I did a bit of research to confirm the facts. As of 2006:
"According to compiled numbers from respected news and research organizations, every second $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography. Every second 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography. In that same second 372 internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines. Every 39 minutes a new pornographic video is being created in the U.S.
It’s big business. The pornography industry has larger revenues than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo, Apple and Netflix combined. 2006 Worldwide Pornography Revenues ballooned to $97.06 billion.
The results are indeed staggering!
I'm not sure how I exactly responded with Fr Jerome's question. "Well I still believe that the youth is naturally inclined towards the good. If it will take a hundred Manilakid.com websites to offset the negativity brought by pornography, then we humbly welcome the new competitiors" Having not answered the question the way I wanted to, I was left haunted to write something about the issue.
Is the world thirsting for too much flesh that it has to spend $97.06 Billion in a year (2006) to gratify the need for immediate sexual release? Maybe you can't get a clear picture of how big $97.06 Billion is. Henry Sy, with his malls, condominiums, resorts and banks is just worth $7.2 Billion as of 2011 according to http://www.therichest.org.
I wonder how many schools, feeding programs, scholarship funds, housing projects and life saving medical researches can be undertaken if we devote all our fund (and effort) from creating pornographic materials into something that would benefit humanity more.
But maybe beyond the issues on education, healthcare and housing, there is a deep rooted reason why pornography is backed up by billions of dollars. (Although I'm not justifying pornography) If you'd look at the problem, pornography is that drug that fills in the need of a person who has issues with empathy and relationships. He tries to cope up with this lack by watching obscene materials and lets his imagination fill in the gaps.
Maybe the $97.06 Billion spending is the red light signaling us that hey, there's a bigger problem with us internally which may be brought by media and technology's potential to isolate us. Like poverty which can lead to crime, this isolation from society has a tendency to find a release or refuge and the most convenient medium maybe pornography.
It's that or we can be satisfied with the explanation that people are naturally inclined to the craving of the flesh. Maybe if we'd zoom into the root cause, we'll be able to find the proper approach to fight pornography - or the absence of empathy. Things aren't always what they seem.
by Neil Palteng
by Neil Palteng
Interesting insight, Neil!This condition feeds into contemporary voyeurism in reality media. In some instances, excessive engagement is indicative of an ailing psyche likened to substance abuse made by those with major issues of control! Running on this tract, it seems like the contemporary voyeur who honestly desire to change needs a discipline that addresses not only the psycho-physio sexual needs but also a healing (perhaps of traumas)of experiences that have rendered him/her feeling unable to control his situation. It is also plausible that contemporary individuals oriented into a life of instant gratifications from childhood evolved into this condition, too. (Instant as in instant milk, instant noodles, instant viands, instant entertainment) Here, there is an indication that the individual's development is somehow estranged from that which is natural or nature's way. Observing nature, everything evolves thru time and space at its own pace. A beautiful orchestrated discipline designed by the Divine! Contemporary man's estrangement can still be undone. One way is the external cultivation of ecological lifestyles promoted by eco-activists. The other way (and wonderful if sought in conjunction with the former) is the contemplative path - meditation!
ReplyDeleteNamaste, Neil!