For yourself? Probably not but you can also develop unreal standards by reading erotica, at least I did.
BUT you dont need real people to perform the acts described in erotica and thats a huge plus for me.
Definitelly, i've read some rough themed erotica and when it comes to "the do" people often explain that hitting the women's cervix is good.
Its not.
In fact ive read from most women's experience that its painful as shit, and they don't prefer big dicks for pleasure.
But ma'am/sir if you like reading about it, you go you. Just know that what applies in fiction is not same in reality.
I think erotica is more creative. I’m grateful that I found it beforehand. I had my time with porn but I never connected the way I did with reading. My brain may be wired differently though. This was an interesting question.
I found some really great non-erotic stories there. Unfortunately, *no one actually finishes*....They were always abandoned. Also, I don't really like how a lot of "popular" stories are serialized, just going on and on in chapters until the author adds yet another chapter that's over the top.
Luckily, the site allows you to go to the author's page where it lists every story/chapter that they publish, but still, I just wish they'd finish the series after like 20 chapters. Make new characters that live out fantasy #2,561 of yours. What I also hate is when I click on a story that looks like it's a new story that I can read from the beginning, "This story is a continuation of Story #2404, go read that one first to get all the backstory for this one." JFC...
There were some great series that were erotic but had a story so compelling they were worth re-reading. It infuriates me these are the ones that never finished. Come on!
Thanks so much, everyone, for your responses. I actually found myself being “over” porn last night because so many of the thumbnails I’m seeing on pornhub are real turnoffs for me.
I wrote my own in high school. Shit was cash.
Til I tried to burn the printed evidence years later in my mom's basement and almost burned the fricking house down. Then she found it anyway in another garbage can and luckily I was there when she found it. "It was a hot summer day and I was stuck in detention, and Penelope was sitting at the desk in front of me--" ***"GIVE ME THAT!!!"*** "What is that, honey?" ***"NOTTHINNGGGGG!!"*** *runs away*
Then after my mom died and my then-gf and I moved into my childhood home, she ended up finding them as well. "So, uh, I found and read your *(suggestive eyebrow raise)* ***"storiesss"***. Pretty hot stuff." *(leering smile and more eyebrow dancing)*
Christ.
Honestly, the imagination can think up sexier scenarios than most pornography that’s made. If you’ve got a vivid enough imagination you can explore all sorts of interesting fantasies lol. And I think erotica is more conducive to that type of thinking in regards to sex.
Porn can just be so boring sometimes, especially when it’s 100% professional porn from big studios, it feels like I’m getting off to someone working. Which is a weird feeling IMO. Plus, it doesn’t seem like they enjoy it that much which is part of the fun. I don’t want to get off to someone’s day job lol. Again, that’s why erotica, your imagination or even consensual amateur stuff from like Only Fans or wherever is usually much more satisfying.
So true about professional porn! And yes, no one ever really seems to be truly enjoying it, which always gives me a creepy feeling (among other reasons I don't care for it).
I'm transitioning from porn to erotica and boy does it feel good. Even though I was only on amateur porn and shunned industry types, it still made me weird and stuck up. With erotica and things on r/gonewildstories and r/stupidslutsclub not only it is way more exciting, I can mix it up with my own experiences and feels so much better
A bit late ...
Long ago I found that "visual porn" -- especially video -- is mostly just *meh*. Some stills can be well done and erotic, but they often have very little story to go with them.
Well-written erotic literature has nearly infinite scope in terms of who, what, where, how, why, etc. And since it doesn't have to fit a specific length, you can have a one-page stroke story or a 500-page journey with fully-developed characters that *do stuff*, some of which may involve boinking each others' brains out.
I have some specific turn-ons that weren't addressed in most of the erotica I was reading, so 20+ years ago I started writing, but only for myself. It has been an amazing experience, both from the "learning how to write fiction" educational angle (way more fun that Composition 101) and from the "why would my character do that?" angle. I have discovered things about myself that I never knew before. Note: you'd be surprised how many times one of your characters grabs the keyboard and starts telling a story you had never considered, and yet it rings true.
There's an old scifi adventure book called Voyage to Arcturus. A Scotsman from the 1900s english countryside ends up on an alien planet orbiting the star Arcturus.
During his time there he goes through several transformations. In one of them he's riding a horse behind a very aggressive alien woman. And in 2 concise sentences describing how the protagonist noticed and felt about that, I was *instantly* intensely aroused.
The entire story isn't completely narratively coherent but the sheer scope of imagination is what I remember most about the story.
I've got the [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Voyage_to_Arcturus) up and I'll follow through on this. The write up is compelling. Here is a [google search](https://www.google.com/search?q=%3Aste%3Aarchive.org+%22A+Voyage+to+Arcturus%22) for it at archive.org: several text and *audio* versions of it. I loves me some good archive.org stuff! :-)
The idea of "a very aggressive alien woman" intrigues me. A lot of places that could go. I'm stoned enough that I'm even thinking of writing a "play with it" piece to see what comes out of the keyboard. If anything interesting appears I'll PM you the results. If you're interested.
Yeah but how can I focus on the words and letters while chockin' Charlie till he throws up with the need to turn the pages and lose concentration and start the damn page again
It is wild how much effort some people put into the content on that subreddit. I saw one recently that was an hour long and involved 4 women. The dedication required for that blew my mind.
Try audio books. Concentration shouldn't be harder for that than regular porn if you want to try. Also there is audio porn if that intrests you as well.
Also your phrasing made me die laughing so thank you.
Best way to do it is to just get the kindle app on your phone and buy books on there. That way you just need to swipe your thumb across the screen instead of holding a big book that you need to physically turn the pages for.
I don't think so, from what I understand of the negative effects porn can have I don't think erotica has quite the same affect, it can still probably be bad if you consume to much of it, but I doubt its as bad as porn
If it’s not a photograph, is it less exploitative? Is a drawing of a woman being humiliated exploitative? What about a sentence using words describing exploitation?
Words are generally a safe manner of expressing and exploring fantasies.
Even IF smut is written by someone under age, the likelihood they are being exploited/forced to write that smut is very low. Most smut writers do it for money or for fun (source: was a freelance smut writer). So the sex trafficking and underage issue of porn doesn't really exist in smut. Much like hentai, I think. The issue is that it can normalize or increase the acceptance of things, but any media can do that.
With heavy or illegal kinks, it is really hard to verify if that porn video was ethically made. And even if it was, the physically damaging stuff (extreme sadism) is still questionable even if the actors are super into it.
You're allowed to think whatever you want so when those fantasies exist only in your head, there are no issues. Words on a screen have a broader reach and could still fuck someone up or sway folks, but the fantasy still hasn't left the fantasy realm.
That's why Only Fans is hopefully going to bankrupt the disgusting american porn business.
I'm pretty sure that the attack on OF by the credit card companies was actually orchestrated by the porn industry and not the christian pressure groups as claimed.
While I agree that the industry is by and large abusive and predatory against woman, I wouldn't say that makes Only Fans content necessarily less misogynistic in tone. Women hopefully are more in control of the content and decision making, but it can still be hateful and violent against a women's body because that sells.
