In that year, an astounding 665 million hard-core pornography videos were rented. Pornography has won itself a place in society, and these days, the sight of a young teenage boy pouring over Playboy elicits more giggles than concern from adults. But an analytical look at the impact of pornography on our society suggests that sexually explicit images have far graver ramifications than most people would ever suspect. Studies link pornography to sexual dysfunction, rape, child molestation, and many other socially destructive behaviors. American consumption of pornography continues to grow each year and has already reached epidemic proportions.
Many pornographers argue that their product provides instruction in sexuality.
Boys especially turn to pornography believing it will teach them truth. This trend is alarming considering the fact that many experts say pornography actually promotes dangerous misinformation about sexual relations and advances sexual dysfunction and medically risky practices. Park Elliot Dietz, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., renounced his support for the pornography industry after studying the issue while serving on the Attorney General s Commission on Pornography in 1986. A person who learned about human sexuality in the adults only pornography outlets of America would be a person who had never conceived of a man and woman marrying or even falling in love before having intercourse. But porn publishers are not terribly concerned that their perverse products fall into children s hands.