I do not think there is anything in this world that is simultaneously loved and hated like pornography.

According to Psychologytoday, the pornography industry brings in $10 to $12 billion per year in the United States alone. The negative impacts of pornography are endless and, this article will be examining a few of those negative impacts and their consequences on the world at large.

First, is the misuse of industry workers and human trafficking, which should be quite obvious.  In most western countries, there is a habit/ tendency to exploit vulnerable people, mostly young women- in this case immigrants, orphans, poor people or a group of people who are viewed as racially inferior — for the profit of the pornography industry.

It is also known that the international society has not acted with a sense of urgency to eradicate, this problem because they are often driven to deal with problems by the number. (to have concrete numbers of the women and men that are being exploited in order to legitimize the problem) So, the mere fact that most of these pornography businesses are run underground means that the international society cannot get the exact estimate of how this business is being run.

Of course, the individuals that are being exploited suffer innumerable consequences, physically and psychologically that cannot be fixed by a mere band aid that is offered  by international organisations such as Amnesty International. So, the issue of sex trafficking is dealt with on the basis of how many people are affected in order to capture the attention of the international society, rather than the fact that there are people being affected.

Secondly, pornography also interferes with romantic relationships and breaks up homes and marriages. This happens when either the husband or wife is addicted to pornography and they begin to idolize it and prioritize it over their spouse and children. Pornography is a drug like any other. Quite addictive. The spouse will lose value of the intimate and spiritual experience of sex and begin to practice what he or she is watching on their screens.  They do not realize that the pornography is fictional. As a result the husband may begin to lose interest in his wife, because she cannot satisfy him in the way that he wants to be satisfied. (To be honest, I don’t think anyone really can.) Pornography also encourages violence in the act of sex, which again, takes away the intimacy of sex.

Parents these days tend to be reluctant to discuss the issues of sex and pornography with their children. Human beings in general are inquisitive by nature. So if their parents or guardians are not answering their questions or bringing up the topic of sex to begin with, this leaves a void that pornography falsely fills.This may affect the development of children by offering a flawed understanding of what sex is like – often an understanding typically filled with with violence, domination, infidelity and abuse.  False ideas of sex ignore the proper steps and precautions that need to be taken which ultimately leads to faster spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

In conclusion, change can only be long lasting if it begins at home. We must therefore always look inward before looking outward. The problem at large is that society is being affected by the consumption of pornography, so sex education needs to start at home. This will help raise moral standards right from our homes, in order to make better citizens of the world. That way we can collectively deal with the disease that is pornography.