There has always been an interest in porn, going back to when the photographic camera was first invented. In the '50's, '60's and early '70's it was magazines and 8mm film then with the invention of the VCR the porn industry literally exploded, now you could rent or buy hours of porn and watch it in the privacy of your own home, before there were X-rated theaters where one had to go but many did not want to be seen in "that" part of town. I worked at a VCR tape rental place, porn was about 50% of our rentals, now we have the internet in where the amount and variety is staggering and 2-3 mouse clicks away, maybe a computer can be "locked down" so porn sites cannot be viewed?, I don't know how effective it would be though, kids have a way of getting around parental controls. I guess IMO the only real downside is young teens exposed to limitless amount of porn will wind up viewing a female as a sex toy and not a person or will spend so much time fapping to all the fresh porn he will not bother to try and initiate a real relationship until much later than normal.
Pretty much this.
Prior to the internet, porn wasn't in abundance. 20 years ago, your average teenage boy had to rely on his imagination and maybe the bra section of the Sears catalog. Finding an old Playboy was like hitting pay dirt. So men back then were forced to develop relationships with the opposite sex if they wanted to get some action. Today all you need is your hand and maybe some lube.
There's a near limitless supply of porn on the internet. That feeds in to our primal desire for constant novelty. The male brain is designed to seek out as many potential mates as possible. It can't tell the difference if a mate is real, or an image on a screen. Especially if that's ingrained from a young age. With unlimited women, porn tricks your brain into thinking it's hit the genetic jackpot. Thus your reward centre compels you to seek out more and more while the getting is still good.
When it comes to teenage brains, excessive porn use leads to pruning of neural pathways that seek out healthy relationships in exchange for artificial ones. Which is why so many young men find it difficult to kick the porn habit, even though they consciously want to. Your brain has rewired itself to believe that this is normal. So they forego real relationships, or struggle to perform sexually with real women.
The darker side is the men who attempt to transfer their porn fetishes to real partners. Porn can indeed lead to anger and violence against women. Though I believe this is pretty rare. However, it's still an issue we need to be aware of. There real problem is the greying between fantasy and reality. Some folks just can't tell the difference.
Physically speaking, excessive fapping has also been linked to low testosterone levels. Which is probably why so many addicts feel like they've gained "superpowers" after they quit.
Since Gary Wilson did his TED Talk a few years back, there's been a growing body of scientific evidence to support this. Cambridge University released a study earlier this year showing similar brain wiring between drug addicts and self proclaimed porn addicts. It's been getting more media attention as well now that legitimate studies are corroborating the theory.
Now that's not to say all men who watch porn will become addicts. It's like alcohol. Some people can have a drink once in a while and they're fine. Some drink compulsively. Like all addictions, it's rooted in other mental health issues. They're trying to fill a hole in their lives. In the case of porn addicts, it's not necessarily sexual either. Many addicts report lower overall sex drive.
I think a lot of it stems from anxiety issues. Fear of being alone. Fear of being judged. Addicts turn to something that's always there and never judges them, no matter how perverted/bad/worthless they feel they are. Yet it creates a feedback loop of shame, which drives anxiety, which leads to heavier use, which leads to greater shame. The cycle continues until you hit rock bottom. Your brain eventually becomes numb to the world around you. You loose all drive and motivation. You just sit their with your dick in your hands wondering what the hell you're doing and feeling like you're worthless. It's not a good place to be. Fortunately, it is reversible.
NoFap on Reddit is probably the best online support group. There's also r/PornFree, but they're a bit off the wall in there.
What addicts need to understand is that neither themselves or porn is inherently evil, and not all everyone who uses it are addicts or bad people. Also that quitting is not the be-all-end-all if the root causes aren't addressed. You just have to start dealing with your own shit like an adult instead of a child. On the other hand, non-addicts/casual porn users have to understand that porn addicts do exist, that they have a legitimate problem, and that help should be available when they seek it out.
As for it being filmed prostitution, well yeah, of course it is. The porn industry though is closer to illicit drugs or even free-to-play gaming. They give you a taste for free, then wait for the whales to drop loads of cash to get their fix. Don't let them lull you into thinking they're martyrs of free speech either. I don't think it should be banned, but they are running a business. It's all about money, not civil rights.
I doubt many of the performers are there out of a genuine desire to appear in adult films. A lot of them come for a quick buck and get themselves wrapped up in the fast lifestyle. It's hard living though, and burns them out real quick. Unfortunately some don't survive thanks to a rather lax attitude towards job safety. Sure they test their performers for STIs, but look at the kerfuffle over condom regulations in California. No other industry would get away with that without big lawsuits.