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Many times, the porn industry is painted as this world of hedonism and instant satisfaction, which only shows what most people do not know. With a turnover in the billions, it feeds off human wants but has dark, often sinister impacts on those who participate.
Systemic Exploitation
Shelley Lubben, a former adult film star, also stressed the pressure of the porn industry. She told me many entertainers are forced to sign agreements that chain them into the cycle by persuading they perform things, which initially they hadn’t agreed to. In a recent interview, she spoke of young women who are enticed into believing they will be stars and instead end up being used.
Mental health struggles
That being said, Jenna Jameson, one of the most popular adult entertainers to date, has refuted on more than several occasions that her work and being depressed as a result had turned into drugs. Jenna found working as a performer incredibly stressful, and it took its toll on her mental health, which is not unusual—performers are often shamed by society, made objects of lust, or have to compete with their own selves when performing on camera.
Relationship Damage
There are countless studies that have written about how too much porn leads to the degradation of relationships. According to a study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, women partners linked with heavy porn users frequently reported feeling disappointed as well as betrayed. While breaking up virtual relationships may sound harmless, in the real world, it is a whole new story where porn “defines what sex looks like” and an individual’s distorted image of themselves that can render them frustrated with their relationship because at times things don’t seem to measure up to how they usually turn out on screen.
Addiction and Dependency
For instance, amateur porn actor Kevin Moore — who was once married to deceased adult star August Ames has detailed the industry’s demands and how it can send performers spiraling into substance abuse. After being bullied online, Ames battled mental illness and eventually committed suicide. Some in the trade find solace through drug or alcohol use to help manage this constant stress of a profound and physical vocation.
Human Trafficking Links
In 2020, for instance, Pornhub had to take down millions of videos after a New York Times investigation found clips on the platform that showed child abuse and prostitution victims (as seen in the featured image above). The report outlined how traffickers take advantage of a plethora of online platforms to share exploitative material, leaving the victims no say in who disseminates their images.
Social stigmatization
Mia Khalifa is one example of an ex-porn star who has spoken out about the persistent social disadvantages she lives with after leaving such a career. Since her videos have persisted even after she has been dormant, that harassment too never ebbed. Khalifa has had difficulty disentangling herself from her former profession, making it tough to create a new life and professional identity in an industry outside of porn.
Lack of Regulation
In the 2000s, California proposed and passed Proposition 60, which is known as the “Condom Law” (“Adult Films. • Condoms.”). Even so, enforcement has continued to be weak, and as a result, many smaller studios simply don’t comply. Others, working for smaller entities in the industry, have described dangerous situations where they were forced to work without protection due to it being “more marketable.”
Physical Health Risks
In 2013, an outbreak of HIV among adult film performers triggered a brief industry-wide moratorium in California. AMPA chief executive officer Diane Duke said she last saw Rizzoli six months ago when he performed at the organized gathering and that no performers, including Cameron Bay, who’s tested positive for HIV lately in such an unrelated manner, have fallen sick while on set. This brought further awareness to the importance of comprehensive testing and health regulation in the industry, but many remain at risk, granted that enforcement can waver.
Environmental Impact
A report by The Shift Project found that video streaming makes up 60% of data flows around the world, much of which is accounted for by adult content. As such, the carbon emissions of these HD video streams are quite high because they require a lot of energy to create. Just as with most other large digital networks, the porn industry also leaves an ecological mark that grows when more people attend to lean high-definition adult content.
Impact on Self-Image
Male and female performers in pornography alike have unrealistic body standards. Adult actress Riley Reid, for example, has discussed pressure from the industry to have plastic surgery in order to confirm better with beauty norms before making it big. At the same time, we expect male performers to look a certain way and have physical capabilities that are simply too much for most. Such images also become internalized in viewers, often resulting in them having lower body confidence and liking their own appearance or seeing themselves as less sexually powerful.
