Sargon of Akkad - Carl Benjamin - #Swindon Debates： Porn Addiction
Aired: 2019-04-23
Duration: 08:39


=== Why Start Young? (08:07) ===

[00:00:00]  Right, okay.
[00:00:00]  What's your name, Chat?
[00:00:01]  Sam.
[00:00:02]  Sam, nice to meet you, Sam.
[00:00:03]  Nice to meet you.
[00:00:04]  Yeah, I'm fine.
[00:00:05]  It's hot out today.
[00:00:06]  It is, there, yeah.
[00:00:07]  If I lose a bit of weight, I might feel a little better about that.
[00:00:09]  That's why I'm eating my salads, mate.
[00:00:11]  Yeah, you're doing good.
[00:00:12]  Thank you.
[00:00:13]  So what's the concern?
[00:00:14]  I think, perhaps we'll start off with it.
[00:00:17]  The porn idea.
[00:00:20]  It might not be the best thing to talk about.
[00:00:22]  We'll talk.
[00:00:22]  It's talk about anything.
[00:00:23]  Yeah.
[00:00:24]  I was wondering what your opinion is on it in general.
[00:00:26]  I think it's a terrible idea.
[00:00:27]  I don't think the government has the legitimacy to restrict your access to legal material.
[00:00:31]  What sorts of age...
[00:00:33]  Obviously, I wouldn't want a child to stumble across pornography.
[00:00:38]  Even though most websites do warn you about what it is, and really, if you're seeking it out, then you're seeking it out.
[00:00:44]  I mean, I don't know what age, the lowest age, you'd say would be fine to watch pornography.
[00:00:50]  I haven't got an opinion on that.
[00:00:52]  I would say it's down to the parents to decide what age they talk to their kids about that, and it's up to them to be responsible about that.
[00:00:59]  I think it's wrong to try and make the state responsible for that, because then we start trying to create rules that we can't really enforce.
[00:01:05]  I really think parents have got to be more proactive about that, be more aware of these.
[00:01:09]  I was just thinking, because, I mean, I've grown up with a computer.
[00:01:14]  I don't remember how young I was when I started.
[00:01:17]  Yeah.
[00:01:19]  But I personally think it's rather stupid to stop.
[00:01:26]  I'd say probably 13 or possibly even slightly younger.
[00:01:31]  I don't see why.
[00:01:34]  Obviously I might be biased against this, but I don't see why we should restrict that sort of teenager slowly going into it.
[00:01:40]  Because obviously, 18 plus, kids can have sex around 16, can't they?
[00:01:45]  Yeah, they can.
[00:01:46]  So it seems a little stupid.
[00:01:48]  Well, it's really, again, up to the parents who should be moderating that, in my opinion.
[00:01:53]  But I am a parent, and so my opinion on it, there does seem to be research that suggests that exposure to pornography from a young age does deform the sort of sexual characteristics of young men and their beliefs and what they find attractive and whatnot.
[00:02:07]  And it really does have a weighty impact on their future relationships as an adult.
[00:02:12]  And so I think it is every parent's responsibility to make sure that your teenagers aren't just watching the most ridiculous hardcore porn.
[00:02:20]  You know, you have to moderate that.
[00:02:21]  You have to be involved in your kids' life.
[00:02:23]  You can't just offload this decision to the government.
[00:02:25]  It's irresponsible in my opinion.
[00:02:27]  Yeah.
[00:02:28]  I mean, I wouldn't imagine a 13-year-old would die straight into hardcore...
[00:02:33]  I'd imagine they'd start...
[00:02:34]  I dread to think.
[00:02:35]  I mean, I would never talk to my parents about what I watch.
[00:02:39]  I mean, why would you want to?
[00:02:41]  Yeah, exactly.
[00:02:42]  I mean, I kind of see what you mean by saying an adult should, obviously, you're a father.
[00:02:47]  It should be the father.
[00:02:48]  But, say, I think there's a difference in quality.
[00:02:53]  You know, there's one thing like seeing boobs on page three to another seeing, like, you know, a gangbang or something.
[00:02:59]  You know, there's a...
[00:03:00]  There's a difference in scale there.
[00:03:02]  And I think that we can be aware of that.
[00:03:03]  But I really do think it's down to the parents to say, look, some things might be okay for 14-year-olds, but a lot of things aren't.
[00:03:10]  And it really can have an effect on their relationships going forward.
[00:03:13]  And it really is not something the government can fix.
[00:03:15]  I don't think the government can fix that.
[00:03:17]  Because I think, you know, teenagers, they're smart.
[00:03:18]  They know about VPNs and all this sort of stuff.
[00:03:20]  They can get around it.
[00:03:21]  So you've got to speak to them on a personal level and have an uncomfortable conversation with your parents, whether you like it or not.
[00:03:27]  And that sucked, man, but that's life.
[00:03:29]  Yeah, I mean, I would say I've probably been mildly ruined by it.
[00:03:34]  I can't imagine.
[00:03:35]  I mean, you start at a young age and you start stepping up as you go older and you just sort of...
[00:03:42]  You end up looking at some weird stuff.
[00:03:44]  It's good stuff, right?
[00:03:44]  Yeah.
[00:03:45]  And you can't go back, really.
[00:03:49]  I wouldn't really want to get into my opinions and all this sort of stuff.
[00:03:52]  No, no, no.
[00:03:53]  But I appreciate that you're actually someone you could say you're a victim of it.
[00:03:57]  Yeah, I wouldn't.
[00:03:58]  I personally wouldn't count myself as a victim if I look at it differently.
[00:04:01]  could see why the average person wouldn't want to be anything like how I turned out.
[00:04:07]  But it's sort of, I don't know who would, obviously you said parents, but I don't think a child would want to talk to their parents about what they watch.
[00:04:19]  Maybe about transitioning into watching it.
[00:04:21]  And I don't imagine most people are that happy to talk about it.
[00:04:28]  We are quite prudish.
[00:04:30]  Yeah, lately I've been a bit over the top when talking to some people about it.
[00:04:33]  Not because I want to, but it's...
[00:04:36]  It's kind of you're compelled to, right?
[00:04:36]  It's kind of you're compelled to, right?
[00:04:39]  It's stupid to...
[00:04:40]  If someone like a 13-year-old has...
[00:04:44]  Even if they started, and this porn...
[00:04:46]  Personally, I think if I was an adult, I might feel differently if I had children.
[00:04:51]  I'd get the...
[00:04:52]  I'd buy a porn ID from it and give it to my child.
[00:04:55]  I don't care.
[00:04:55]  If they want to do it, they can do it.
[00:04:56]  It's none of my business.
[00:04:59]  But it can have negative effects.
[00:05:00]  It should be your business.
[00:05:02]  I actually do think that parents should be proactive about this.
[00:05:05]  Whether the kid likes it or not, it's going to be uncomfortable.
[00:05:08]  But like you say, you describe yourself as having been damaged by this.
[00:05:11]  I agree.
[00:05:11]  I think there is a lot of damage to be done by it.
[00:05:13]  And it's one of those ways that nobody wants to talk about the damage that's being done to young men about things.
[00:05:18]  But I don't think censoring pornography is actually the solution.
[00:05:21]  Because I think it's easy to get around the census.
[00:05:23]  And it always will be.
[00:05:24]  So it needs to be a kind of social solution to this.
[00:05:26]  And I don't think there's any other way of doing it.
[00:05:30]  Well, I mean, that's a different standard.
[00:05:32]  Everyone will have their own solution, won't they?
[00:05:34]  Obviously, if you have religious beliefs to go against it, I don't want to argue with it.
[00:05:39]  It's just obviously some people don't.
[00:05:41]  I have a religious beliefs.
[00:05:42]  And although I completely agree with things like Christianity really puts in good morals and things, which if they had on the hang on, hang on.
[00:05:54]  Yeah, sorry.
[00:05:56]  I lost my train of thought.
[00:05:58]  There's a market for it.
[00:05:59]  It exists because there's demand.
[00:06:00]  If it goes.
[00:06:01]  If you have it.
[00:06:03]  Maybe you don't believe the beliefs, but you have the morals picked up from religion.
[00:06:07]  and then you watch pornography on the side as well, you probably would develop into a more...
[00:06:12]  I think mainly it'd probably be sex ed more than anything, which would control, or what I would believe should control it.
[00:06:22]  Adults...
[00:06:23]  There could definitely be sex education in schools to warn children about the dangers of consuming hardcore pornography for long periods of time.
[00:06:29]  Yeah.
[00:06:29]  I definitely think that.
[00:06:30]  I mean, obviously some people it can get with and obviously you wouldn't want the government to stop or control what someone in private to consenting adults.
[00:06:42]  I believe in self-they should be able to do whatever they want.
[00:06:47]  I guess you could say within reason, but I wouldn't want to insult someone for their beliefs and what they want to do.
[00:06:54]  Although I'd imagine there's some adults which didn't start off with a young age or start off very low who are also in this position.
[00:07:01]  So I wouldn't quite go as far to say that it starts in childhood.
[00:07:07]  But I would say I think sex ed in this country is kind of terrible.
[00:07:12]  Probably is.
[00:07:14]  From what I remember, it's pretty.
[00:07:15]  Yeah, it's been a long time since I've gone through it, but I don't recall learning very much.
[00:07:19]  I recall learning a lot more when I was experimenting with my first girlfriend, you know what I mean?
[00:07:24]  Yeah, I mean, it's probably where someone should start.
[00:07:27]  But as I said, I mean, to be honest, though, if you start with masturbation, if you start with pornography at a younger age, you may be inclined to get into sex younger, which I wouldn't agree with at all.
[00:07:42]  16 perfectly fine but um but it is totally a legitimate subject and it's an uncomfortable one to discuss and we have to have the fortitude to talk about it Someone has to bring it up.

