Students say online porn harms society

Last month, University of Arizona researchers Kathryn Black, an adjunct professor of psychology, and Patrick Woida, research specialist at Steward Observatory, found that pornographic sites on the Internet are viewed eight times more than non-pornographic sites.

Andrew Rogers, a deaf studies senior and president of the UA's chapter of Campus Crusade for Christ, said the viewing of pornographic materials distorts God's design for sex.

"It's outside God's plan for sex. God has planned for sex to be within the context of marriage," Rogers said. "The friends I have who struggled with pornography have really hurt their relationship with God. They have struggled to get out of it, but they often feel chained and addicted."

Dating relationships also have been shattered when one person in the couple views indecent material, Rogers said.

Karina Colliat, a psychology senior, said indecent material on the Internet is a gray area.

"I can't say outright if it's good or bad," Colliat said. "I guess I'm not really against pornography, but I don't think it should be accessible to little kids."

She said pornography does not seem to be completely damaging, although it can portray women in unusually weak states.

"It depends on the pornography. If it's male-dominated and portrays women in weak positions, then it's bad. But not all pornography is like that," Colliat said.

Kate Chaney, a pre-elementary education freshman, said pornography has a negative effect on people who view the material.

"I don't think that you should go around and check out other people and get aroused off of that," Chaney said. "I think it's something that should be saved for the person you marry; the person you have a bond with."

Chaney also said indecent material is harmful to society as a whole.

"I think it brings violence into society and a negative view of women," she added.

The Blue Ribbon Campaign, an organization committed to freedom of expression on the Internet, said the free distribution of pornography does not have adverse effects on society.

"The voice of reason knows that free speech doesn't equate to abuse of women and children, or the breeding of hatred or intolerance," according to the Blue Ribbon Campaign home page.

Last year, President Clinton signed the Communications Decency Act, designed to divert minors from viewing pornographic materials on the Internet. The act has been accused by freedom of speech activists of being too broad in its definition of indecent material.

"We find it troubling that any president (or governor, or mayor), could unilaterally decide not to enforce a particular aspect of the law," the campaign's home page stated. "We are concerned that ultimately the courts could order Clinton to enforce the law, or enforce it themselves through civil lawsuits filed by proponents of this law."

Rogers said indecent material infringes on people's rights.

"I was searching for sign language and when I clicked on the site, the first thing I saw were a couple of breasts," Rogers said. "It had nothing to do with what I was looking for and infringed upon my rights not to view pornography."

CYBERsitter is one type of software that can be downloaded from the Internet in order to block or alert the user of objectionable material.

The campaign's homepage states the software detects activity that the user or parent has decided is indecent and then blocks the site before it can be reached. The software also tracks Internet history and sites that were attempted to be entered.