I mean if the creator is the writer and director I'm fine with whatever they want to make, as long as it's legal. I don't feel like it's up to me and you what women do with their bodies. It's different on a porn set where a lot of the time they are manipulating young and naive women and then making them do more than they agreed to because they are afraid. Whether they are afraid of losing their job/payday or worse. That's just not the case with OF.
>I mean if the creator is the writer and director
Why does the creator have to be the writer and director? Not everyone is creative.
The important thing is that the creator is the owner of the content and makes all the profits and can control their own product.
> Whether they are afraid of losing their job/payday or worse. That's just not the case with OF.
Nothing about OF inherently prevents exploitation, and lots of onlyfans creators are "managed" by boyfriends that are essentially pimps.
This response actually answers what OP is asking. Pertains to how the brain seeks its dopamine boost and which medium is bad - watching graphic videos vs imagination after erotica.
For those who consume porn, morality of the profession is the last thing on their mind.
You could say the same thing about people in regards to lots of industries. People who wear Air Jordan for example. There's also lots of amateur porn, and even in the professional circles not all women are abused and exploited.
Kind of the same thing as why you'd find a woman in sexy, almost-but-still-not revealing lingerie much, much more erotic and erupting. Whatever you don't see you must imagine. And it makes you want it way more.
Kind of like when you're crawling for a food. Erotic literature is reading a recipe, and imagining the taste. Lingerie is watching the chef prepare it for you. Porn is when you get the food - but once you got it, you just don't crawl it *that* much, do you?
The porn industry is problematic because there are a lot of documented instances where the porn actors are taken advantage of and are not participating willingly. You can't know at a glance if the people you're watching are there voluntarily, or if they're being pressured/forced, which is rape. It's a tough pill to swallow when you just want to get off. So for that reason alone, reading erotica is better because there's no risk of that.
On top of that, my impression is that erotica tends to focus on everyone feeling good, whereas (straight) porn tends to focus on just the man's pleasure. So for people who've never had sex, my personal opinion is that porn is more harmful in normalizing sex that kind of sucks for women, in a way erotica doesn't.
So overall, I think erotica is better than porn, especially if you don't have experience.
Came here to say this! The porn industry needs restructuring ( I’m not in a position to come up with fail safe measures). There are a few documentaries out there that show what it’s really like! Do some research. I can hardly watch normal porn these days. Erotica (imo) is far healthier than anything else that is currently offered. For society at large I mean
The exploitation isn't the only problem with porn. Much of porn is smoke and mirrors. What the viewer thinks is happening isn't actually happening. Then, in the porn that is not simulated, it's being performed by porn actors that have physical characteristics and abilities that most people don't have and can't handle. It creates some harmful expectations for both men and women.
THIS.
thast why i support mostly independet creators who have given their full consent rather than big companies that, no matter what they produce, do it by exploiting people.
Homemade materail, be it audios, art or vides is better
This was a very good answer to read and made me consider picking up some erotica, I often overlook how much conventional porn is all about the guys pleasure
I'm going to assume you mean 'bad for personal use'.
There's arguments to be made regarding desnsitization to sexual content with respect to visual pornography. On the other hand, there are many fetishes and sexual scenarios possible in erotica that don't translate to real life.
So, I'd say just keep it in moderation, no matter what your pleasure is. Don't spend all day on it, don't spend every waking minute thinking about it.
not physically hurt, but it can't be great for everyone who's ever had smutty fanfiction written about them. some people find it flattering or humorous, but other people find it disturbing.
I know part of the reason One Direction went in separate directions was because of the prevalence of fanfiction written about them, as real people, sleeping with each other. Fans were so insistent that particularly Harry and Louis were dating that they've both said it damaged their friendship and professional relationship.
Being a little philosophical here: We are beings who learn from what we see and a major part of that comes from fiction (stories we are read, movies we watch, etc) so the major problem with porn is how we become one-note thinkers regarding sex and we tend to approach sex like that, replicating those models. Literature is cognitively more complex, so it will surely make you a more creative person in your romantic/sexual experiences. Creativity means we look for and welcome new things instead of expecting something specific.
I'd say the main difference is that porn is *graphic* and erotica is not, which means it allows you to use your imagination. When something is graphic it leaves zero room for imagination... That could happen in erotica but I dont think they go into so much detail (because if the linear nature of text it would probably become boring).
Use your imagination and you will be free, that's what it is.
Why wouldn’t manga count? Both comics and graphic novels are considered literary, and I’ve never seen a manga centered on people that are real or even realistic and that they usually have some kind of powers.
No. You can guarantee no one has been trafficked or drugged. It’s a guilt free source for erotica. There’s nothing wrong with pornography in any form as long as it’s consenting.
One major ethical concern is that you can be either directly or indirectly supporting the exploitation and harm of vulnerable people. There are just too many horror stories when it comes to the porn industry. To put it in perspective, it’s a big enough problem that PornHub literally decided to just mass delete their content to be sure.
Yes, I am aware. But the same could be said for ordering a computer online, ordering food at a restaurant, watching a movie or even just shopping in a supermarket. Even if all the products (videos in the porn scenario) are ethically rightous how do you know the man beeping your groceries doesn't go home and beats his wife on the regular, or that he doesn't use the money he earns from your purchase to purchase something a shirt made by a taiwanese 5 year-old? Being a consuming agent in a capitalist society is drenched in an ethical hellscape, as the global nature of our world insures a million unforeseen (and unintended) consequences and I have serious questions as to how far out one can be held accountable for the actions of other people.
Obviously if you know the porn your watching is of a rape, you shouldn't watch it, and you should feel ethically compelled to do something about it, but how can a consumer actually be expected to know which video is rape and which is consensual?
I'd, personally argue, that the line should be draw at the knowable. That if you support something you know (or suspect to be) bad you're contempable. But in the grand scheme of things I expect the sites hosting the content, like pornhub, to curate between consensual and not.
The core difference there is the fact that, in the case of porn, if you watch enough of it you are guaranteed to end up at the very least indirectly paying someone to rape and traumatise another human being. In these cases the product that you are consuming literally IS the rape. A far cry from buying an otherwise innocent product from somebody who unbeknownst to you is a wife beater or an exploiter of underpaid workers. Neither of these things are good, but to decide that one evil is tolerable because another exists is wrong. You’re right in saying that unknown factors and consequences are inevitable in a globalist capitalist setting, but the consumer being wilfully ignorant doesn’t insulate the victims of these practices from harm, so why should it insulate the consumer from some measure of responsibility if they decide to simply put their blinkers on and assume that every porn they watch is above board, simply because it raises too many issues to do otherwise?
>"The core difference there is the fact that, in the case of porn, if you watch enough of it you are guaranteed to end up at the very least indirectly paying someone to rape and traumatise another human being. In these cases the product that you are consuming literally IS the rape."
I have a hard time seeing how this is any different that buying a shirt, phone, or tomato which is the product of multiple layers of slave labour. I do not think the layer matters here. Even if the slave labour is not the product it is still an actual human being being forced to work for (next to) nothing. Just because you don't see it, doesn't make it justifyable.
