BBC Three releases survey findings for new porn documentary

Porn Laid Bare follows six young Brits with very different attitudes to pornography, as they explore the ethics of porn in Spain’s booming sex industry.

The group featured in the three-part series includes a 24 year-old woman who experienced physical symptoms after over-indulging in porn viewing; a porn-obsessed 28 year-old man who attends porn conventions in his spare time; a 22 year-old student who refrains from watching porn as it goes against her feminist principles; a 24 year-old female who is pondering a career as a porn actress, and two young men in their 20s who watch porn recreationally.

Spending three weeks on a variety of pornographic sets across a spectrum of genres, the group discuss how it has shaped their own views of sex, whilst asking tough questions about an industry that has been accused of demeaning women and minorities as well as promoting violence and unsafe behaviour.

In a survey of over 1,000 people, carried out by Deltapoll for the beeb’s online-only channel over three quarters of young men (77%) and nearly half of young women (47%) admitted to viewing porn in the last month, with 23% thinking they might be addicted.

A hefty 71% of those surveyed noted that porn has given them ideas for things to try out sexually, with 52% in agreement that it has played at least some role in helping them understand and explore their own sexuality. However just under a quarter of those surveyed agreed they have felt pressured to do things they have seen in porn with one in five stating that they have regretted it.

The survey also found that some young people feel porn can create unrealistic and misogynistic expectations about sex and the human body with 54% agreeing that porn creates impossible standards for beauty and bodies. Worryingly, over a quarter (26%) said porn has had a negative impact on their body confidence, leading them to consider plastic surgery. However, on performing in porn, 52% admitted that is a good way to make money and just over a quarter (26%) said they would like to perform in porn themselves, with more men being open to the idea than women.  

Over half (55%) of men said porn was their main source of sex education compared to one third of women (34%). Women are also much more concerned about how porn depicts other women, with 50% saying it dehumanises women. Almost a third (30%) of young people surveyed felt that porn is harmful to society and at its worst can seemingly promote violence, risk taking, and is produced in terrible conditions that feed the wider sex industry.

Porn Laid Bare is now available via the BBC Three section of BBC iPlayer.