LincolnMatheson

PornographyEpidemic:WhatShouldUtahDo?

UtahSenatorToddWeilerhasrecentlyfoundhimselfinthespotlightofahuge
publiccontroversy,afterannouncingS.C.R009,

abillwhichreferstopornconsumption
asanepidemicandsuggestingcreationoflawstopunishconsumers.TheDSMV,
whichisessentiallythebibleofpsychiatrydoesnotcurrentlylistpornographyaddiction
asacondition,andwhilethisdoesnotnegateitsexistence,itdoescallintoquestion
howaUtahsenatorwithalmostnobackgroundinpsychiatrywouldbeinthe
authoritativepositiontoannounceapornographyaddictionepidemic.Uponreadingthe
billIbelievethatitisaweakproposalbasedonopinionandspeculationofissueswhich
shouldremainpersonal,anddonotbelongintheUtahlegalsystem.

WeilerstatedinbillS.C.R009thatpornographylinkedtolesseningdesirein
youngmentomarry,dissatisfactioninmarriage,andinfidelityandthatitperpetuatesa
sexuallytoxicenvironment.Thosestatementsarevagueanddifficulttoproveand
nothinginWeilersBillproposesanysolution.Thebilldiscussestheissueofchildren
beingexposedtopornography,andhowitmaybegivingthemaskewedviewofwhat
normalsexualrelationsandsexuality.Anyoneundertheageof18isalreadyprohibited
underU.Slawsfromviewingpornographicmaterial,arestrictionwhichhasobviously
failed,astheaverageageofexposuretopornographyisjust11yearsold.Itseems
unlikelythatanylawstoemergefrombillS.C.R009wouldbeabletostopthisproblem
withoutseriouslyinfringingonthefreedomsofallinternetusers.Ibelievethatthereal
issuesofchildexposuretopornographycanonlybesolvedthroughproviding
comprehensivesexeducationinUtahschools,asuggestionwhichhasbeenrepeatedly
shutdownbyUtahscongressmenandsenators.

SexeducationcoursesareextremelyunnecessarilycensoredbyUtahlaw.Utah
sexeducationcoursesarestrictlylimitedtoteachabstinenceonly,whichoftenplays
outasteachingchildrenthatsexisamysterytobeleftunsolveduntilmarriage.Thesex
educationmyclassmatesandIreceivedfromUtahpublicschoolswashardlyastepup
fromourparentstellingusthatbabiesweredeliveredviastork.Thenatureofchildrenis
tobecurious,anditiscompletelynormalandnaturalforapubescentyouthtofeel
arousalandwonderwhatitmeans.Wheneducatorsandmentorsofchildrendonot
providecomprehensiveanswers,itisonlynaturalthatachildmightturntotheinternet.
Itislikelythatachildmaycomeacrossunsuitableanswerstothesequestionsthrough
internetpornography,butIbelievethatthisisnotafaultoftheinternet,butratherthe
outcomeofaconfusededucatingsysteminneedofseriousreform.

NPRsRachelMartinconductedaninterviewwithsexualtherapist,IanKerneron
howweshouldnavigateinaworldwithsomuchpornographyandtheproblemof
underageexposuretoporn.IanKerner,atrainedprofessional,explainsandagreesin

hisstatementafterbeingpromptedforhisopiniononTeenagepornusespecifically
beingproblematic:
Yeah,Icompletelyagree.AndsoIamdrawingalinebetweenconsentingadults
andbetweenchildrenandteens.AndIdon'tthinkanyoneeverintendedforporn
toreallybeasaccessibleasitistochildrenandteens.And,youknow,it's
becomeaverypornified(ph)world.AndIdon'tthinkwecanreallyturnitoff.SoI
thinkwehavetohelpourkidslearnhowtoliveinit.Iwaskindofinspired.Iread
thattherewasapilotprograminDenmarkwhereinschools,sexeducation
includedshowingactualpornographytohighschoolagestudentsandsortof
deconstructingthepornandhelpingtotalkabout,isthiswhatarethe
differencesbetweenthesexweseeinpornandthesexthatwecanhavewith
ourpartners?AndIthinkthatthatisreallythekindofsexeducationthatneedsto
behappeninginthiscountry.Idon'tthinkit'saboutbanningporn.Idon'tthinkwe
couldeffectivelybanpornorturnitoff.SoIthinkit'sreallyabouthavingthe
dialogueandtheeducationandthecommunication,bothathomeandatschool,
tohelpkidswhoarereallysortofgrapplingwithwhatI'llcallthesexpectations
(ph)ofporn.(Martin1)

Almostanyoneinofsoundmindcanagreethatpornographyisnotsuitablefor
childrenandyoungteens.Insteadoftryingtohidethepornthatwillnowalwaysexist
online,weneedtoexplainwhatitis.Nomatterhowhardwetrytopreventit,children
willcomeacrosspornatsomepointintheirlives.Ratherthanmakeanotherfutile
attemptatstoppingthis,wecanusethepowerofeducationtochangethewaychildren,
andadults,forthatmatter,view,understand,andareaffectedbypornography.

Inconclusion,pornographymaybeimmoralandunfitforchildrenbutitstill
belongsinsocietyhiddenundertherugnexttostrippersandalcohol.Thevicesof
liftingthatrugareimportanttokeeparoundtokeepusingoodprincipal.Theoptionof
doingselfdestructivethingsisgoodtohavebecauseitgivesusthefeelingthatweare
doingsomethingrightwhenweavoidthem.Justlikeexercisingoreatinghealthyor
evenjustcontrollingalcoholuseatabasiclevelgivesyouthefeelingofcontrolwhile
maintainingthefeelingoffreedom.Itfeelsgoodtodogood.Wewantwhatwillcreate
progressthatwillnottakeawayfreedom.Byfilteringpornwewouldjustattach
additionalnegativeconnotationstothesubjectofsexaulityanddesireandmakemany
people,inUtahespecially,feelhorribleaboutthemselves.Whatweneedisblunt,clear,
andtrulyeducationalsexualeducationandtonotcallsomethingthatisn'tevena
conditionanepidemic.

WorksCited

LeiaLarsen,DougGibson."SciencebehindUtah'sdeclarationagainstpornographydebated."StandardExaminer
(Ogden,UT)23May2016:PointsofViewReferenceCenter.Web.13July2016..

Kerner,Ian.(interviewee)"UtahBillRaisesQuestionsAboutPublicHealthEffectsOfPorn."WeekendEditionSunday
(NPR)(2016):PointsofViewReferenceCenter.Web.13July2016.

Chan,MelissaUtahGovernorDeclaresPornographyaPublicHealthCrisis.

TIMEmagazine(2016):time.com.
Web.19April2016.