[Paradox1987]

It is accepted that pornography, in particular "free porn" is the most searched term on the internet. Furthermore, it would be of interest to discover the number of pornographic videos and images in the world, I am certain that they outnumber the number of people on the planet. However, despite this proliferation, pornography is always deemed a social ill, or an evil that children (in particular) must be protected from. The arguments that are rallied to the defence of this position tend to focus on how children report viewing pornography from a younger age and with greater ease. However, I often feel that a trick is being missed by demonising pornography in particular.

I do not doubt that all products of humanity have social consequences, and in the 18th Century, it was the novel that attracted the same moral ire. The novel would degenerate youth, corrupt their minds, lay society in ruins and tatters; yet I am unfamiliar with any modern education system that does not teach literature to its students. If students can critically engage with fantasies in written word, why not use pornography for educational purposes too?

Thoughts?

[Tula13]

Are you advocating somehow making pornography more educational or making sex education have more pornography in it to make it more entertaining?

Merging the two just does not seem likely, or feasible. Realistic sex is just not as entertaining to watch.

The better option is to make education available so that kids can learn sex just like they'd learn about anything else. There's no need to sugar coat it or mix it in with entertainment to make it more interesting. Sex education needs to be widely available and it needs to be mandatory, it effects everyone if a large part of the population is uneducated about sex.

[La Li Lu Le Lo]

What if I told you the problem with pornography isn't that it shows too much of a person, but too little?

[Paradox1987]

Are you advocating somehow making pornography more educational or making sex education have more pornography in it to make it more entertaining?

Merging the two just does not seem likely, or feasible. Realistic sex is just not as entertaining to watch.

The better option is to make education available so that kids can learn sex just like they'd learn about anything else. There's no need to sugar coat it or mix it in with entertainment to make it more interesting. Sex education needs to be widely available and it needs to be mandatory, it effects everyone if a large part of the population is uneducated about sex.

No. Not for entertainment. What I advocate is more an approach which acknowledges that pornography is widespread. So to educate them about pornography. How it isn't real, what makes it not real, why it isn't real etc. In my head that could supplement a more holistic sex education which builds drip by drip leaving school leavers with a basic understanding of all that sex entails physically and mentally. After all, we already deal with sex in other media, why not teach them about it?

[Tula13]

No. Not for entertainment. What I advocate is more an approach which acknowledges that pornography is widespread. So to educate them about pornography. How it isn't real, what makes it not real, why it isn't real etc. In my head that could supplement a more holistic sex education which builds drip by drip leaving school leavers with a basic understanding of all that sex entails physically and mentally. After all, we already deal with sex in other media, why not teach them about it?

Ah, OK. You can check out Make Love Not Porn (NSFW!!), which is a website aimed at educating about the differences between porn and real sex...how wide spread it's gotten I'm not sure, but the woman who made it also did a Ted Talk about it.

[Rinying]

honestly, i think it would be awkward for most involved..... i mean could you imagine your teacher going and showing you the differences between porn and real life sex?

[HippoHunter94]

Porn should be integrated into sex education. Show two normal looking people having normal people, non porn sex. Too many young people believe that this is what sex looks like.

[Falling Leaves]

Yeah, I always thought that pornography should be shown to teenagers to teach them what sex doesn't look like.

...of course, the subsequent classroom full of aroused teenage boys would be a bit of a logistical nightmare.

I guess a good alternative would be to give them a free take-home DVD illustrating the point. At least we could be safe in the knowledge most students would watch it.