Porn - The naked truth

ne senior male reports looking at pornographic material for about twenty minutes every day, which is nearly two and a half hours every week. Michael Leahy believes this seemingly harmless habit could turn into a silent killer, being a detriment to the senior's future and relationships.

However, the senior says he doesn't feel it is detrimental to his life and often asks friends to share their movie files with him.

Leahy's multi-media presentation, Porn Nation - The Naked Truth, raises the questions - Are we becoming obsessed with sex? and How far is too far?

A recovering sex addict himself, Leahy is concerned not only with pornography, but also sex within the mainstream media that often errs on the side of XXX.

In his presentation at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 in Great Hall, Leahy will not only share his views on society, but also details of his personal battle with his obsession and how he was able to overcome his biggest vice.

There is also no question that movie producers and TV executives continue to push the boundaries on what is acceptable to be shown in the mainstream media, all with the intention of increasing revenues and boosting ticket sales.

Psychology Professor Tim Petersik notes two conflicting psychological viewpoints on whether or not it is possible to maintain social standards with an increasing influence on sex.

"There are those people who say the more children see graphic sex or even what we call titillation, the more they begin to incorporate it into their own world views and lifestyles and the more they begin to act it out because they see it as acceptable," says Petersik. "The other side of the coin is to say sex is a natural thing and children are going to develop an interest in it and if anything porn may educate them."

In addition, we are in an age of technology where the Internet constantly puts access to pornography at people's fingertips.

"I think a lot of times it makes it so accessible that people may perceive a need that they have as more immediate, rather than delaying it and moving on with other activities," says Counselor Cynthia Viertel. "It's not unlike other addictive behaviors, in that you start to see regular fulfilling parts of a person's life start taking a back seat to everything else."

Even the mailroom helps service people's desire for porn.

"This year, we receive Playboy magazines for five or six subscriptions," says Betty Parker, the mailroom's secretary. "The number of magazines has been declining and this is the lowest level of Playboy and Maxim magazines we have received in the last five years."

One aspect Leahy will focus on is the silent nature of addiction. People with addictions are often powerless to the control of the perversion and, in his case, sex and porn consumed his life without his knowledge.

Viertel believes that people often make generalizations when it comes to risky behavior, feeling a false sense of superiority over others. While someone may know the dangers of some activity, they feel they will be immune to those threats.

"Generally something that is dangerous is dangerous for the majority and not the minority, so I think it is something that people have to be very watchful of," says Viertel. "It can snowball very quickly."

While addictions develop from individuals viewing pornography on their own, a phenomenon also is occurring which involves pornography and groups of same-sex people.

One senior girl recounts, as a first year, spontaneously gathering in Johnson Hall's main lounge with a group of female friends, ordering pizza and watching an adult video.

She doesn't remember it seeming awkward or misplaced. It was, she says, just something the girls decided to do one night and the viewing, she added, got more laughs than anything.

While Leahy publicizes the negative effects of pornography, many students see its benefits.

"Porn can be kind-of funny and sometimes sex can be awkward to talk about, but when you look at it in a comical way, it makes it easier to talk about," says senior Brandy Jager.

While young people often find relief in joking about sex, students notice that it is something that should be taken seriously.

Jager says she believes she has a healthy dialogue about sex with some of her best friends.

"It helps spread awareness about having safer sex and it adds another dimension to your friendship if you can talk about intimate experiences with one another," says Jager.

While sexual stimuli in the mainstream media are becoming increasingly prevalent, the repetition of the subject allows for more conversations between friends, which can be a less threatening alternative to a professional counselor if someone feels she or their significant other has an unhealthy addiction.

"[Porn and sex addictions] make up a relatively small amount of what gets focused on in here and what gets brought up, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist," says Viertel. "People might be talking about it among themselves."

Even if people are or are not willing to talk about their addiction, it is clear they are not alone.

Leahy's website describes the speaker as the spokesperson for over 20 million sexually-addicted Americans and their families.

Porn, in Leahy's case, had horrendous effects on his personal life. The addiction cost him a 15-year marriage to his wife with whom he had two boys.

However, it is unclear if there is a distinct link between the increased influence of sex in today's society and the number of people with addictions, because statistics are contingent on reported cases.

"It could simply mean that people are more open about bringing it up and taking it to a therapist, and therapists are more open about reporting it," he says. "You don't really know if the numbers are changing or not."