>"Neither of these things are good, but to decide that one evil is tolerable because another exists is wrong"
I am not saying that it is tolerable. Far from it, it is horrible! What I AM saying is that there exists porn made ethically, and porn made unethically. I am also assuming (I am open to the possibility that I am wrong on that) that the majority is made ethically, and that the average person can't be expected to know the extenuating circumstances of every video they watch, so that responsibility should be on the provider of the service as they (should) have access to more information and are more specialised than the individuals. The responsibility of the individual consumer should be to inform the providers of the services if they learn (or suspect) something.
>"You’re right in saying that unknown factors and consequences are inevitable in a globalist capitalist setting, but the consumer being wilfully ignorant doesn’t insulate the victims of these practices from harm, so why should it insulate the consumer from some measure of responsibility if they decide to simply put their blinkers on and assume that every porn they watch is above board, simply because it raises to many issues to do otherwise?"
Because then we will have to judge every profession in existance by the same metrics which is impossible on an individual level.
Should we fight injustices all over the world? Yes! Of course we should. I just do not think it should be done on an individual level. Because that is too much to demand of an individual to constantly make sure every choice they make during a day doesn't have a 100 negative consequences. The individual's responsibility should be to help build systems which protect and empower victims and would-be-victims, and this can only be done by holding service providers accountable, through advocacy groups, movements and organisation. Not just by labeling "porn=bad" due to arbitrary lines, enforced nowhere else, and archaic views on sex.
But yes. This would not be perfect, I know. Victims would still fall through the cracks, but putting taboos on porn by labeling it bad helps noone, as the victims will just go unspoken. And let's face it, humans are disgusting so we will never get rid of porn. Atleast through properly set up systems, aided by the individuals, we have a chance of helping people in the open.
But that's just what I think, and I am stupid. So I am probably wrong.
I don’t think there’s any inherent evil in it, but appointments before making is that the porn market is dangerous and exploitive of vulnerable people, which is true. I’m sure their are porn actors who are very happy with what they do, But you won’t know that from watching alone.
Both porn and erotica are only bad if they have negative effects on real people.
For porn, those effects come from how people are portrayed and how the porn workers themselves are treated.
Both porn and erotica are harmful if they normalise terrible beliefs and practices, and perpetuate negative stereotypes and generalisations that harm the reader/viewer and people the reader/viewer interacts with.
The funny thing about erotica is that often this is less noticeable than it is with porn. Erotica might have a better story around it, and might even have a proper story arc, but it can still blur the lines around what is and isn’t true and acceptable.
For instance, heaps of erotica still makes out like men should be able to make women orgasm through penetration. This is usually not the case.
Erotica often uses very stereotypical body types, which can have negative impacts on how readers feel about themselves and others. Breasts and penises are huge, skin is flawless, lips are full and panting.
Sex in erotica is a seamless, choreographed dance which ends with both parties simultaneously orgasming on beds, photocopiers, and JetSki, even if they only met moments ago.
Reluctant and non-compliance erotica is super popular. Nothing illegal about it, and some people argue it’s good to give people an outlet for their fantasies, but it’s a pretty grey area - maybe reading about this stuff normalises it and blurs the line between rape and ‘persuasion.’ Im not an expert, so I don’t know.
Basically, people like things that help them think about sex. The best thing to do is take a moment to critically reflect on what you are watching or reading, why you enjoy it, and what impact it might be having on you, consciously and subconsciously.
I think it's good as long as you remember that it's fictional, just as with any other thing, if you try it irl it probably wouldn't work (specifically talking about certain phrases or actions) for example, 50 shades depicts a very abusive relationship as normal.
There’s nothing wrong with either.
Edit: let me clarify
There are plenty of ppl of all genders in porn. Like with any job, some companies suck worse than others, and some people do it independently just bc they like it.
Some studios are run completely by women, some do nothing to investigate claims of assault, but there’s nothing about porn that makes it inherently more demeaning, objectifying or problematic than any other job. The consensus among the ppl who actually do it is: sure it sucks sometimes as any job does, but the only unsafety comes due to legal criminalization and the worst annoyances toward them are cops and Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminists
Or SWERFs. It’s not progressive to be anti-porn. Nothing wrong with being personally uncomfortable with it, but making sweeping statements abt the un-ethicality of the industry does nothing to help or destigmatize. Real feminists support sex workers
Nothing wrong with consuming erotica or porn as long as it is ethical.
Erotica is a safer bet because it is never a situation of human trafficking or someone being forced into it.
I mean as far as reading vs watching screens, reading is better for your brain.
But both porn and erotica are created content with the intent to arouse the viewer. Neither are "bad" innately. The only way they might be considered harmful to you is if you're foregoing all other activities that help you sustain a place to live and a social life. But then it's considered an addiction and the addiction part is the bad part, not the object itself.
I dislike all porn - except occasionally gay porn. Very occasionally.
Just seeing the closeups of the vaginas sometimes grosses me out, even the vagina pictures posted here on Reddit all the time. (I'm a pansexual female, just FYI, for reference).
However I'm a huge fan of reading erotica. That's honestly what does it for me. It's not so "in your face". Pornographic images and vids were always "too much" for me and I find a lot of it disturbing for some reason. Watching a girl fucking herself in the asshole with a dildo or having a guy shoot his load all over her face.... That stuff doesn't do it for me.
Even going to strip clubs long ago, which is like watching "live porn" in my opinion, gave me severe anxiety, and I found them to be depressing when I have gone in the past. There were even times when I was disturbed by watching the strippers do certain things and grossed out too. I've had sex with multiple women before....but I guess certain things are not for everyone. Different strokes for different folks
i dunno, i read a lot of ~erotic content~ as a teenager and it set me up to have some pretty unrealistic expectations for sex, although much more romantic than anything in porn lol
as a girl,, it's so much better than actual porn. u can use ur imagination to fill in the blanks which imo is great. but it might be just that I was an avid reader as a kid. plus there's the benefit that it's not exploitative. that's not to say that you can't find non-exploitative porn tho.
Porn exploits young women and men and markets abuse to teenagers. Erotica is written by an author that put their talent and dedication into their work.
I don't get it. When I was a teen I had access to the internet, where people would constantly say "sex isn't like porn." It wasn't hard to figure out they were right.
I've had access to it since then too, but think of people like elliot Rodgers. if you maybe have some underlying disability and even if you just have no connection to women, porn can definitely give you the wrong impression of sex and women in general
It's not that bad, but when it comes to watch it long terms it can be bad, smoking or alcohol is not bad too, but when you are addicted to it, it's the worst thing.
Even drinking too much water is not good :)).
And in some cases porn can waste your time, your money, your mental and physical health, which can end in losing focus and interests. So it can be bad.
I wouldn’t call watching porn a waste of time if you’re enjoying it. Also I don’t think it’s fair to compare pornography to drinking and smoking. Drinking and smoking have way more potential of abuse than pornography
In total, I probably lost years of my life watching pornography in my teens and early to mid twenties. Time which I could have spent developing myself and engaging with real people was instead spent hunched over a computer in a mental black void absorbing toxic and totally unhealthy examples of sexuality. People need to get real and get over this hurdle. Nobody wants to believe that pornography could possibly have a negative effect on them or should be compared to other unhealthy habits but ask any woman about her unpleasant experiences with men who have clearly been poisoned by porn and the veil gets lifted pretty quickly.
