maleficent

Addiction to porn destroying lives, Senate told

Comparing pornography to heroin, researchers on Thursday called on Congress to finance studies on "porn addiction" and launch a public health campaign about the dangers.

"We're so afraid to talk about sex in our society that we really give carte blanche to the people who are producing this kind of material," said James B. Weaver, a Virginia Tech professor who studies the impact of pornography.

Internet pornography is corrupting children and hooking adults into an addiction that threatens their jobs and families, a panel of anti-porn advocates told the hearing organized by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., chairman of the Commerce subcommittee on science.

Brownback, a father of five, said when he was a boy, the typical kid's exposure was limited to occasional peeks at dirty magazines illicitly obtained by a buddy.

Now, he said, pornography seems pervasive. Children run across it while researching homework on the Internet. Vulgar ads arrive unexpectedly by e-mail. Some of his middle-age male friends limit their time alone in hotel rooms to avoid the temptation of graphic pay-per-view movies, Brownback said.

Mary Anne Layden, co-director of a sexual trauma program at the University of Pennsylvania, said pornography's effect on the brain mirrors addiction to heroin or crack cocaine. She told of one patient, a business executive, who arrived at his office at 9 a.m. each day, logged onto Internet porn sites, and didn't log off until 5 p.m.

Layden called for billboards and bus ads warning people to avoid pornography, strip clubs and prostitutes.

The panel discussion ranged from hardcore, violent pornography to audience complaints about a sexually suggestive promo that aired prior to this week's "Monday Night Football" game.

Brownback, an outspoken Christian conservative who has championed efforts to curb indecency on television and the Internet, said the public is beginning to realize "they don't just have to take it."

But he acknowledged the First Amendment right to free speech has limited congressional efforts.

In June, the Supreme Court blocked a law designed to shield Web-surfing children from pornography, ruling that requiring adults to register or use access codes before viewing objectionable material would infringe on their rights.

Brownback said scientific data is needed to help his cause.

Weaver acknowledged that research "directly assessing the impact of pornography addiction on families and communities is rather limited."

But he pointed to studies that show prolonged use of pornography leads to "sexual callousness, the erosion of family values and diminished sexual satisfaction."

Judith Reisman, a vocal critic of the Kinsey Institute and the field of sexology, suggested Congress require police officers to gather evidence of pornography at crime scenes to further research
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When will we be seeing ads for Pornography Anonymous?

Discuss the pros and cons of pornography.

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pinkie

Heroin... Yeah, right. Try, No way!!

More scare tactics by religious fanatics if you ask me!

[Edit] It's called, parents need to monitor their childrens' activities closer!

saut

I think pornography can definitly be addicting, and even desensitising. I have a friend who is a porn freak. Just recently, he's been starting to hook up with girls (after rougly 19 years of nothing but his hand and a good webpage), but he's found that he prefers masturbation to sex. That's very alarming.

Silvy

This is the most true statement in the article IMHO.
And that, at least, should be changed.

Porn addicting? probably. Just like television, computer games, board games, paper RPG's, eating, drinking, exercise, taking stupid studies to congres for no apparent reason, etc.

And pinkie, while your post is completely true, it is not really the stretch of the article. It is really more about the addiction in general (adults too) and what it does to people, not just kids.

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d*d

He's not doing it right, seriously his inexperience is probably playing a big part there

MSD

Sex is such an unnecessary taboo that we've become afraid of it. People wouldn't be nearly as likely to get addicted to porn if they weren't constantly being force-fed this bullshit that sex is evil and dirty.

KinkyKiwi

lol well its hardly the same thing as hardcore drugs..but how exactly do you get addicted to porn anyway?

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ironman

EVERYTHING can cause addiction as long as you find it pleasant

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DelayedReaction

Pornography is mentally addictive in certain individuals. I used to think I was addicted to pornography, but there's a simple test. Abstain for a month. I'm about halfway through it and I haven't really had any major temptations.

I agree d*d about the guy who prefers masturbation to sex. It takes time to get proficient with sex. I used to think I was the same way, but now I realize the opposite is true.

I think the study is a good idea though, just so long as they don't try to ban porno outright because of it. Alcohol, cigarettes, sex, the Internet, television, and many other things are addictive to a small portion of society. That doesn't mean they should be banned.

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Cynthetiq

I find that I am not in agreement with most of Mr. Brownbacks agenda.

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OFKU0

Sex in America will be between husband and wife and only in the missionary position with no birth control allowable with a time limit of 1 minute to guarantee the spreading of sperm strictly for procreation reasons.

No enjoyment of said sexual act will be permitted.

Men will feel a sense of accomplishment, not performance guilt for their part and the women will feel empowered by receiving the gift of sperm and are not to feel slighted for lack of satisfaction.

THERE WILL BE NO ENJOYMENT OR PLEASURE REGARDING THE SEXUAL ACT. THAT IS ILLEGAL.

Any other person or persons engaging in any sexual act or acts will risk fines and jail time.

Any pornographic materials seized by the government agency Proactive Infidel Marginalization Processing Systems (PIMPS) or by Communities Uniting Neighborhoods Together Safely (CUNTS) will be destroyed immediately.

