The Three 'A's of Internet Sex

Pornography is often a driving force behind new technology, and it is no surprise that the Internet is the fertile soil where much pornography and pornography-related compulsions have their roots. Here are three major reasons why the Internet has become such a powerful influence in the spread of pornography and the ease with which it has grabbed hold of so many men.

Accessibility: Pornography is now much more accessible than ever before. Twenty years ago you needed to go to a specialty shop and actually interact with another human being to purchase certain magazines or rent pornographic videos. The prospect of someone seeing you purchase the material, culture frowning upon the pornography industry and the shame from being seen often produced enough fear to make many men avoid seeking it altogether. These days, however, pornography readily is available on the computer, television or through the mail. You don't have to go into a shop to purchase it; it is only a few keystrokes and mouse clicks away.

Affordability: Because of the ease of access, pornography is also much more affordable. In fact, a significant amount of online pornography is free. Many gateway sites offer free sample content, usually a small number of pictures or short video clips that can be downloaded easily. These Web sites act as portals through which viewers seek additional content.

In most cases, these sites receive advertising revenue from sponsors. These sponsors help keep these consolidated sample content sites in business for the purpose of directing more traffic to paid sites. The free samples whet the sexual appetite of the viewer and promise additional content for a fee. Portions of these fees are used to pay the gateway sites a modest advertising fee, and the remaining profit can be divided to procure additional material.

With relatively affordable access to movie production equipment (complete with high-quality commercial cameras and video editing software) and inexpensive Web hosting and programming, low-budget porn can be produced anywhere. Webcams can be set up for interactive sex chat or digital photography uploaded to a pay-for-access Web site. Porn no longer is manufactured and distributed only by technical experts in the San Fernando Valley, but in suburban and rural communities across the country.

Anonymity: People hide their porn habits and try to make sure no one else finds out. Porn users put as many barriers as possible between themselves and others so that plausible deniability always can be maintained. Anonymous online technologies contribute to this cycle of secrecy.