Ask Lemmy

No, porn should be normalised. We don't need to shame people for having a sexuality. Repression is bad actually.

I don't want to ban porn but I agree that it should be a taboo, with some nuance.

First let's remember what taboo means:

*Taboo:

a subject, word, or action that is avoided for religious or social reasons:*

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/taboo

Again, I don't want to ban porn but I do think it's social acceptance should dial back a bit. I don't think it's good for people to have so little barriers to consume it. Even if the barrier is just a vague, cultural norm. I think porn contributes a lot to loneliness. It's simply a too low barrier band-aid for something that should motivate people to go out, have hobbies, learn to be around people and find an actual human partner. I also think it's another feature of predatory capitalism that sells convenience, instead of human connection.

It's just that we generally lack the delicacy to somehow socially discourage something, without shaming people about it. There are very real issues, neurodivergence etc. which can make socializing very challenging and having some outlet for sexual expression can be good and healthy. But there are a lot of people who will always take the route of least resistance, which tends to just perpetually lower their capacity to tolerate any kind of challenge. Lack of nuance and inability to accept that there are as many differences between people as there are people, is a very real problem. What's good for one person can be bad for another. In the case of porn, it can be very detrimental to a lot of people, while genuinely helpful (and also liberating, reclaiming autonomy of one's body etc.) to some people. Which is why I don't want to ban porn, I just want more consciousness around consuming it.

I've said "I don't want to ban porn" 4 times now and I still wouldn't be at all surprised to be called a fascist for wanting to ban porn. Because people's capacity to handle nuance is just that bad.