BY ELIZABETH BELKA ’22
Content warning: This article references sexual violence and human trafficking
In the age of the internet, pornography usage and distribution has skyrocketed. College students are no strangers to PornHub and its contemporaries, which has sparked debate across college campuses like Notre Dame, Georgetown, Harvard and Princeton: should access to porn sites be restricted on school wifi? At Mount Holyoke, the “Accessible Use Policy” for the campus wifi makes no mention of a ban on sexually explicit websites; in fact, there are more warnings against sending mass spam emails than pornography. As a feminist and historically women’s institution, Mount Holyoke should ban access to pornography through its wifi networks.
In the porn industry, abuse of the “talent” is almost ubiquitous. “Producers” post ads online looking for models. Once there, the “talent” is forced into making videos. Some are taken hostage and sold into the sex trade.
Many actresses have spoken out against the porn industry, including Mia Khalifa, who said that adult entertainment corporations “prey on callow young women and trap them legally into contracts when they’re vulnerable.” The “stars” are often subjected to physical and sexual violence at the hands of their producers or their “co-stars.”
The 2010 study, “Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis Update” found that 88.2 percent of porn scenes analyzed contained physical aggression, and 48.7 percent contained verbal aggression. Perhaps more harrowing are the effects off-screen: a review in the academic journal, “Annual Review of Sex Research,” found 50 peer-reviewed studies directly linking porn consumption to sexual violence.
According to the FBI, “Pornography is found at 80% of the scenes of violent sex crimes, or in the homes of the perpetrators.” Several more studies, like “Internet Pornography Use Among Collegiate Women: Gender Attitudes, Body Monitoring and Sexual Behavior,”also link porn use to “a higher endorsement of rape myths” and self-esteem issues or “body monitoring” in women. Without exception, every one of them was deeply influenced and consumed by addiction to pornography.
As an industry that preys on and exploits women, porn has no place in feminism. Of course, there is a growing sector of companies toting “ethical” or “women-friendly” porn, which in itself speaks volumes about the treatment of women in “normal” videos. Some porn advocates argue that the degradation on-screen in these videos is a “safe release” for those with violent urges. But many times, actresses are not pretending. Many don’t even know that their videos have been uploaded to porn sites without consent until they have amassed thousands of views. Other porn advocates claim that the actresses have made a choice to participate, but very often that is not the case. Former “stars” have revealed that their “choice”was between filming and physical harm to themselves or others, or that they were otherwise emotionally or monetarily coerced.
Consent given after intimidation is not consent. It is not enough to have an “ethical” porn site when the vast majority of the industry is exploitative and abusive. The answer to sexism is not to have “better” or “less severe” sexism. It is to have no sexism at all.
The honor code states that, “The College protects and upholds civil rights, and is committed to an inclusive and diverse community. ” The College fails to “uphold civil rights” by supporting an industry responsible for sex trafficking, rape and violence. The administration must speak out publicly against such an industry. Changing the wifi policy on Mount Holyoke’s campus is not about free speech or free access. It is about making a statement publicly against sexism, against rape culture and against abuse. In breaking the taboo of talking about porn, the College’s statement will inspire other individuals and institutions to re-examine their internet habits. In a post-privacy world, browser history speaks louder than words. Mount Holyoke cannot stand to see its values compromised by staying silent.