Once the accessibility of the Internet became obvious, commercial pornography companies quickly moved to exploit it for huge profits. In fact, many people are unaware that major media companies such as Time Warner make $10 billion a year selling erotica and porn to the public. The companies that distribute porn and adult entertainment make the big money. They are the big cable companies and Internet browsers, including AOL, Time Warner, Google, and Microsoft. These numbers reflect just how large the porn industry is.
• $3,075.64 is spent on pornography every second.
• 4.2 million porn websites (12% of the total websites) are available.
• 420 million pornographic web pages are on the Internet.
• 68 million search engine requests for pornography (25% of total search engine requests) occur daily.
In addition to pornography, there has been an explosion in the amount of online dating websites. These websites vary from those connecting people of the same religions, sexual orientations, and cultures/ethnicities. There are also websites such as Ashley Madison that promotes affairs amongst married people. Additionally, there are websites and apps that provide people with “hook-ups” with people who are within similar vicinities. Online Dating Magazine estimates that there are more than 2,500 online dating services online in the U.S. alone, with 1,000 new online dating services opening every year. Some estimates say there are 5.000 competitors worldwide.
Websites that provide insight into the online dating industry:
Pew Research; Facts About Online Dating (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/06/10-facts-about-americans-and-online-dating/)
The Psychology and Reality of Online Dating (https://www.elsevier.com/connect/online-dating-the-psychology-and-reality)
Dangers of Internet Dating (https://www.elsevier.com/connect/online-dating-the-psychology-and-reality)
Websites that provide insight into the impact of pornography on individuals and relationships:
Psychology Today: What Does Porn Do to Intimacy? (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-support/201407/what-porn-can-do-intimacy)
Huffington Post: Five Reasons Watching Porn Together May Benefit Your Relationship (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/5-reasons-why-watching-po_b_2766968)
Huffington Post: What I Wished I’d Known Before Watching Porn (https://www.huffingtonpost.com/lauren-dubinsky/porn-addiction_b_1686481.html)
Five Ways Porn Can make You A Better Partner (https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/5-ways-watching-porn-can-make-you-a-better-partner)
How has the Internet changed sexuality, including expression of desires, romance, dating and sex?
Given the amount of accessibility to pornography, how has this impacted intimacy, relationships, and the need and desire for intimate relationships?
How is the Internet helping to define/redefine sexual individuality?
How does regular engagement in online sexual communications impact relationships?
What aspects of individual sexuality including sexual images or photos, do you believe are okay/not okay to make public on the web?
What type of limits would you recommend regarding the sharing of sexual images need to be set?
Why or why not would a person choose to present an identity that is true and authentic online when expressing sexuality?
One issue that has emerged in recent media coverage is whether men take more sexual risks than women on the Internet. Why?
