Media and pornography as sex educators
Pornography has had a silent but important role in the distribution of sexual knowledge and also in sex education. A lack of knowledge has hampered the formation of relationships, reduced the quality of sexual experiences and resulted in undesirable consequences. Adequate skills for interaction between an individual and his or her partner in sexual communication are necessary for satisfying experiences. Pornography has promoted these skills.
Although the schooling system, other public authorities, and various organisations work to improve knowledge about sex and attitudes and skills of the population, a large part of sex education and sexual health promotion occurs through the media (including pornography). The media disseminates current sexological information, news from that field, and it provides a public forum for the discussion of sexual topics through its information and images. It defines the limits of socially acceptable sexual activity. The media is one of the most important factors that determine peoples’ views on the meanings of sexuality (Kontula, 2000).
Only after the mid-1960s did the media take an active role in the distribution of sexual knowledge and in sex education. This created very lively sexual-political debate. Some magazines published their first theme issues about sexual matters. Men’s (porn) magazines even wrote articles about the Kinsey report and the pioneering sexological studies of Masters and Johnson. Gradually, information leaflets and guidebooks became available for all who were interested. This break-through in the media concerning sexuality was later called the sexual revolution. It was, above all, a break-through where sexological knowledge became the common property of the whole nation. The distribution of porn expanded and became part of everyday life (Kontula & Kosonen, 1994).
Impacts of pornography on sex-ual behaviour and criminality
It is evident that public presentations of sexual patterns and love-making fantasies as well as practical sexual guidance have had a liberating effect on the sexual patterns of a great number of men and women. According to the results of the Finnish sex survey, the sexual habits of respondents under the age of 35 were significantly more versatile and more satisfying in the beginning of the 1990s than in older age groups (Kontula & Haavio-Mannila, 1995). Since a large proportion of sex magazines, films and videos was directed towards young adults and adolescents (with whom this was very common), it is presumable that these sources of information encouraged these populations to a more diversified realization of personal sexual scripts.
Porno and sex as merchandises for sexual pleasure
It is most probable that pornography turns some people «on» while it turns other people «off». In fact, as Diamond (1999) puts it: «Pornography is often the poor man’s Viagra.» There is little doubt, however, that it provides many with positive returns and pleasurable and legal outlets for sexual urges. It can also provide excitement for sexual communication with a steady partner.
Many individuals, in polls and surveys around the USA and Japan, have indicated that pornography has been useful in their love-making and relaxation. Others, even senior citizens, have indicated it has also been instructive and pleasurable (Diamond, 1999). From this perspective, it is surprising that popular films and videos rarely focus on sexual behaviour where characters are married. The focus is more often on «unmarried sex». Passionate kissing accounted for 63 % of sexual activity among husbands and wives in 1998 in USA (Dempsey & Reichert, 2000).