Blog

Internet Pornography Targets Youth

March 1, 2011

The Internet has brought pornography to a far bigger and more vulnerable audience than ever before.  Technology has made the multi-billion dollar porn industry more accessible, more secretive, and available to far younger people.  According to Chris Hedges, author of The Empire of Illusion, The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle,

“the largest users of Internet porn are between the ages of twelve and seventeen.  And the porn industry producers increasingly target adolescents.”

Hedges goes on to say that “according to the Internet Filter Review, worldwide porn revenues…topped $97 billion in 2006.  That is more than the revenues of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple, Netflix, and Earthlink combined. Annual sales in the United States are estimated at $10 billion or higher.”

According to Hedges, the media outlets owned by AT &T and General Motors companies rake in about 80% of all porn dollars spent by consumers.

Pornography has been taken to a more extreme level with heightened violence mixed with sex.  The new trend in the industry is called Gonzo pornography and it is a much cheaper way to produce pornographic materials. This is a filming style that attempts to place the viewer directly into the scene, and depicts real, violent sexual activity with no attempt at a storyline. Hedges says that, “Gonzo films push the boundaries of porn and often include a lot of violence, physical abuse, and a huge number of partners in succession.”

The name is a reference to gonzo journalism, in which the reporter is part of the event taking place. Gonzo pornography puts the camera right into the action – often with one or more of the participants  both filming and performing sexual acts – without the usual separation characteristic of conventional  porn and cinema; it blurs the line between real life and fiction and normalizes the behaviour.

Gail Dines, Professor of Sociology and American Studies, Wheelock College in the USA and author of Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked our Sexuality says that, “Porn is an industrial product.  I cannot believe how brutal it has become so quickly.”

This dehumanizing portrayal of primarily women affects all of us.  It affects how young men see women and girls in the world.  It sets up our daughters, mothers, and sisters as targets for a brutality that has become confused with entertainment.  Many young men are now getting their sex education from this highly accessible source – the porn industry.

In September 2010 a sixteen year-old young woman was allegedly drugged and raped by multiple individuals at a party in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia.  The assault was filmed, while bystanders stood by and watched.  A sixteen-year old young man posted his film of the assault on the Internet, further victimizing the young woman.  He has since been charged with distributing child pornography.

This event eerily mimics Gonzo porn.  The Internet has opened up a world of amazing possibilities for our society.  Unfortunately there is a large and disturbing price tag attached to it.

Lynda Laushway – Executive Director

Grand Theft Auto – by Christina Antonick

In one of our Grade 10 Respectful Relationships workshops this past week, we spoke with youth about our 5-month social justice youth facilitator training that we do on Monday evenings after school. Our R+R Youth Team co- facilitate sessions with the Adult Facilitators...

A truly inspiring evening – by Megan Manning

A truly inspiring evening – by Megan Manning

A clear vision, a number of passionate and engaged youth, inspiring performers, and many generous community donations, make up the Sparkfest recipe for success. The vision comes from Kate Maurice – Mentor/Supervisor of SWOVA’s Pass It On program - and from amazing...

My Time in the Youth Team – by Cole Smith

My Time in the Youth Team – by Cole Smith

I feel that the SWOVA youth team has impacted my life in such a dramatic way that it would be an injustice to fail to recognize it. As a graduating member of the Respectful Relationships Youth Team, I can say with confidence that the future is in good hands. Working...

Intentional Mentoring – by Kate Maurice

Intentional Mentoring – by Kate Maurice

In my life, the mentor's I've had have always been people I've recognized after the fact. I think it's rarer when we find ourselves in intentional mentoring.  In either direction — to have the confidence to believe you could be a mentor to someone or conversely the...

Training With All the Comforts of Home – By Chris Gay

Training With All the Comforts of Home – By Chris Gay

 SWOVA has always prided itself on the training it provides facilitators interested in delivering the Respectful Relationships (R+R) curriculum. Respectful Relationships (R+R) is a National and Provincial award winning schools-based primary violence prevention program...

Name(Required)
Email(Required)
Please let us know what's on your mind. Have a question for us? Ask away.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.