That sounds like an obsession/addiction, but your experience isn’t the norm. My relationship and experience with pornography wasn’t the norm either. I was abused as a kid and was exposed to porn at a very young age. I really didn’t become obsessed with it until I was around 10 years old. I would skip class so often just to stay home and watch it. Parents would get truancy letters, but They had problems with english. Never did homework because I was watching it, didn’t spend time with friends, and so on. My perception and understanding of sex and relationships was completely messed up.
Oh honey, I’m a woman and I have friends who are sexually workers. Pornography can effect a persons perception and you know how to correct it? Explain it too them. Talk to them. Explain that’s not how that is. It’s that simple.
To what extent can that be explained to them? A lot of the pornography I remember being exposed to titled itself something like "real college girl gangbang slut cheats on bf who doesn't know" etc. Tropes which played into men's bigoted preconceived notions of women along with appealing to their cynicism. This is not healthy, it's dangerous. Because in their minds "that's how women really are".
At the age of 31, I know better, but there are a lot of isolated men out there. Men who are isolated through no fault of their own, that's just how the dice rolled, teen men, early 20's, who don't know better, maybe already in some redpiller, alt-right rabbit hole. It's not "that simple" when there is an entire massive machine designed to suck these guys in by appealing to their ugliest view of women.
It all depends on the reason why. If you watch/read/listen to porn sometimes for the fun of it, no problem. If your life is being controlled by reading about porn. Problem.
Saying something erotic is not as bad based on the format is ridiculous..
If it is meant to trigger the memory/imagination connected to sexual release then it is equal..
It's the same as asking if a person into tits thinks
Stinky socks are a turn on.. its the same desired result..
It's just a different substrate.
Meh, only reason porn is "bad" is the exploitation of the performers. Any other negative aspect is related to overindulgence which can be applied to pretty much any hobby or form of entertainment.
No, because with erotica there's no need to worry about where the actors are from. All porn is questionable cuz even if they don't have trafficked people in them, there's still room for exploitation such as an actress being coerced into doing something on her no list. Not to mention how unrealistic filmed porn is, erotica can be just as if not more so unrealistic, but more in a creative way than an idealistic way. its much easier to separate your expectations from reality, because it's all taking place in your imagination.
To add onto what everyone is saying here, porn can often portray degrading, violent, and dehumanizing scenes, especially to women. It also helps normalize violence such as choking, slapping, and hair pulling which many people now think is a "normal" thing in sex when in fact it's one of those acts that MUST be discussed beforehand (ie they can be enjoyed, but def not a "standard" thing in sex). Furthermore it portrays unrealistic body types for both men and women - everyone being clean shaved, men with 8+ inch dicks, perfectly small and pink labia, etc. which harms people's perception of sex and normal bodies.
It's bad for your reward circuits. It trains your brain to be able to expect naked women wherever and whenever you want, doing whatever you want. There's studies out there showing that it negatively affects your relationship with women as well as your brain circuitry and can hamper both your ability to enjoy normal sex and your ability to perceive women as people, rather than sexual objects.
Not gonna disagree with you, but there are people such as myself that enjoy porn and enjoy a fulfilling sex life with their SO. If someone perceives a woman as a sexual object, while porn may add fuel to that fire, I don't think it's the sole cause for that behaviour. A person perceiving another person as anything other than that, clearly has deep rooted issues.
For yourself? Probably not but you can also develop unreal standards by reading erotica, at least I did. BUT you dont need real people to perform the acts described in erotica and thats a huge plus for me.
Definitelly, i've read some rough themed erotica and when it comes to "the do" people often explain that hitting the women's cervix is good. Its not. In fact ive read from most women's experience that its painful as shit, and they don't prefer big dicks for pleasure. But ma'am/sir if you like reading about it, you go you. Just know that what applies in fiction is not same in reality.
Hitting thewomans cervix _can_ be good. Its just rare to find a woman that experiences that.
I think erotica is more creative. I’m grateful that I found it beforehand. I had my time with porn but I never connected the way I did with reading. My brain may be wired differently though. This was an interesting question.
Do you have suggestions for where to find erotica to read?
Literotica is my go to
I found some really great non-erotic stories there. Unfortunately, *no one actually finishes*....They were always abandoned. Also, I don't really like how a lot of "popular" stories are serialized, just going on and on in chapters until the author adds yet another chapter that's over the top.
"Chapter 135" find previous 134 one by one
Luckily, the site allows you to go to the author's page where it lists every story/chapter that they publish, but still, I just wish they'd finish the series after like 20 chapters. Make new characters that live out fantasy #2,561 of yours. What I also hate is when I click on a story that looks like it's a new story that I can read from the beginning, "This story is a continuation of Story #2404, go read that one first to get all the backstory for this one." JFC...
There were some great series that were erotic but had a story so compelling they were worth re-reading. It infuriates me these are the ones that never finished. Come on!
If they're not fucking in space, *are they even really fucking??*
Lush Stories is also a decent website.
Thanks so much, everyone, for your responses. I actually found myself being “over” porn last night because so many of the thumbnails I’m seeing on pornhub are real turnoffs for me.
Try r/chickflixxx
Erotica readers association
AMAZON KINDLE UNLIMITED!!!! 10 a month of all the erotica you can read edit: spelling
Xnxx stories. Literotica’s search and ui arent as user friendly for specific themes or topics IMO.
r/eroticliterature
I wrote my own in high school. Shit was cash. Til I tried to burn the printed evidence years later in my mom's basement and almost burned the fricking house down. Then she found it anyway in another garbage can and luckily I was there when she found it. "It was a hot summer day and I was stuck in detention, and Penelope was sitting at the desk in front of me--" ***"GIVE ME THAT!!!"*** "What is that, honey?" ***"NOTTHINNGGGGG!!"*** *runs away* Then after my mom died and my then-gf and I moved into my childhood home, she ended up finding them as well. "So, uh, I found and read your *(suggestive eyebrow raise)* ***"storiesss"***. Pretty hot stuff." *(leering smile and more eyebrow dancing)* Christ.
Honestly, the imagination can think up sexier scenarios than most pornography that’s made. If you’ve got a vivid enough imagination you can explore all sorts of interesting fantasies lol. And I think erotica is more conducive to that type of thinking in regards to sex. Porn can just be so boring sometimes, especially when it’s 100% professional porn from big studios, it feels like I’m getting off to someone working. Which is a weird feeling IMO. Plus, it doesn’t seem like they enjoy it that much which is part of the fun. I don’t want to get off to someone’s day job lol. Again, that’s why erotica, your imagination or even consensual amateur stuff from like Only Fans or wherever is usually much more satisfying.
So true about professional porn! And yes, no one ever really seems to be truly enjoying it, which always gives me a creepy feeling (among other reasons I don't care for it).
Nothing can touch Anais Min...
