I'm reminded that I found porn when I was a teen (and I'm sure many here did as well), and I didn't have internet (there's just only so many places you can hide things in a house). But it also didn't make me go crazy or become a social deviant, it was probably helpful actually to confirm that the desires I was already having weren't actually abnormal. (far better than the religious repression foisted on kids that tells them they may be racking up eternal punishment for their thoughts.) Which is part of why I find all this talk in society about "the children" to be so stupid... (and why the PR about "online predators," while sounding well intentioned, actually comes across to me as having very little to do with "protecting kids" and a lot more to do with giving govt. and business more control over how you use the internet.)
When kids go through puberty they start to think about sex, that's pretty undeniable. I'm not saying that means they should be "legal" at that age by any means, but they're going to think about it and we should just admit that, we've all been there. This has virtually nothing to do with pornography if you ask me.
Part of the whole "morality war" going on seems aimed at re-instilling some sort of early idea of sexual control (as associated with early American Protestantism, govt. control under the notion of "self control", and to tame the "dangerous" notions of sexual desire as playful, meant for enjoyment, creative... and instead as something to be hidden and only for certain uses... the war on homosexuality fits with this too). In a broad context, it fits with other discourses in our society to deny our nature as sexual beings (which has political purposes, right?)... And these backlashes have been going on for many decades. One can sociologize and theorize as to why this happens, and there's no single reason... perhaps we'd be a better citizenry if we were universally uptight, repressed and neurotic???

Anyhow, I'm done ranting. Call me a skeptic.

Edited by - zorge on 8/23/2006 2:54:10 PM

Edited by - zorge on 8/23/2006 2:55:25 PM

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