Have you watched the Netflix original movie, Cuties?
If you haven’t, we caution you before doing so. Many who have are disturbed by the footage of pre-teen girls being sexualized while performing provocative dances in revealing outfits in the movie.
So, how did one of the world’s largest streaming services go so wrong?
It’s a simple answer – they’re just following the crowd.
Research by the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that girls are constantly depicted sexually in the media. Dressing in revealing clothing or posing provocatively or even displaying facial expressions that signal sexual readiness are rampant across all forms of media.
Disturbingly, the research also reveals that although the media contributes towards shaping our culture, the content in the media is largely a response to demand; it’s a reflection of culture itself.
So, what does that say about our society?
Well, the obvious insight would be that we are living in a hyper-sexualized culture. This shouldn’t come as an enormous surprise as history is littered with long periods of hyper-sexualization, but the recent mainstream bombardment partnered with unprecedented ease of access to sexualized content should raise alarm.
Technology is like pouring gasoline onto a raging fire and AI and machine learning will only make it even harder for people to resist their impulses as they’re constantly working to exploit cracks in our moral defences.
1 out of 4 site searches are for porn and if that doesn’t alarm you here are a few reasons it should:
1. It changes attitudes negatively
Research shows that those who consume porn are much more likely to support sexual aggression and abuse towards girls and women.
2. It changes behavior
If a bad attitude isn’t enough, it gets worse: many studies have shown that porn encourages and increases aggressive behaviour – this includes having violent fantasies and committing violent acts.
3. Porn supports sex trafficing
Not only does porn fuel sex trafficing, but in many cases, it is sex trafficing! Some victims who have been forced into sex slavery appear in pornography.You’d think you’d know when someone is being held against their will, but because of the nature of porn, where themes such as abuse and rape are enjoyed by some viewers, nobody ever suspects that the ‘pornstar’ is being trafficked.
Thankfully, there is already a major public outcry over Cuties sexualization, but the root of the problem is still an important issue that needs to be addressed.
As a movement, we want to bring hope and light into the world where we see people struggling.
This is why we launched a campaign to help those who are struggling with a porn addiction.
Click here to learn more about our fight against porn and how you can get involved.