The Student Room Group

UK to introduce porn age-checks in July

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Original post by The RAR
This is ridiculous, you should be able to watch whatever the hell you like on the internet no matter what it is. You are only watching it yourself and entertaining yourself what harm is it actually doing? They claim it is to "keep children safe", no no let me translate that "It's our first step to dictatorship" because not so long ago they banned energy drink for under 16 I believe and now this? The government are not parents, they should keep their noses out where it does not belong.

Also sponsored by VPN:smile:

the government should intervene when the market fails. the adult entertainment industry fails here not taking into account the addictive & negative side effects of their product and so government intervention is needed, parents intervention is not enough.

porn is an addiction that needs to be blocked off, i really hope this works.
Original post by lowwkey
the government should intervene when the market fails. the adult entertainment industry fails here not taking into account the addictive & negative side effects of their product and so government intervention is needed, parents intervention is not enough.

porn is an addiction that needs to be blocked off, i really hope this works.

I challenge the government to do a poll asking a good what 200 ordinary people from the country what they think of the porn blocks, 100% guaranteed that more than 50% of them will not welcome it. Have they even asked the parents about this before implementing this stupid policy? I don't think so, next they will probably stop people from watching certain political videos. People search for porn, so if they are getting addictive that's their problem and they themselves can probably sort it out, why does the government have to intervene in your life, your freedom your choice. Banning energy drinks for under 16s was already stupid enough, maybe the government could work harder on something which will actually help the people and that is sorting out Brexit than go after useless shite like this.
If there is anything which the UK is famous for, is being a nanny state
(edited 4 years ago)
Porn being addictive is an over-hyped moral panic. The vast majority of men have watched porn at some point, and so have the majority of women. If it was really as harmful as some claim, then most of the population would be horrific addicts of porn. Porn addiction only happens to a small margin of the population. I have been watching porn since I was 12 and I'm not addicted to it in the slightest. If what they said about it was true then I would be the equivalent of a cocaine addict by now, just for porn rather than cocaine. If you ask me, porn addiction is a symptom of a bigger problem. Porn can't be physically addictive because it doesn't do anything to your body. It's the same moral panic as cannabis: it's given a reputation as a horrible addictive mess that turns you into a loser with no life, when really that is far from the case.

The next time the media reports on some horrific statistics about porn's 'addiction rates', don't believe it. Don't believe what the media says in general.
My concern is those who will get around it, especially via the dark web. The other is that what will be defined as porn will be too wide- for example a topless shot of someone on holiday.
Still don't understand how I can have sex at 16 but can't watch porn...
Wish they would just ban it all together ngl
I'm sorry but where have I said that porn should be the way children learn about sex? All I've said is that it's a common way children first encounter sex. I also put real in ''s because you're right, it's not real. I first got sex ed in year 5, you know, very basic stuff. I already knew what sex was at that time. That wasn't what made me start looking up sexual material though. I first started looking at soft porn, like nude pictures of women when I was 11, completely independent of anyone else. It's like a biological clock had started ticking, which is exactly what happens. Children know when they become sexually mature and they will find sexually explicit material when they are ready. In my case, porn didn't teach me anything about sex; it was a side desire for sexually explicit material, which again is what happens when you reach puberty.

In this country at least, sex ed happens earlier than when children start seeking sexually explicit material. So they already know what sex is, but that's got nothing to do with it. What I'm saying is that every child has a biological clock that will start ticking at a specific time, and when it does, they start seeking sexual material. Almost every person in this country who has gone through puberty has sought after sexually explicit material and found it eventually. Pretty much everyone I know has been viewing porn since the ages of 12 or 13, and yet none of us are sexually deviant perverts. Claiming porn is dangerous to children is absolutely unfounded.

Honestly, I think it's naive to believe this is an honest action, especially with the other things the government and other governments have been doing recently. It will lead to more blockages unless the leftservatives are moved out of parliament. This isn't about protecting children, this is purely political.
Porn addiction is a thing that happens to a very small amount of people. I'm not just saying I'M fine, I'm saying EVERYONE I KNOW is fine. If it was just me then everyone else around me would be a crippled porn addict. That's still an anecdote but you get the picture.

Yes, there is access to hard porn, but like I said, children will find what they want to find when they're ready. If they aren't ready for hard porn, they won't look for hard porn. It isn't something that just pops onto your hard drive, nor is it something that pops up after looking at soft porn. Trust me, I'm experienced with porn, you have to look for the hard stuff.

I feel like you're missing the point a bit. I said 'young children', as in, not old enough to comprehend it. Obviously you don't want to expose them to porn. I was saying that it's the parents' responsibility to prevent the untimely discovery of porn, because I can understand how that might be traumatising or otherwise damaging to a child. Someone I know accidentally discovered porn and masturbation before he should have; he's never gone near the stuff again and has no interest in sex whatsoever. That's a result of untimely discovery. This isn't a reason to do something like this though; that's a minority of cases, and it's not the responsibility of the government or porn websites. Most young children don't find porn because they simply aren't looking for it.

It's not naive though. It's the fairly obvious option if you ask me. Just look at what's been going on for the past few years worldwide. It's one more step towards government control of the internet.
Original post by Cryoraptor
Porn being addictive is an over-hyped moral panic. The vast majority of men have watched porn at some point, and so have the majority of women. If it was really as harmful as some claim, then most of the population would be horrific addicts of porn. Porn addiction only happens to a small margin of the population. I have been watching porn since I was 12 and I'm not addicted to it in the slightest. If what they said about it was true then I would be the equivalent of a cocaine addict by now, just for porn rather than cocaine. If you ask me, porn addiction is a symptom of a bigger problem. Porn can't be physically addictive because it doesn't do anything to your body. It's the same moral panic as cannabis: it's given a reputation as a horrible addictive mess that turns you into a loser with no life, when really that is far from the case.