Missionary position sex is only allowable one weekday a month between 9:00 p.m and 9:01 pm and only if children are safely out of harms reach and sleeping for one half hour.

Missionary sex is prohibited Sundays as this is the Lords day. Normal Sunday activities such as morning church and prayers are mandatory. Anyone not attending church for good reason will have missionary sex privileges denied for 6 months and on probation for the next 6 months.

REPEAT; Anyone in contact with pornographic materials will be dealt with strictly and to the fullest extent of the law. This is for the safety and morality of all America. We are fighting a war on pornography that will be won. One day when pornagraphy ceases to exist, so to will Hell ceases to exist. Remember, if we stand as one,think as one without opinion or dissension, remiss of any individuality, this vile entity can be beaten.

YOU ARE WITH US OR YOU ARE AGAINST US.


For a free brochure regarding rules and regulations concerning allowable sex please contact:
The White House
Dept// Fornication Utilization Commencement Transcripts (FUCT)
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

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KinkyKiwi

hahahahaha!!! ROTFL...

so, do women ever get addicted?

just curious...

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Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps.
Play with each other. Play with yourselves. Just don't play with the squirrels, they bite.

Fate

OFKU0... thanks for the great laugh. I can't tell if it's fake or real.
I totally don't get how people can watch porn for 8 hours straight. Like the example:

I'd be sick of it after 10 mins if I was trying to do work.

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Arc101

How long before they link porn to terrorism. Hey perhaps they will find that Bin Laden is behind all porn in an attempt to make men & women masturbate so much they can’t fire a gun. As a Brit one of the best things I like about America is the ability to produce some great porn films.

Suave

Fuck them. Who are they to tell me what's "indecent" and unacceptable for my viewing? It's not like it's unavoidable. There are plenty of channels that don't show much sexual material at all, and on top of that, the FCC has draconian rules regarding what can and cannot be aired on TV as it is. Certain people will get addicted to anything, and the only way to possibly completely protect them is to take away all stimuli from them, where they would then die. *gives conservative nutcases the thumbs up sign*

water_boy1999

Pro's: The obvious pros to pornography (or other sexually explicit media) are its ability to teach couples different ways to spice up their marraige and give them new ideas and ways of trying different things with their SO. It enables single people to have a visual in their self-sexual exploration. Sex sells. It helps some business attract a particular niche of clientele. It has some benefits in the medical field, i.e. Sperm Banks.


Con's: Sex sells. Not just porn, but sex in general is used in so many facets of advertising media that it is everywhere. Kids don't really have to search real hard these days to find sexually explicit material that is probably inappropriate for them to be seeing. Pornography promotes early sexual experimentation in kids. They see it and they want to do it. Unfortunately, they do it before they are aware of the full implications of sexual acts, whether it be pregnancy, disease, or even the emotional turmoil that comes with entering into a sexual relationship with someone.

Now, is it destroying lives and is it addicting? I think that is more of a scare tactic some conservative nut jobs are forcing down our throats. Brain patterns mirror that of cocaine and heroin? I think eating food mirrors the same brain patterns. Exercising mirrows the same brain patterns. However, you can't have a physical addiction to pornography so how they can even try to group porn into the drugs realm is just a bunch of hokey bullshit.

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K-Wise

Now honestly I know it comes to our e-mails but how many of you have honestly "come across it while researching homework on the internet" ?? I know I never did. I looked for it. And it wasn't THAT long ago that I haven't been in grade school but last time I checked all the "research" I had to do was right there in my text book. I can agree with some of the moral issues in this but rather than waste our money researching it keep an eye on your freakin children! It's not very hard to find out what they've been looking at, granted they're getting smarter these days. Now heres a good question...Obviously pornography has it's faults but

If there were no more pornography this day and age do you think there would be more sex at a younger age or less? It's hard for me to decide as it all starts with the curiousity.

Asta!!

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filtherton

I bet porn would be a lot less addicting if some parts of our society weren't so incredibly repressed when it comes to sex. Ironically these same parts are the ones leading the charge against pornography.

water_boy1999

Couldn't have said it better myself.

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Fate

Dually quoted.


I have to agree, that's a very strong point in this subject. And I could not have said it better myself. Props to Filtherton.

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animosity

I just dont see how porn could be addicting. And even if it is addicting.... who cares? What people do in the privacy of their own homes is their own business. I wish people would stay out of everyone elses business.

As far as children being exposed to it.... why dont you keep an eye on your own children instead of worrying about everyone elses?

braisler

Are there still people out there suggesting that children are just "happening on porn while trying to do their homework?" Are parents so stupid that they actually buy this line? That it right up there with, "No, mom. I'm just in here combing my hair."

The other objectionable point that children who go to the internet for their homework are CHEATING! Unless the teacher specifically says to use the internet to find the answer to: "Give three reasons the Revolutionary war happened?", the teacher probably meant to for the students to actually read the chapter in their textbook and learn the answer. You remember learning, don't you Johnny? Nope, Johnny sure doesn't. If your child is turning to the internet to solve their algebra, history, and science problems, he/she is never going to learn to think for themselves.

