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                      SEXUALITY & PORNOGRAPHY DIGITIZED

Digitized sexuality (or cybersex) and digitized pornography (or cyberporn) have both sparked a great deal of controversy. The Internet has on the one hand opened up a new terrain of very "safe sex," and a positive space for sexual non-conformists. At the same time, it has negatively impacted many offline relationships (digital cheating; porn addiction), and provided a new space for sexual predation and sexual exploitation of all kinds (including sex trafficking, revenge porn and other abuses). Online pornography and various sex apps and hook-up sites have both aided and destroyed relationships.

The Internet has also played the major role in what some call the "mainstreaming of pornography," the movement of porn from the dark corners of society into millions of homes. Whether that is a positive or negative development depends not only upon questions of sexual morality, but ethical questions regarding the making of pornography. Pornography has been deeply tied to an era of increased human sexual trafficking. Some argue it is impossible to partake of online pornography without indirectly supporting sexual exploitation. Others point to the existence of certain forms of "ethical porn" and feminist and queer forms that challenged the dominant, often misogynistic nature of most pornography. Others note that  that "sex work" for some is a choice, rather than a compelled activity, and that online sex work is often safer than street level sex work.

                                      porn studies book covers

Some argue for censorship of online porn, but most critics opt instead for advancing better cultural education about licit and illicit sex industries, and the diverse, complex impacts of consuming pornography. The range of pornographic content now available online means that these various ethical issues depend a great deal on context, and there is a clear need for those who support some kinds of ethical pornography to continue to fight against exploitative forms.The articles, books, and websites cited below take up these various concerns from a variety of perspectives.

Books and Articles on Cybersex and Cyberporn

Ashton, Sarah, et al. "What Does 'Pornography' Mean in the Digital Age?" Porn Studies Feb 7, 2019.

Biever, Celeste. "The irresistible Rise of Cybersex." New Scientist 190 (2006):30-32.

Boies, Sylvain, et al. "The Internet, Sex, and Youths: Implications for Sexual Development." Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity 11.4 (2004): 343-363.

Chow-White, P. A. "Race, Gender and Sex on the Net: Semantic Networks of Selling and Storytelling Sex Tourism." Media Culture Society 28.6 (2006): 883-905.

Church Gibson, Pamela, ed. More Dirty Looks: Gender, Pornography, and Power. London: British Film Institute, 2004.

Cronin, B and E. Davenport, "E-Rogenous Zones: Positioning Pornography in the Digital Economy." The Information Society 17 (2001): 33–48.

Döring, Nicola. "Feminist Views of Cybersex: Victimization, Liberation, and Empowerment." CyberPsychology and Behavior 3.5 (2000): 863-884.

Fisher, William A. and Azy Barak. "Internet pornography: a social psychological perspective on internet sexuality." Journal of Sex Research 38.4 (2001): 312-323.

Griffiths, Mark. "Sex on the Internet: Observations and Implications for Internet Sex Addiction." The Journal of Sex Research 38.4 (2001): 333-342.

Harrison, Christine. "Cyberspace and Child Abuse Images: A Feminist Perspective." Affilia 21.4 (2006): 365-379.

Jacobs, Katrien. "Pornography in Small Places and Other Spaces." Cultural Studies 18.1 (2004): 67-83

Lambiase, Jacqueline. "Codes of Online Sexuality: Celebrity, Gender and Marketing on the Web." Sexuality and Culture 7.3 (2003):57-78.

Lehman, Peter, ed. Pornography: Film and Culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2006.

Lillie, Jonathan James McCreadie. "Cyberporn, Sexuality, and the Net Apparatus." Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 10.1 (2004) 43-65.

Marston,Cicely. "Pornography and Young People's Health." Porn Studies Feb 15, 2018

Padgett, Paige M. "Personal Safety and Sexual Safety for Women Using Online Personal Ads." Sexuality Research and Social Policy Journal of NSRC 4.2: (2007): 27-37.

Parker, Trent S. and Karen S. Wampler. "How Bad Is It? Perceptions of the Relationship Impact of Different Types of Internet Sexual Activities." Contemporary Family Therapy 25.4 (2003): 415-429

Peter, Jochen and Patti M. Valkenburg. "Adolescents’ Exposure to Sexually Explicit Material on the Internet." Communication Research 33.2 (2006): 178-204

Podlas, Kimberlianne. "Mistresses of Their Domain: How Female Entrepreneurs in Cyberporn Are Initiating a Gender Power Shift." CyberPsychology and Behavior 3.5 (2000): 847-854.

Pramod, Nayar. "The Sexual Internet" EconPapers (2008). Excellent, wide-ranging discussion of both the liberatory and exploitative dimensions of cybersexuality and cyberporn.

Rajagopal, Indhu and Nis Bojin. "The Globalization of Prurience" First Monday 9.1 (2004).

Ross, Michael W. "Typing, Doing, and Being: Sexuality and the Internet." Journal of Sex Research 42.4 (2005): 342-352.

Watson, Lori. "Pornography and Public Reason." Social Theory and Practice 33.3 (2007):467-488.

Williams, Linda, ed. Porn Studies. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2004.

Featured Sites

Take Back the Tech from the Association for Progressive Computing, a site addressing all aspects of digital sex trafficking, and online pornography.

Porn Studies academic journal.

Trafficking in Women

Videos on Trafficking