From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
- The Internet has become a social necessity, providing an easier way to seek information and communicate amongst others. The Internet originated for military purposes only, but was picked up for general use due to the vast amounts of information available at relatively fast speeds. As a form of new media technology, the internet is regarded as being one of the most pivotal technologies available, as it offers users a multitude of information about a variety of subject areas. One of the most popular subject areas on the Internet is that of pornography. Whilst there are certain regulations in place for the entry into some pornographic websites, pornography is thriving on the Internet and is discovered intentionally or accidentally by most Internet users.
- It is currently thought that approximately half a billion people now have the internet that is accessible from home, meaning that more people are now able to retrieve internet pornography than ever before. Pornography is and will continue to be available, so long as there is the Internet and a basic understanding of web navigation – money is not always required to find and be exposed to online pornographic material.
- Pornography has developed along side technology; originating with live ‘peep’ shows until the expansion of photography, where images became the new way to access pornography. The pornography magazine industry soon became apparent due to the likes of Hugh Hefner and Larry Flynt, who combined a multitude of pornographic photographs to make up the content of their magazine. This industry matured upon the arrival of video recording and VHS, with adult pornographic videos being made available in video stores across the world. Whilst this viewing was restricted to people over the age of 18, the more popular the industry got meant the more these regulations had to be enforced.
- There is no doubt that sex sells and sells extremely well – the arrival of the Internet signalled the beginning of a new era in the world of pornography. A fundamental quality of the Internet is that it is accessible from anywhere so long as there is a computer and a connection, meaning the embarrassment of buying or hiring pornographic material had now disappeared. The Internet provided anonymity where it was needed the most and has allowed users to engage with any type of pornography desired. There are virtually no boundaries in the world of internet pornography; online pornography caters for niche markets and ranges from for-pay heterosexual and homosexual sites to less mainstream sites representing marginalised sexualities (Lillie, 2004: 45). The successfulness of the online pornography industry, in comparison to other pornographic industries, can be attributed to the “the lack of regulation of the medium, and the degree of privacy available to users� (Gorman and McLean, 2003: 197).
- Online pornography is believed to be “the single biggest category of paid online content� (Buskin, 2002: 2), with the revenue generated from this one industry expected to reach US$400 million by 2006. By 2003 there was an existence of up to 260 million pages of adult content on the Internet – an indication of the age old relationship between technology and pornography, as it is widely believed that the adult industry is “the first to embrace and make money from new media� (Toor, 1997: 2). Those responsible for maintaining pornographic sites, affectionately known as porn site architects (Doyle, 2000), implement and endorse the need for exceptional technology. These architects were among the first to achieve uninterrupted full streaming of video and audio on the Internet, they were also the first to destroy customer anxiety in regards to disclosing credit card numbers to the Internet – it was through online pornography that people began to play freely with their credit card and the Internet.
- The role technology plays in the progression of the online pornography industry is infallible, as their success goes equally hand in hand. Whilst it is recognised by many that “new media are always used for sexual purposes� (McNair, 1996:116), online pornography is not necessarily limiting itself to the category of ‘humans’. Currently, the online gaming industry is ‘sexing up’ their characters in such a vulgar way that it could almost be considered to be pornographic. Virtual sex and virtual pornography could be on the way to becoming as successful as their realistic counterparts. In his book, Obscene Profits, Frederick Lane points out that in regards to the sexual development of online gaming characters, there is a “fine line between sexy and sexual� (2000: 60). The idea of artificial sexuality appears to be inevitable, as “computer discourses are products of their cultures and are infused with cultural assumptions about gender and sexuality� (Springer, 1996: 51).
- The relationship between pornography and technology is one that is set to continue, developing and appropriating with changes as they occur. The transition of pornography from photograph to video to Internet is indicative of how technology bears influence on everyday lives and industries – technology offers those who delve into the depths of pornography “access, affordability and anonymity� (Lillie, 2004: 58).
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==References==
Buskin, J. (2000) 'The Web's Dirty Little Secret', Wall Street Journal [Online], Available: Proquest: ABI/Inform Global, ID no: 52666098. [Accessed 6 Sept. 2004].
Doyle, T. (2000) 'The Architects of Porn', Varbusiness [Online], issue 1609, pg. 19. Available: Proquest: Computing Database, ID no: 53296679. [Accessed 6 Sept. 2004].
Flew, T. (2002) New Media - An Introduction, Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195508599
Gorman, L. and McLean, D. (2003) Media and Society in the Twentieth Century, Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0631222359
Lane, F. (2000) Obscene Profits, London: Routledge. ISBN 0415920965
Lillie, J. (2004) 'Cyberporn, Sexuality and the Net Apparatus', Convergence, vol. 10, issue 1, pg. 43-61. [Accessed 1 Sept. 2004]. ISBN 0861966473
McNair, B. (1996) Mediated Sex: Pornography and Post-Modern Culture, London: Hodder. ISBN 0340614285
Springer, C. (1996) Electronic Eros, London: Athlone. ISBN 485300788
Toor, M. (1997) 'Battle of Somm Puts the Focus in Internet Porn', Marketing Week [Online], vol. 20, issue 4, pg. 25. Available: Proquest: ABI/Inform Dateline, ID no: 11910315. [Accessed 1 Sept. 2004].
Jessica Ong 19:50, 7 Oct 2004 (EST)