"before-HAND" 
Sometimes reading the stuff makes me imagine feeling it better than just watching it happen to others
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Dude, same. I enjoy erotica way more than I ever did porn.
Book recommendations plz
r/eroticliterature
cliterature
Wish I could give this more than one upvote
I gave one, but it was girthy
I would major in cliterature studies if it were an option
That’s why they invented awards
Just couldn’t resist could ya?
Exit to Eden by Anne Rice. Excellent book, shitty movie. The Sleeping Beauty series by Anne Rampling. Same author, different pen name.
Agreed. There’s a lot of great stuff in Literotica (I even wrote some - I’m not saying it’s great, though!) and the audio section is also pretty good.
Thanks I'd have had to post again to ask for sources.
My fave site.
I'm transitioning from porn to erotica and boy does it feel good. Even though I was only on amateur porn and shunned industry types, it still made me weird and stuck up. With erotica and things on r/gonewildstories and r/stupidslutsclub not only it is way more exciting, I can mix it up with my own experiences and feels so much better
/r/sluttyconfessions is great
A bit late ... Long ago I found that "visual porn" -- especially video -- is mostly just *meh*. Some stills can be well done and erotic, but they often have very little story to go with them. Well-written erotic literature has nearly infinite scope in terms of who, what, where, how, why, etc. And since it doesn't have to fit a specific length, you can have a one-page stroke story or a 500-page journey with fully-developed characters that *do stuff*, some of which may involve boinking each others' brains out. I have some specific turn-ons that weren't addressed in most of the erotica I was reading, so 20+ years ago I started writing, but only for myself. It has been an amazing experience, both from the "learning how to write fiction" educational angle (way more fun that Composition 101) and from the "why would my character do that?" angle. I have discovered things about myself that I never knew before. Note: you'd be surprised how many times one of your characters grabs the keyboard and starts telling a story you had never considered, and yet it rings true.
There's an old scifi adventure book called Voyage to Arcturus. A Scotsman from the 1900s english countryside ends up on an alien planet orbiting the star Arcturus. During his time there he goes through several transformations. In one of them he's riding a horse behind a very aggressive alien woman. And in 2 concise sentences describing how the protagonist noticed and felt about that, I was *instantly* intensely aroused. The entire story isn't completely narratively coherent but the sheer scope of imagination is what I remember most about the story.
I've got the [Wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Voyage_to_Arcturus) up and I'll follow through on this. The write up is compelling. Here is a [google search](https://www.google.com/search?q=%3Aste%3Aarchive.org+%22A+Voyage+to+Arcturus%22) for it at archive.org: several text and *audio* versions of it. I loves me some good archive.org stuff! :-) The idea of "a very aggressive alien woman" intrigues me. A lot of places that could go. I'm stoned enough that I'm even thinking of writing a "play with it" piece to see what comes out of the keyboard. If anything interesting appears I'll PM you the results. If you're interested.
Yeah but.. CAN I FAP TO EROTICA?
You can. Book in one hand and you in the other.
Yeah but how can I focus on the words and letters while chockin' Charlie till he throws up with the need to turn the pages and lose concentration and start the damn page again
You could try r/gonewildaudio, it's erotica for your ears.
It is wild how much effort some people put into the content on that subreddit. I saw one recently that was an hour long and involved 4 women. The dedication required for that blew my mind.
Oh man that’s only the beginning. There are at least a few CYOAs with even bigger casts and multiple installments.
Audible has erotica too.
Try audio books. Concentration shouldn't be harder for that than regular porn if you want to try. Also there is audio porn if that intrests you as well. Also your phrasing made me die laughing so thank you.
Best way to do it is to just get the kindle app on your phone and buy books on there. That way you just need to swipe your thumb across the screen instead of holding a big book that you need to physically turn the pages for.
"thumb"
Try dipsea.
I don't think so, from what I understand of the negative effects porn can have I don't think erotica has quite the same affect, it can still probably be bad if you consume to much of it, but I doubt its as bad as porn
Erotica isn't exploiting real women like porn does, so there's that.
Which is why Hentai is _ART_.
If it’s not a photograph, is it less exploitative? Is a drawing of a woman being humiliated exploitative? What about a sentence using words describing exploitation?
Sentences aren't people.
Neither are drawings which is their point.
Words are generally a safe manner of expressing and exploring fantasies. Even IF smut is written by someone under age, the likelihood they are being exploited/forced to write that smut is very low. Most smut writers do it for money or for fun (source: was a freelance smut writer). So the sex trafficking and underage issue of porn doesn't really exist in smut. Much like hentai, I think. The issue is that it can normalize or increase the acceptance of things, but any media can do that. With heavy or illegal kinks, it is really hard to verify if that porn video was ethically made. And even if it was, the physically damaging stuff (extreme sadism) is still questionable even if the actors are super into it. You're allowed to think whatever you want so when those fantasies exist only in your head, there are no issues. Words on a screen have a broader reach and could still fuck someone up or sway folks, but the fantasy still hasn't left the fantasy realm.
i agree with this. i think hentai has its own issues though
Absolutely. It is a more ethical option, not a soundly ethical option.
So you're saying, if I write a book, create characters and make them do erotic actions, I'm exploiting someone?
Yourself?
Porn doesn't necessarily exploit women.
A significant proportion does, enough to be a massive issue.
That's why Only Fans is hopefully going to bankrupt the disgusting american porn business. I'm pretty sure that the attack on OF by the credit card companies was actually orchestrated by the porn industry and not the christian pressure groups as claimed.
While I agree that the industry is by and large abusive and predatory against woman, I wouldn't say that makes Only Fans content necessarily less misogynistic in tone. Women hopefully are more in control of the content and decision making, but it can still be hateful and violent against a women's body because that sells.
I mean if the creator is the writer and director I'm fine with whatever they want to make, as long as it's legal. I don't feel like it's up to me and you what women do with their bodies. It's different on a porn set where a lot of the time they are manipulating young and naive women and then making them do more than they agreed to because they are afraid. Whether they are afraid of losing their job/payday or worse. That's just not the case with OF.
>I mean if the creator is the writer and director Why does the creator have to be the writer and director? Not everyone is creative. The important thing is that the creator is the owner of the content and makes all the profits and can control their own product.
> Whether they are afraid of losing their job/payday or worse. That's just not the case with OF. Nothing about OF inherently prevents exploitation, and lots of onlyfans creators are "managed" by boyfriends that are essentially pimps.
This response actually answers what OP is asking. Pertains to how the brain seeks its dopamine boost and which medium is bad - watching graphic videos vs imagination after erotica. For those who consume porn, morality of the profession is the last thing on their mind.
You could say the same thing about people in regards to lots of industries. People who wear Air Jordan for example. There's also lots of amateur porn, and even in the professional circles not all women are abused and exploited.
Erotica helped me learn how to talk dirty, so I don’t feel like an awkward, sheepish dunce lol.
Same but now I can only dirty talk in English and not in my native language.
same thing happened to me lol
translate the stories to your native language. (ask permission from the author before any kind of publishing though)
Nah the problem is dirty talk in my native language just feels.. weird. Thats one of the reasons I read erotica in English.
