financial restrictions that might keep minors away from pornography. The
anonymity of the internet also allows children greater ease of access and it is no longer
necessary to purchase pornographic magazines or DVD’s in-person. Now, the only nominal
obstacle for children on pornography sites is a simple box to click which supposedly verifies
that the user is at least 18 years old. Moreover, children are coerced into the making of
pornographic material and there is almost no regulation of this abuse. With the rapid expansion
of pornography, especially in the hands of children –the question becomes increasingly
pressing: How is pornography shaping our youth?
I will explore whether pornography is a subset of self-expression, or more akin to drug use in
terms of its actual effects in society and on individuals. I will further examine whether the
nature of pornography belies a deep disregard for and misrepresentation of sexuality and
human reality. I will evaluate whether pornography is deeply antisocial and degrading for
women, and if it creates a ripe atmosphere for abuse of the most vulnerable members of
society. If so, as a just, humanitarian society, we should not accept, consume, or regard
pornography as an innocent personal hobby, but should recognize the studies which expose its
destructive effects and the dangers it presents for contemporary society and humanity as a
whole.
In this task, I will investigate the extent to which viewing pornographic material affects an
individual user’s brain and the consequences of these effects on the user. With reference to
recent scientific studies, I will provide evidence to suggest that engaging in pornography
produces large amounts of dopamine similar to that of drug use, resulting in ever-increasing
2
Gov.za. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/report-internet-usage-and-exposure-
pornography0.pdf> [Accessed 13 July 2021]. 4
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