The next time the media reports on some horrific statistics about porn's 'addiction rates', don't believe it. Don't believe what the media says in general.

no one knows if theyre addicted or not until they try to quit. few decide to quit porn outright because we are told its 'normal natural healthy'. in my experience and other porn free people if you watch porn regularly for years and years you can't just quit. i quit 4 years ago and im still trying to quit. and im not some sort of crazy addict i watched it 2/3 x a week.
porn does damage the body it triggers the reward circuit it mens brain similar to that of a hardcore drug. it produces unnatural amounts of dopamine and the brain starts cutting back receptors to handle it. its why you need to watch more hardcore porn to get the same high

'. I have been watching porn since I was 12 and I'm not addicted to it in the slightest'. i had that thought once just like all the other addicts did
(edited 4 years ago)
Really hope the government doesn't catch on to the surge of VPN users that this'll cause bc yikes if they tried limiting that type of thing.
If that's true, how can I watch the same level of porn literally every time? If anything I watch softer porn than I used to. And I have had to quit for practical reasons numerous times. No negative effects. I am not an addict. If I was, problems would come up in one of those two cases.

That 'it does the same as a hard drug' is a ******** line repeated by websites like NoFap who have no scientific backing. Porn doesn't give you a high, it's not a drug. It rewards your brain in a completely different way. It can't produce an unnatural amount of dopamine because it's not as rewarding as actual sex, which would reward you more.

No, most people don't 'quit' porn because they don't have to. It's not a problem. If you are addicted to porn then I believe there's something else that's wrong in your life. You don't get addicted to something that's not addictive if there's not something else at play.
Original post by brian.griffin
no one knows if theyre addicted or not until they try to quit. few decide to quit porn outright because we are told its 'normal natural healthy'. in my experience and other porn free people if you watch porn regularly for years and years you can't just quit. i quit 4 years ago and im still trying to quit. and im not some sort of crazy addict i watched it 2/3 x a week.
porn does damage the body it triggers the reward circuit it mens brain similar to that of a hardcore drug. it produces unnatural amounts of dopamine and the brain starts cutting back receptors to handle it. its why you need to watch more hardcore porn to get the same high

'. I have been watching porn since I was 12 and I'm not addicted to it in the slightest'. i had that thought once just like all the other addicts did
Trust me, they would. Luckily this porn ban is never going to happen by the looks of it. It's been announced multiple times in the last couple of years yet never happened. Don't see why this time is any different
Original post by vjollcadobson
Really hope the government doesn't catch on to the surge of VPN users that this'll cause bc yikes if they tried limiting that type of thing.
I guess it's a good thing in this case that government is as inefficient as it is.
Original post by Cryoraptor
Trust me, they would. Luckily this porn ban is never going to happen by the looks of it. It's been announced multiple times in the last couple of years yet never happened. Don't see why this time is any different
Original post by Cryoraptor
If that's true, how can I watch the same level of porn literally every time? If anything I watch softer porn than I used to. And I have had to quit for practical reasons numerous times. No negative effects. I am not an addict. If I was, problems would come up in one of those two cases.

That 'it does the same as a hard drug' is a ******** line repeated by websites like NoFap who have no scientific backing. Porn doesn't give you a high, it's not a drug. It rewards your brain in a completely different way. It can't produce an unnatural amount of dopamine because it's not as rewarding as actual sex, which would reward you more.

No, most people don't 'quit' porn because they don't have to. It's not a problem. If you are addicted to porn then I believe there's something else that's wrong in your life. You don't get addicted to something that's not addictive if there's not something else at play.

that may be your case but not necessary everyone else.
there is growing creditable evidence of the harmful effects of porn and this is just the beginning
yes there is far more to porn addiction than just the images on screen
Kuthi do you watch porn?
Creditable? I think you mean credible. And no, there really isn't. This stuff has been researched for many years now. Sexuality in general has been discouraged and a societal taboo for centuries, there are bound to be people who swear that it's harmful based on old propaganda. That's all it is. All this **** about 'lowering t levels' and 'increasing dopamine' is nothing but propaganda. Despite all the research, the general consensus is that porn isn't dangerous or addictive. You can argue about cases of addiction and such, but basically anything is going to cause problems in at least one person.

And like I've said, porn addiction is usually a symptom of something else. The only things that can make you addicted to them just by taking them are physically addictive substances. As you don't physically consume porn, that is impossible.

Definition of Creditable:


(of a performance, effort, or action) deserving public acknowledgement and praise but not necessarily outstanding or successful

Definition of Credible:
able to be believed; convincing
Original post by brian.griffin
that may be your case but not necessary everyone else.
there is growing creditable evidence of the harmful effects of porn and this is just the beginning
yes there is far more to porn addiction than just the images on screen
How old are you?
old enough to read old enough to breed amirite
thank god for VPNs
Reply 79
Not sure how this will work out really bearing in mind the insatiatiable appetite for pornography. But pretty convinced that something should be done to prevent adolescents having easy access the commonplace vile content on the internet. Perhaps control of the type of pornography available could be the better bet.

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