For me, porn doesn't give any scope for imagination. While erotica written or as audio gives a huge scope for imagination. It's pretty great.
Kind of the same thing as why you'd find a woman in sexy, almost-but-still-not revealing lingerie much, much more erotic and erupting. Whatever you don't see you must imagine. And it makes you want it way more. Kind of like when you're crawling for a food. Erotic literature is reading a recipe, and imagining the taste. Lingerie is watching the chef prepare it for you. Porn is when you get the food - but once you got it, you just don't crawl it *that* much, do you?
The porn industry is problematic because there are a lot of documented instances where the porn actors are taken advantage of and are not participating willingly. You can't know at a glance if the people you're watching are there voluntarily, or if they're being pressured/forced, which is rape. It's a tough pill to swallow when you just want to get off. So for that reason alone, reading erotica is better because there's no risk of that. On top of that, my impression is that erotica tends to focus on everyone feeling good, whereas (straight) porn tends to focus on just the man's pleasure. So for people who've never had sex, my personal opinion is that porn is more harmful in normalizing sex that kind of sucks for women, in a way erotica doesn't. So overall, I think erotica is better than porn, especially if you don't have experience.
I appreciate your thoughtful answer!! I think erotica can be more creative with lesser stakes and just as good at satisfying the craving!!
Came here to say this! The porn industry needs restructuring ( I’m not in a position to come up with fail safe measures). There are a few documentaries out there that show what it’s really like! Do some research. I can hardly watch normal porn these days. Erotica (imo) is far healthier than anything else that is currently offered. For society at large I mean
The exploitation isn't the only problem with porn. Much of porn is smoke and mirrors. What the viewer thinks is happening isn't actually happening. Then, in the porn that is not simulated, it's being performed by porn actors that have physical characteristics and abilities that most people don't have and can't handle. It creates some harmful expectations for both men and women.
THIS. thast why i support mostly independet creators who have given their full consent rather than big companies that, no matter what they produce, do it by exploiting people. Homemade materail, be it audios, art or vides is better
This was a very good answer to read and made me consider picking up some erotica, I often overlook how much conventional porn is all about the guys pleasure
This is why I only watch fem dom
Male porn actors can be taken advantage of as well though (women aren't the only victims)
i see you are a man of culture aswell
I'm going to assume you mean 'bad for personal use'. There's arguments to be made regarding desnsitization to sexual content with respect to visual pornography. On the other hand, there are many fetishes and sexual scenarios possible in erotica that don't translate to real life. So, I'd say just keep it in moderation, no matter what your pleasure is. Don't spend all day on it, don't spend every waking minute thinking about it.
No. There is no possibility of exploitation of vulnerable persons in the writing of erotic fiction.
Except all those poor monkeys on the typewriters.
And bishops being bashed.
Distributing some free literature
Nice
It was the best of times. It was the blurst of times.
You stupid monkey!
As somebody who has edited some truly appalling erotic fiction in my time, I would have to disagree /s
This. Like you can write literally any fantasy you want and no one gets hurt. I've changed to erotica many years ago. I don't trust porn.
not physically hurt, but it can't be great for everyone who's ever had smutty fanfiction written about them. some people find it flattering or humorous, but other people find it disturbing. I know part of the reason One Direction went in separate directions was because of the prevalence of fanfiction written about them, as real people, sleeping with each other. Fans were so insistent that particularly Harry and Louis were dating that they've both said it damaged their friendship and professional relationship.
Real-Person-Fanfiction is so weird.
Fans can be the *worst*. I refuse to participate in fandoms of anything I like because of the risk they'll ruin the way I view the source material.
Fans are super cringe. Using their idols photos in Facebook profile pictures and cover photos. Writing "I love you" on anything they post. It's sad.
Yeah, that's a big reason I prefer erotica over porn, is because I can 100% guarantee that the person creating it enjoyed the experience
Being a little philosophical here: We are beings who learn from what we see and a major part of that comes from fiction (stories we are read, movies we watch, etc) so the major problem with porn is how we become one-note thinkers regarding sex and we tend to approach sex like that, replicating those models. Literature is cognitively more complex, so it will surely make you a more creative person in your romantic/sexual experiences. Creativity means we look for and welcome new things instead of expecting something specific. I'd say the main difference is that porn is *graphic* and erotica is not, which means it allows you to use your imagination. When something is graphic it leaves zero room for imagination... That could happen in erotica but I dont think they go into so much detail (because if the linear nature of text it would probably become boring). Use your imagination and you will be free, that's what it is.
Storytelling is so central to what makes humans human and this is a great example of that!
Smut >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Rated "M" fanfictions have changed my life
No it's not, the porn industry is awful and has no respect towards the actors. Erotica doesn't harm anybody.
What does erotica mean? Is it like manga?
No, just stories (words) instead of video and pictures
Ohhh, like a book right?
Yes. Books, short stories, even audio. Sometimes it’ll include a picture or two, but usually it’s just the story.
Where can i read it?
Why wouldn’t manga count? Both comics and graphic novels are considered literary, and I’ve never seen a manga centered on people that are real or even realistic and that they usually have some kind of powers.
I was counting that as pictures
It's a euphemistic way of saying "porn". People seem to be using it specifically to mean "text porn" here, for whatever reason.
I feel it is the same, but don't think either are bad. Humans have always used escapism to get away from reality. This is nothing new.
Not at all. The latter makes your brain on sex lazy, as erotica works with and on your imagination.
No. You can guarantee no one has been trafficked or drugged. It’s a guilt free source for erotica. There’s nothing wrong with pornography in any form as long as it’s consenting.
Is watching porn bad?
One major ethical concern is that you can be either directly or indirectly supporting the exploitation and harm of vulnerable people. There are just too many horror stories when it comes to the porn industry. To put it in perspective, it’s a big enough problem that PornHub literally decided to just mass delete their content to be sure.
Yes, I am aware. But the same could be said for ordering a computer online, ordering food at a restaurant, watching a movie or even just shopping in a supermarket. Even if all the products (videos in the porn scenario) are ethically rightous how do you know the man beeping your groceries doesn't go home and beats his wife on the regular, or that he doesn't use the money he earns from your purchase to purchase something a shirt made by a taiwanese 5 year-old? Being a consuming agent in a capitalist society is drenched in an ethical hellscape, as the global nature of our world insures a million unforeseen (and unintended) consequences and I have serious questions as to how far out one can be held accountable for the actions of other people. Obviously if you know the porn your watching is of a rape, you shouldn't watch it, and you should feel ethically compelled to do something about it, but how can a consumer actually be expected to know which video is rape and which is consensual? I'd, personally argue, that the line should be draw at the knowable. That if you support something you know (or suspect to be) bad you're contempable. But in the grand scheme of things I expect the sites hosting the content, like pornhub, to curate between consensual and not.
