this time ~ this space

It’s a big topic of discussion among researchers. A 2007 report from the American Psychological Association compiled the findings of myriad studies, showing that the sexualization of young women and girls, in particular, can hurt them in many ways. Problems can include anything from low-self esteem and eating disorders to depression and anxiety.

The role that pornography plays in the ongoing misogyny of our society is a raging debate in feminist circles always prompting the question, “Does pornography degrade women?”

Porn used to be relegated to a video hidden in the bottom drawer, or a magazine under the mattress. Today, it’s part of everyday life.

Hugh Hefner’s girlfriends have become TV’s “girls next door.” Porn stars have MySpace pages and do voiceovers for video games. And while “porn on demand” is standard for hotel TVs and upgraded cable packages, it’s even easier to find it with a few clicks on the computer.

In April, more than a third of the U.S. Internet audience visited sites that fit into the online “adult” category, according to comScore Media Metrix.

So the message is clear: In today’s world, sex doesn’t just sell. The pervasiveness of porn has made sexiness — from subtle to raunchy — a much-sought-after attribute online, at school and even at work.

Many agree that the trend has had a particularly strong influence on young women — in some cases, taking shape as an unapologetic embracing of sexuality and exhibitionism.

Martha Irving’s article Experts: Porn Conflates Sexual Behaviour with Power, argues that due to the rise of reality television and the internet, young women ­are being encouraged to unclothe to gain some kind of notoriety. Irving argues homemade porn has become a standard of modern sexuality and that it has a detrimental effect on the young girls performing in it.

The gist is that the girls’ behaviour doesn’t have anything to do with their own sexual pleasure. While boys tend to seek out porn for their own sexual pleasure, there is a sexual disconnect with girls who exhibit provocative behavior they’re not ready for — from undressing online to performing oral sex on boys. It doesn’t have anything to do with their own sexual pleasure. It has to do with pleasing somebody else - strutting their stuff for attention.

Growing Up Fast Without Growing Wiser
In adults, we recognize that sex, can have very different meanings depending on our motivations. We may achieve a certain power over our partner gained by bringing pleasure that enables us to get other things we want, like affection and commitment. We may pursue a sexual relationship purely for our own pleasure. Or we may wish to give our partner physical pleasure, not for what we’ll get in return, but only for our partner’s sake.

Learning to recognize our real and often mixed sexual motivations is an important part of growing up and learning to how love wisely. Drawing unconscious fears and desires that influence our sexual behaviours to the surface can help us see when we are being loving and when we are being manipulative.

Eileen Zurbriggen, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who helped compile the APA report says:
“To be sure, it can make you feel powerful to know that you are arousing strong feelings in other people, that you have their attention and admiration.

This is the same sense of power experienced by charismatic rock stars and politicians. But politicians also wield other kinds of power. They can make actual changes to the legal, economic, and geopolitical landscapes — changes that have far-ranging impacts.

Women might be better off developing other sources of power.”