How the Pornography Industry is Exploiting the Pandemic
COVID-19’s impacts on the world continue to be seen and felt. It is definitely breaking up our sense of normalcy. Lesser known, though, is how the virus is fueling the pornography industry by boosting its reach and why this is dangerous for sex trafficking victims.
Pornography sites are seeing large increases in traffic worldwide during the coronavirus pandemic. Sites like PornHub have upped the ante by offering free content and creating coronavirus-themed videos.
Why is this a problem? Pornography is a threat to society and 16 U.S. states have declared it a public health crisis. The pornography industry claims it helps relieve anxiety, depression, and loneliness, though it preys on and exploits those very things. The coronavirus, combined with the threats of pornography at the same time, could hurt our society more than we may think.
After offering free “premium” content to individuals quarantined in Italy, France, and Spain, PornHub extended the offer to everyone on March 24 for 30 days. This content contains “hardcore pornography that involves extreme violence against women, themes of incest, child abuse, teenage-themed videos, and racism (among other things).” Pornography sites are utilizing the opportunity to gain more traffic by showcasing sexual exploitation to viewers.
Other recent tactics that pornography sites use to encourage more views is through donating surgical masks or money to individuals. PornHub donated 50,000 surgical masks to frontline coronavirus workers in New York City and offered them free access to their massive porn library. While it seems as though PornHub is concerned about people affected by the pandemic, the site has actually ridiculed the situation by adding categories of porn like “corona porn” and “quarantine porn” that include coronavirus-themed videos. By depicting infected patients in their videos, “Pornhub makes a mockery of the real-life trauma and pain of people actually fighting this disease.” Another pornography site offered McDonald’s employees earning low wages $100,000 a year to participate in pornographic content.
“Traffickers often force victims into performing for pornography, which means at least some of the pornography our culture consumes is non-consensual. ”
Additionally, the online pornography industry has heavily contributed to the supply and demand for sex trafficking. Pornography is often saturated with violence (especially toward women) which can lead to a rationalization of this behavior. “Assault”, “rape”, and “abuse” are among some of the most popular porn searches. Physical aggression appeared in 88% of 304 porn scenes studied. The industry is normalizing violent sex, and while it may seem harmless to watch, the consequences are immense.
For starters, studies have shown that exposure to porn can make viewers less compassionate toward victims of sexual violence and exploitation. This indirectly impacts victims who need advocates and a compassionate response to their trauma.
There is also a direct impact on victims of sex trafficking. Traffickers often force victims into performing for pornography, which means at least some of the pornography our culture consumes is non-consensual. PornHub has recently been under fire for its complicity in consistently allowing non-consensual porn on its site. Girls Do Porn is facing federal courts for hosting exploitative content. Women and children are being sexually exploited, and porn sites are profiting from it while refusing to listen to those who oppose them. Even if victims are not forced into performing for the camera, traffickers often show pornographic videos to their victims as a means of brainwashing.
With pornography peddlers capitalizing on the pandemic to gain viewers, it’s certain that sex trafficking victims are suffering even more than before COVID-19. As mentioned, the “premium” PornHub content being offered for free contains horrific videos of women and children being exploited. An increase in demand for pornography will result in an increase in supply, and many women and girls will be forced to fill this need.
To join the fight against exploitation in pornography, sign the petition from Exodus Cry against PornHub and its executives, which already has over 600,000 signatures. Additionally, if isolation during this time is increasing the temptation to watch pornography, there’s a Reddit forum called NoFap for individuals wanting to abstain from pornography. Also, Ever Accountable, an internet accountability site, is offering its services for free through May 10.
Let’s use this time to fight together against sexual exploitation by standing up to the pornography industry that has profited from it for far too long. Rather than sitting in isolation where the temptation is stronger, join together and collaborate with fellow advocates against the dangers of pornography.
About the Author
Abby Hopkins is a follower of Jesus and a fan of fresh cups of coffee paired with intriguing reads or thought-provoking conversations with friends. She often shares about her passions with excitement, which range from coding to sports to her favorite TV shows. She is studying Journalism with a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship & Nonprofits at the University of Texas at Austin. (She loves saying "Hook 'em" whenever she gets the chance.) After graduating in May, her dream is to impact the world through storytelling, mostly by written word, and continue to advocate for the voiceless.