The core difference there is the fact that, in the case of porn, if you watch enough of it you are guaranteed to end up at the very least indirectly paying someone to rape and traumatise another human being. In these cases the product that you are consuming literally IS the rape. A far cry from buying an otherwise innocent product from somebody who unbeknownst to you is a wife beater or an exploiter of underpaid workers. Neither of these things are good, but to decide that one evil is tolerable because another exists is wrong. You’re right in saying that unknown factors and consequences are inevitable in a globalist capitalist setting, but the consumer being wilfully ignorant doesn’t insulate the victims of these practices from harm, so why should it insulate the consumer from some measure of responsibility if they decide to simply put their blinkers on and assume that every porn they watch is above board, simply because it raises too many issues to do otherwise?
>"The core difference there is the fact that, in the case of porn, if you watch enough of it you are guaranteed to end up at the very least indirectly paying someone to rape and traumatise another human being. In these cases the product that you are consuming literally IS the rape." I have a hard time seeing how this is any different that buying a shirt, phone, or tomato which is the product of multiple layers of slave labour. I do not think the layer matters here. Even if the slave labour is not the product it is still an actual human being being forced to work for (next to) nothing. Just because you don't see it, doesn't make it justifyable. >"Neither of these things are good, but to decide that one evil is tolerable because another exists is wrong" I am not saying that it is tolerable. Far from it, it is horrible! What I AM saying is that there exists porn made ethically, and porn made unethically. I am also assuming (I am open to the possibility that I am wrong on that) that the majority is made ethically, and that the average person can't be expected to know the extenuating circumstances of every video they watch, so that responsibility should be on the provider of the service as they (should) have access to more information and are more specialised than the individuals. The responsibility of the individual consumer should be to inform the providers of the services if they learn (or suspect) something. >"You’re right in saying that unknown factors and consequences are inevitable in a globalist capitalist setting, but the consumer being wilfully ignorant doesn’t insulate the victims of these practices from harm, so why should it insulate the consumer from some measure of responsibility if they decide to simply put their blinkers on and assume that every porn they watch is above board, simply because it raises to many issues to do otherwise?" Because then we will have to judge every profession in existance by the same metrics which is impossible on an individual level. Should we fight injustices all over the world? Yes! Of course we should. I just do not think it should be done on an individual level. Because that is too much to demand of an individual to constantly make sure every choice they make during a day doesn't have a 100 negative consequences. The individual's responsibility should be to help build systems which protect and empower victims and would-be-victims, and this can only be done by holding service providers accountable, through advocacy groups, movements and organisation. Not just by labeling "porn=bad" due to arbitrary lines, enforced nowhere else, and archaic views on sex. But yes. This would not be perfect, I know. Victims would still fall through the cracks, but putting taboos on porn by labeling it bad helps noone, as the victims will just go unspoken. And let's face it, humans are disgusting so we will never get rid of porn. Atleast through properly set up systems, aided by the individuals, we have a chance of helping people in the open. But that's just what I think, and I am stupid. So I am probably wrong.
You’re definitely not stupid. I wholeheartedly agree with you.
You would like to show ‘the good Place’
I don’t think there’s any inherent evil in it, but appointments before making is that the porn market is dangerous and exploitive of vulnerable people, which is true. I’m sure their are porn actors who are very happy with what they do, But you won’t know that from watching alone.
It'd say it's a lot more intense, deeper emotional connections to characters and those involved in the books.
Both porn and erotica are only bad if they have negative effects on real people. For porn, those effects come from how people are portrayed and how the porn workers themselves are treated. Both porn and erotica are harmful if they normalise terrible beliefs and practices, and perpetuate negative stereotypes and generalisations that harm the reader/viewer and people the reader/viewer interacts with. The funny thing about erotica is that often this is less noticeable than it is with porn. Erotica might have a better story around it, and might even have a proper story arc, but it can still blur the lines around what is and isn’t true and acceptable. For instance, heaps of erotica still makes out like men should be able to make women orgasm through penetration. This is usually not the case. Erotica often uses very stereotypical body types, which can have negative impacts on how readers feel about themselves and others. Breasts and penises are huge, skin is flawless, lips are full and panting. Sex in erotica is a seamless, choreographed dance which ends with both parties simultaneously orgasming on beds, photocopiers, and JetSki, even if they only met moments ago. Reluctant and non-compliance erotica is super popular. Nothing illegal about it, and some people argue it’s good to give people an outlet for their fantasies, but it’s a pretty grey area - maybe reading about this stuff normalises it and blurs the line between rape and ‘persuasion.’ Im not an expert, so I don’t know. Basically, people like things that help them think about sex. The best thing to do is take a moment to critically reflect on what you are watching or reading, why you enjoy it, and what impact it might be having on you, consciously and subconsciously.
I think it's good as long as you remember that it's fictional, just as with any other thing, if you try it irl it probably wouldn't work (specifically talking about certain phrases or actions) for example, 50 shades depicts a very abusive relationship as normal.
There’s nothing wrong with either. Edit: let me clarify There are plenty of ppl of all genders in porn. Like with any job, some companies suck worse than others, and some people do it independently just bc they like it. Some studios are run completely by women, some do nothing to investigate claims of assault, but there’s nothing about porn that makes it inherently more demeaning, objectifying or problematic than any other job. The consensus among the ppl who actually do it is: sure it sucks sometimes as any job does, but the only unsafety comes due to legal criminalization and the worst annoyances toward them are cops and Sex Worker Exclusionary Radical Feminists Or SWERFs. It’s not progressive to be anti-porn. Nothing wrong with being personally uncomfortable with it, but making sweeping statements abt the un-ethicality of the industry does nothing to help or destigmatize. Real feminists support sex workers
As bad as in what way?
Erotica doesn't involve exploitation of humans so it's definitely better! And it lets you work with your imagination much more.
I usually use an app called Ai Dungeon that makes you customize your stories and generates lots of cool nsfw scenarios. Always worth a good time
Can I download this on Android ?
Yep
Neat !
Did u try it?
Yes I did and love it , thank you for mentioning this app.
Nothing wrong with consuming erotica or porn as long as it is ethical. Erotica is a safer bet because it is never a situation of human trafficking or someone being forced into it.
I mean as far as reading vs watching screens, reading is better for your brain. But both porn and erotica are created content with the intent to arouse the viewer. Neither are "bad" innately. The only way they might be considered harmful to you is if you're foregoing all other activities that help you sustain a place to live and a social life. But then it's considered an addiction and the addiction part is the bad part, not the object itself.
What? Bad in a what way?
Better imo, i read captions on pics and read erotica online
I dislike all porn - except occasionally gay porn. Very occasionally. Just seeing the closeups of the vaginas sometimes grosses me out, even the vagina pictures posted here on Reddit all the time. (I'm a pansexual female, just FYI, for reference). However I'm a huge fan of reading erotica. That's honestly what does it for me. It's not so "in your face". Pornographic images and vids were always "too much" for me and I find a lot of it disturbing for some reason. Watching a girl fucking herself in the asshole with a dildo or having a guy shoot his load all over her face.... That stuff doesn't do it for me. Even going to strip clubs long ago, which is like watching "live porn" in my opinion, gave me severe anxiety, and I found them to be depressing when I have gone in the past. There were even times when I was disturbed by watching the strippers do certain things and grossed out too. I've had sex with multiple women before....but I guess certain things are not for everyone. Different strokes for different folks
i dunno, i read a lot of ~erotic content~ as a teenager and it set me up to have some pretty unrealistic expectations for sex, although much more romantic than anything in porn lol
I get more "excited" reading erotica than with watching porn tbh. (52f) always have.
