Another Porn Story

Porn, we talk of it and it attracts attention of millions with turned heads and ogling eyes. That's what is its impact and influence on the present day world of cyber media and gen x culture. Interestingly, the sex industry is a an annual grosser of around 14 billion according to the Forbes analysis and even sky rockets further with each passing year. What is the reason for its booming growth and worldwide acceptance? What makes it, as the columnist of times magazine Frank Rich puts it "no longer a sideshow to the mainstream…but mainstream in itself"? Let's unfold together the story of PORN.

Porn is no longer a means of entertainment and visual sexual fulfilment but is a huge business run by thousands of millionaires spread around the globe, and is, with each passing day spreading its rampant wings and widening the parameters of the industry. According to the latest reviews of frontline magazine, America provides the key viewership and the mainstream audience to the adult entertainment industry, grossing around 80% of its annual profits through the channels of the United States. The growth of the industry is not only credited to the cyber media but ranges from videos, television to strip clubs and magazines.

Though internet rules the adult market in terms of viewership and popularity due to the boom of easy internet access and technological revolution, magazines too are competitive in the market but have experienced a low scale since the past one decade. Playboy magazine, a renowned adult magazine which calls itself "for men exclusively" has suffered a sensitive loss in the past few years because of loss in readership which is solely due to the convenient accessibility of internet.

In the U.S, according to the 2001 report of Forrester research inc., 77% of online visitors to such sites are male with an average age of 41 out of which a shocking 46% are married. The playboy demographics have similar statistics to report where it says that males rule the readership with a whooping 82.7% ranging from 18 to 55 plus with the majority in between the age of 25 to 34 which is the core youth. Astonishingly, 60.7% of these are employed full time and have an average salary of $50.571.

The annual sales chart of the adult video industry states a wavering graph, reflecting a uniform state of popularity from 1986 to 1991 and a steady rate of growth from 1992 to 2000, with over 12000 and more titles released since.

In a popular survey conducted by the university of Chicago in 2002 about the frequency of viewing sexual content, the results were somewhat expected as the majority lied in the age group of 18 to 29 and still in high school.

The porn industry is slowly, like vicious venom, spreading through the veins of the main stream society, and is a main source of sexual exploitation and harassment of women and children. The development of uncensored videos and invasion of private lives for entertainment are what the industry breeds on with no sensitivity to people and their personal domains. Youth is the victim and is getting so influenced with it, because of which the rate of prostitution has elevated tremendously. Even educated young men and women believe that "it"s a cool way to make great money and free sex' which is leading to a steady decline of social moral and value culture. Earlier, prostitution was a mere solution for those tragic people who had no alternative to win their daily bread but to sell their bodies for two square meals, but today the scenario is way different and unforgivable.

It's a matter of choice now where people voluntarily opt for a "profession" in this business and taint their dignity for a lifetime. The elite and educated pursue the way of working behind the curtains, calling themselves escorts and masseurs. So tell me, is it worth it? Is it actually worth your respect and pride which you so proudly call your own. Do you have no sense of value and esteem for yourself that you are all ready to give away your soul? Some might find it a sermon, some would say "here goes yet another priest, its my life and my choices". I agree it's your choice and your life but just think about it once. You get life only once, get the chance to live it once, so would you like to waste it doing this? And I know…it's your choice.