=== Addressing Segsed Issues (00:47) ===

[00:07:53]  Exactly.
[00:07:53]  Maybe not in this situation.
[00:07:56]  This is just fine.
[00:07:57]  You're absolutely right.
[00:07:58]  It has to be talked about and it has to be addressed and it's difficult to do it.
[00:08:01]  Yeah, now.
[00:08:02]  But we're going to do this.
[00:08:03]  We're going to do this.
[00:08:04]  This is what we're here for.
[00:08:05]  No, yeah.
[00:08:06]  I should probably end it there, to be honest.
[00:08:07]  I could think of more questions, but we're damn nervous.
[00:08:12]  No, I don't blame you, but this is, you are absolutely right.
[00:08:15]  There is a legitimate issue here, and it has to be addressed.
[00:08:17]  It has to be.
[00:08:19]  And the Conservatives are addressing it badly.
[00:08:21]  I don't like how government are doing it about it.
[00:08:23]  No, I don't either.
[00:08:24]  Just leave people to what they're doing, and SegSED hopefully can drive people and more.
[00:08:29]  I mean, they seem to have less problems with this on the continent because they're not open to talking about it.
[00:08:33]  And I think that maybe in SegSED classes in school, that's actually a step forward in the right direction.
[00:08:38]  Yeah.
[00:08:38]  Thanks, Matt.
[00:08:39]  Thanks.