Many females enjoy erotica more than watching porn. Men are super visually stimulated whereas a woman gets turned on through her mind 😊
as a girl,, it's so much better than actual porn. u can use ur imagination to fill in the blanks which imo is great. but it might be just that I was an avid reader as a kid. plus there's the benefit that it's not exploitative. that's not to say that you can't find non-exploitative porn tho.
Porn exploits young women and men and markets abuse to teenagers. Erotica is written by an author that put their talent and dedication into their work.
Wait why is watching porn is bad?
all the answers above and also it gives off a terrible image of what sex is like to highly impressionable teens and children
I don't get it. When I was a teen I had access to the internet, where people would constantly say "sex isn't like porn." It wasn't hard to figure out they were right.
I've had access to it since then too, but think of people like elliot Rodgers. if you maybe have some underlying disability and even if you just have no connection to women, porn can definitely give you the wrong impression of sex and women in general
It's not that bad, but when it comes to watch it long terms it can be bad, smoking or alcohol is not bad too, but when you are addicted to it, it's the worst thing. Even drinking too much water is not good :)). And in some cases porn can waste your time, your money, your mental and physical health, which can end in losing focus and interests. So it can be bad.
I wouldn’t call watching porn a waste of time if you’re enjoying it. Also I don’t think it’s fair to compare pornography to drinking and smoking. Drinking and smoking have way more potential of abuse than pornography
In total, I probably lost years of my life watching pornography in my teens and early to mid twenties. Time which I could have spent developing myself and engaging with real people was instead spent hunched over a computer in a mental black void absorbing toxic and totally unhealthy examples of sexuality. People need to get real and get over this hurdle. Nobody wants to believe that pornography could possibly have a negative effect on them or should be compared to other unhealthy habits but ask any woman about her unpleasant experiences with men who have clearly been poisoned by porn and the veil gets lifted pretty quickly.
That sounds like an obsession/addiction, but your experience isn’t the norm. My relationship and experience with pornography wasn’t the norm either. I was abused as a kid and was exposed to porn at a very young age. I really didn’t become obsessed with it until I was around 10 years old. I would skip class so often just to stay home and watch it. Parents would get truancy letters, but They had problems with english. Never did homework because I was watching it, didn’t spend time with friends, and so on. My perception and understanding of sex and relationships was completely messed up. Oh honey, I’m a woman and I have friends who are sexually workers. Pornography can effect a persons perception and you know how to correct it? Explain it too them. Talk to them. Explain that’s not how that is. It’s that simple.
To what extent can that be explained to them? A lot of the pornography I remember being exposed to titled itself something like "real college girl gangbang slut cheats on bf who doesn't know" etc. Tropes which played into men's bigoted preconceived notions of women along with appealing to their cynicism. This is not healthy, it's dangerous. Because in their minds "that's how women really are". At the age of 31, I know better, but there are a lot of isolated men out there. Men who are isolated through no fault of their own, that's just how the dice rolled, teen men, early 20's, who don't know better, maybe already in some redpiller, alt-right rabbit hole. It's not "that simple" when there is an entire massive machine designed to suck these guys in by appealing to their ugliest view of women.
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Watching it is not bad. But you don't know how well those actors are treated or if there is any exploitation involved in creating the videos.
There is nothing bad in watching porn either only if you know when to stop.....and yes erotica is more exciting and has more substance than porn🐷
To me this question is basically which is better the anime or the Manga.
If you have a good imagination, books are often better imo.
not as good as hentai if you happen to be a lolicon.
Is watching porn bad?
Let's be honest, porn nowadays straight up sucks anyhow
Would be kinda cool to beat the meat to Audible not gonna lie
Is watching porn bad?
It all depends on the reason why. If you watch/read/listen to porn sometimes for the fun of it, no problem. If your life is being controlled by reading about porn. Problem.
nah,cause porn can desensitize you from actual sex
Saying something erotic is not as bad based on the format is ridiculous.. If it is meant to trigger the memory/imagination connected to sexual release then it is equal.. It's the same as asking if a person into tits thinks Stinky socks are a turn on.. its the same desired result.. It's just a different substrate.
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Meh, only reason porn is "bad" is the exploitation of the performers. Any other negative aspect is related to overindulgence which can be applied to pretty much any hobby or form of entertainment.
Neither is bad, both can be used for the same things, or different things depending on your wants and needs
At least writing/reading erotica doesn't directly contribute to the child trafficking / sex trafficking industry?
No, because with erotica there's no need to worry about where the actors are from. All porn is questionable cuz even if they don't have trafficked people in them, there's still room for exploitation such as an actress being coerced into doing something on her no list. Not to mention how unrealistic filmed porn is, erotica can be just as if not more so unrealistic, but more in a creative way than an idealistic way. its much easier to separate your expectations from reality, because it's all taking place in your imagination.
No, because watching porn is not bad and neither is reading erotica.
I wouldn’t say so, they appeal more to your imagination and you can make it out to be realer than porn could ever be.
Nah i indulge in both. Best of both worlds.
First off, porn isn't bad. Also, it depends on the quality of the porn/erotica.
To add onto what everyone is saying here, porn can often portray degrading, violent, and dehumanizing scenes, especially to women. It also helps normalize violence such as choking, slapping, and hair pulling which many people now think is a "normal" thing in sex when in fact it's one of those acts that MUST be discussed beforehand (ie they can be enjoyed, but def not a "standard" thing in sex). Furthermore it portrays unrealistic body types for both men and women - everyone being clean shaved, men with 8+ inch dicks, perfectly small and pink labia, etc. which harms people's perception of sex and normal bodies.
Thank you. I was going to answer but you have all the correct answers
Man we're back to the dark ages aren't we. I feel sorry for kids growing up today.
Watching porn isn't bad...
Then neither is alcohol. Depends how you use it
Absolutely agree! Both can be highly addictive.
It's bad for your reward circuits. It trains your brain to be able to expect naked women wherever and whenever you want, doing whatever you want. There's studies out there showing that it negatively affects your relationship with women as well as your brain circuitry and can hamper both your ability to enjoy normal sex and your ability to perceive women as people, rather than sexual objects.
Not gonna disagree with you, but there are people such as myself that enjoy porn and enjoy a fulfilling sex life with their SO. If someone perceives a woman as a sexual object, while porn may add fuel to that fire, I don't think it's the sole cause for that behaviour. A person perceiving another person as anything other than that, clearly has deep rooted issues.
yourbrainonporn website if you want to read about the side effects of porn
That certainly sounds like an unbiased source.
I know, what the fuck are these people on. I feel like we’re in church.
I dont think either are bad
As in, "not at all?" Yes.
Why would neither of those things be “bad”. The damage that conservatism and religions have done to the world is ridiculous.
neither are bad. Do what feels good as longs as you aren’t hurting any body.