On the Regulation of Pornography

Our country has a content-warning system for movies, music, and for video games. A Surgeon General’s Warning accompanies the sale of cigarettes. Why not require pornographers to precede their content with a warning about the potential harms of material that may be far more dangerous than mainstream films, music, or video games? Currently, an unregulated free-for-all of pornography victimizes the people. What about a warning that “Pornography may damage relationships, may cause marital strife, may damage reproductive health and may damage healthy sexual function. Pornography may be addictive.” The current situation sends an inconsistent message to our young people, who might meet resistance in attempting to see an R-rated movie but who may readily access material far more egregious and damaging at the click of a mouse.