Porn Kills Love: Maybe a Little Overkill?

Since technology has advanced in the past few decades, pornography has become much easier to access.

Whether it’s accidental or deliberately sought out, many college students have viewed some form of pornography. With easier access, more people viewing, and in an ever-changing society, researchers and the general public have started to wonder if pornography can actually become addictive, just like drugs or alcohol.

In recent years, a nonprofit organization based in Salt Lake City has been developed to educate the public about how pornography may affect people in society today. Fight The New Drug started in 2009 with a mission to “provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using only science, facts, and personal accounts.”

In a movement known as Porn Kills Love, FTND representatives often speak at schools and promote the negative statistics associated with pornography. The company sells and distributes t-shirts, stickers and other sources of advertising that they ask consumers to wear and use to ‘rep the movement’ and help bring awareness to pornography use.

All over campus, students can be seen ‘repping the movement’ every day. However, not all students at Utah State University necessarily think that this is a positive thing.

Freshman Allison Allred is one student of many who does not agree with the message that FTND and the people who support the company have to share.

“It is basically a movement that is designed to shame people who want to make their own or different sexual choices than the ones who support the movement,” she said. “To make the claim that porn is what is ‘killing’ love in our society is ridiculous. You could make the argument that Tinder is killing love, but you don’t see people sporting T-shirts about that.”

Allred believes people may be a little quick to judge about those who view pornography.

“Sure there are drawbacks to the porn industry, but to stigmatize a whole huge group of people and make them sound terrible for getting in touch with their sexual side in a way that you might disagree with is absurd,” she said. “It just makes people who watch porn sound like terrible people, when in reality, they’re probably just like you and me.”

Seeing people on campus who are repping the PKL movement doesn’t really bother Allred, but she believes they could be doing something more important.

“If people have found a cause they really feel like they can get behind, then whatever. Even though I personally feel like there are worthier causes to display on a T-shirt,” she said.

Kayla Godbee is another student who does not support FTND, although she does believe that pornography can be addicting. Godbee feels that FTND does not handle the issue in the best way.

“Instead of taking the time to explain why people get addicted to porn and providing resources for that they just shame everyone who watches porn. When you’re addicted you need help,” she said.  

Although these people and many more may disagree with the Porn Kills Love movement, there are also many students on campus who feel that the company’s movement is a positive and inspirational mission.

One student at USU who wished to remain anonymous has had a personal experience with pornography in her family. She said one day she came home from school to find her mother and sisters crying, but no one in her family was communicating with one another. It wasn’t until later that night at dinner she found out what was wrong.

“My father lost his job. At first I was told it was due to a layoff. But after overhearing a conversation I learned what had really happened — my father had an addiction to porn and his job had to let him go for it. After watching the pain my mother and the rest of our family went through and the struggles we are still facing nearly 10 years later there is nothing I hate more than the porn industry,” she said.

Other students have a variety of reasons for supporting the PKL movement. Chaz Lundquist is one student in particular who has a very strong opinion about pornography and the effects that he believes it can have on a person as well as society as a whole.

“The reason I stand against pornography is because I stand for love that is real — a love that can kiss you, laugh with you, cry with you, hold you and grow old with you,” he said.

Lundquist thinks that many people may not realize how pornography can be harmful.

“Today some people think it is harmless — even healthy. But that is the same thing that people said about tobacco and smoking,” he said.  “Science has confirmed it is addicting and rewires your brain and body, causing long term effects that can negatively effect your sex life down the road.”

Lundquist loves to see people rep the PKL movement on campus because he knows what a struggle it can be for the people who may be addicted. He believes the effects of viewing pornography include physical changes in the brain, damage to relationships and changes in the world with underground sex trafficking and exploitation.

“I have many people I know and am close to who have struggled with pornography, which is one of the reasons I’ve joined the movement. I’ve read and heard experiences of how it drags people down and ensnares their lives to the point they can’t have normal relationships with people,” he said.

He said technology’s impact on the porn industry is something that can not be ignored.

“The sad thing is that porn has never been more accessible now with the advances of technology and mobile devices. Before you had to seek it out, but now it finds you and I believe more people struggle with it than we realize,” he said.   

—shelbstoor11@aggiemail.usu.edu

@shelbstoor11