That's my $.02 (off topic, of course).

On topic, I think porn can be damaging or not depending on how it is used. If a couple want to watch something together for enjoyment, arousal, or information, then it can be a positive. If a single person of either sex is looking for a easy release or just some fun, then no harm done. When someone (in a relationship or not) uses porn to replace the real opportunities for human interaction and sexuality, then it becomes a problem.

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Dingo2879

I have to agree with everyone that porn is not a dangerous addiction, but I think we all can admit it is addicting. I know myself I will sometimes go in this 2-3 day stint where I am obsessed with porn on the internet. Like I just discovered it or something, then I realize what I am doing, and I don't look at porn for a few months, but it is extremely addicting if you let yourself fall into it.

CandleInTheDark

I've lived with a heroin addict. No comparison.

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Arc101

Damn sorry I've entered the wrong forum - must get back to the titty board now .

Redlemon

I just wanted to drop a quote from the Daily Grind:
Now that's a graphic image. (The author is female, BTW).

Coppertop

Comparing porn to heroin? C'mon...

tropple

fap, fap, fap...

Huh? What...?

fap, fap, fap, fap....

What (fap) addiction (fap, fap)?

Thank goodness for tabbed browsers.

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joeshoe

Porn can be "addicting," like computer games, TV, alcohol, etc. But to compare it to heroin, which chemically causes physiological changes in the brain, is absurd.

I don't understand how a business executive can look at porn for 8 hours everyday. And I don't understand how he can still keep his job as a business executive if he does that.

I never knew pornography was so common at crime scenes, that police could regularly collect it and study it.

alansmithee

I think people are really underestimating the problem. Pornography is just as dangerous as any drug. It starts innocently enough, with something maybe like a Girls Gone Wild vid. Then you see an add for "Live Hot XXX Streaming Video!!! FREE!!!" which you check out. Pretty soon, that's not enough, and you are mugging old lady's to feed your $1000 per week Japanese Cosplay Bukkake vid habit.

pinkie

Yeah, I know but it's the "...Children..." they use as the excuse to market the idea as a new epidemic!!! The internet is the “gateway” to addiction… blah, blah, blah… Next they'll start popping up with new "private school" warehouses that you can send your kid to to "cure them" of their "porn addiction" for four thousand dollars a month, maximum stay 18 months, or until their insurance stops covering!

BOO!!!

pinkie

Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!

guthmund

I don't know.

A fellow I grew up with turned into a meth-head and once sold his shoes for drug money (To the dealer, no lie.)

I've not once heard of the fellow who sold his shoes for Girls Gone Wild.

No other comment. Just an observation.

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Psycho Dad

When you outlaw porn, only outlaws...

Seriously. I hate the fact that with all the problems in the country at the moment that these wack religious zealots are even allowed to waste the senates time with this utter bullshit.

tropple

I want my,
I want my,
I want my Porn TV....

I doan waan no steengkeeng MTV. I want Porn!

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Daoust

I think porn is addictive, myself. I think that because I think I have a tendency to be addicted to it.
I think that porn and heroin are similar in the way that people get addicted to them because in both cases you start by consuming small amounts, but as you keep consuming it, you are never satisfied with the previous amount. You are always hungering for more.
I think that a large number of sexual predators are addicted to pornography. Ted Bundy, for example admitted that the source that he believes got him into all the mess that he got into was pornography itself.
I think pornography is dangerous, and should be treated with the same concern as drugs.
In schools we teach children about the dangers of drug abuse, but we'd laugh at the thought of teaching about the dangers of pornography abuse. Most likely because nobody thinks there is such a thing. I think pornography is wrong and dangerous. I think it can get people into trouble. And I think it's addictive.

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ninety09

Porn is as addictive as drugs? I can't believe that some people actually believe that :0

Unlike some people believe, there is Nothing wrong with pornography. If someone is addicted to porn, he shouldn't say "porn is evil and addictive!", he should say "I have no self control". People should look at themselves instead of pointing the finger at other things. Otherwise what's next? Will we need to ban anything that could possibly be addictive (television, music, fast food, etc)? Give me a break..

skier

i don't think porn is addictive. I do think masturbation/sex is though. We're evolutionarily wired to want sexual satisfaction so we can reproduce and further our species. I really hate how north america is so sexually repressed. What harm is nudity doing to our children? Especially with the extreme and excessive violence that seems to be accepted so readily.

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rfra3645

so porn addictive as drugs.... absulutley... i think there are 2 kinds of people on this topic.. those that have no idea.. ( say no way...) those that know it is... either curently "use" or have "kicked" the habit.. i think i do qualify as addict.. have tried not to.. cannot.. im not syaing you will react the same but the basics are deffinlty the same GOT TO HAVE IT. like i said either you will understand this or you wont.... do i think there is somthing congress could do about this... hell no...its the same as evrey other addiction... you have to want to quit ..if you dont want to quit you wont....i guess really there is no other person to quit for excpet yourself....anyway.. my 2 cents yes porn is addictive....

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if you cant read my post i dont want to hear about it move on. thanks

pinkie

So, rfra3645, you've been addicted to heroin and know that porn is just as addictive and difficult to kick?