Recent times have seen various studies and institutions point towards the growing problem that porn is creating in our society. But many wonder why it has only developed to this extreme in the modern day. To understand why pornography addiction has become such a serious problem, it’s important to understand the evolution of pornography and how it reached its present form.
Porn didn’t just appear recently, it’s been a longtime industry that has morphed over several years. We’ve seen rapid changes in the pornography industry in just the past decade. But there is much more to the story than the last few years.
In this article, we’re going to take a deeper look at the evolution of porn – it will help you better understand the mechanisms that have made it so easy to access pornographic material, as well as how the industry has become so powerful. If you truly want to understand the reasons behind why porn has become so prolific, it’s important to make sure that you get the whole picture.
The Origins
As with anything, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact origins of porn. Regardless, pornography has been around in some form or another for thousands of years. Greek and Roman statues often depicted sexual images and naked bodies that would resemble some pornographic images of today. Many of these statues were displayed in public places and areas where they were clearly visible.
The notion that pornography is a recent trend is a complete myth. If we fast forward a few thousand years, we still see plenty of pornographic material in the 19th century. This started with drawings, erotica books, and other forms of pornography, before it moved on to still images at the advent of the camera.
France began to see pornographic film in the late 1800s, though the material was silent during these times. These sorts of materials continued to be popular throughout history as society progressed, but they were not mainstream or accessible by the masses as they are today.
Progression
Pornography really began to progress in the 60s and 70s. Cameras and color photography made it much easier to create realistic pornographic material. Magazines and videos were distributed openly, and porn’s popularity increased rapidly. There were also many theatres that would show pornographic material openly.
While porn became much more accessible, it was still somewhat difficult to obtain in comparison to modern day. You would have to pay for or rent pornographic material if you wanted to watch videos or purchase magazines.
As the internet began to come into play, pornographic material rapidly increased in popularity. You could access porn by simply turning on your computer and connecting to a series of online websites. While you used to have to pay for such material, the advent of online marketing meant that many porn sites became freely accessible to the public. Porn switched from something conducted by professionals, to something that could be produced using a cheap digital camera. The amount of pornographic material, as well as the diversity of the material, increased rapidly.
Accessibility
One of the biggest differences we’re seeing in modern pornography is the accessibility of the content. You no longer need to purchase pornography from a store, or rent it from a rental location – you can access anything you want, at any time. In addition, you can access this material on almost any device. Plenty of people watch porn on smart phones, tablets, and computers.
In addition, you can seek out forms of pornography that you prefer – you can find genres of material that you might not have previously realized existed. Because of these factors, it’s also much easier to hide your pornography use from families or loved ones.
What’s Problematic
So, what’s the problem with modern day pornography? There are a few issues that may be contributing to porn addiction in modern society, and many of these issues come down to the easy accessibility and depth of the material.
For example, a young teen who previously would have been unable to access porn because of sale restrictions in stores, can now go online and find anything they want. This means that people are being exposed to pornographic material at a much younger age, which is dangerous when a brain is developing.
In addition, people are able to access as much porn as they want, meaning that a problem with porn can quickly increase when it is so accessible. In addition, people can find extreme pornography that can damage their view of sex, or lead them to have sexual urges that are outside of sexual norms. This type of escalation can result in people not having interest in normal sexual activities. It can also further damage relationships and have severe impacts on the mental health of person the addiction is affecting.
We cover some of the problems in more depth in some of our other articles on our blog.
Verdict
While many people throughout the United States consume porn, there’s no doubt that certain people do have a problem with how much pornography they consume. If you think you have an addiction to pornography that you can’t control, it can be hard to come to terms with seeking help. Most people don’t want to think that they have a problem with illicit material. In addition, it can be a hard burden to carry especially because it’s an awkward conversation to have with loved ones.
Fortunately, there are plenty of online communities filled with people with the exact same problem. It’s actually a much more common problem than you think – thousands of people from around the country are currently battling with porn addictions.
If you think you need additional help, make sure to check out some of the other information on our website. We have a wealth of information about the side effects of porn addiction, its causes, and how you can get help to deal with your addiction. Remember, there are plenty of available professionals and resources at your disposal – plenty of people specialize in this form of addiction.
