The whole world now has the same hope. Which is free from Covid-19. Almost one billion people are isolated and obliged to carry out new habits, such as study from home, work from home, self quarantine, and so on. This new situation is rapidly changing the daily routines of people.
Adult entertainment platform Pornhub has announced free premium access for users worldwide on Twitter (03/17/2020). This access is given in the hope of minimizing the spread of Covid-19, so that people have more incentive to stay at home during the pandemic. Initially, Pornhub was only offered access to several European countries, such as Italy, Spain, and France before finally deciding to expand it throughout the countries.
In light of expanding quarantines, we are extending Free Pornhub Premium for the month to our friends in France! Pornhub will also donate this month's sales from Modelhub (model earnings will remain untouched). Courage France! pic.twitter.com/YJEJKIMGzD— Pornhub ARIA (@Pornhub) March 17, 2020
Because of many people do practice of ‘work from home’ for social distancing ordered by the government, Pornhub experienced an increase in viewership to 11.6 percent on March 17. Some people thought that watch porn is a personal entertainment during this long quarantine period, in addition to the free premium access offered by the Pornhub.
Some people argue that excessive consumption of pornography can cause sexual addiction and disfunction. Apart from these negative effects, watch porn can provide certain pleasure, overcoming stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions that occur as a result of psychological disorders obtained from having to continue quarantine at home.
Kara Andrea Handali, bespectacled woman who graduated from University of Indonesia with Master’s degree of Educational Psychology believed that everyone has the same right to pick their choices to watch porn as a consumer. In her opinion, Pornhub was neither something good nor bad.
“Everything that happened have their own consequences. Watching porn can affect your health, such as addiction. Because it also influences the working of the brain. It can even affect a relationship by increasing conflict with their partner," said Kara who is working as a psychologist in a Psychology Development Center called Jejak Kaki.
In other her perspective, watch porn is can be good for reproductive health. "On several occasions some claimes that if someone [is] watching porn and masturbate, in health terms it proven that the sperm or hormone are working well. That’s why I think this issue neither good nor bad because every action and decision has its own reason,” she said.
Another reason for consideration why people choose Pornhub or watch porn as entertainment during pandemic is due to the desire to continue to have pleasure, sexual arousal, loneliness, and stress or feel under pressure.
Make sense rights? Suddenly we have to isolated ourselves from the outside world, do everything from home, can’t socialize freely, and become more dependent on technology. As humans, of course with all the restriction that happened in this time, sooner or later, we would feel bored, lonely, and depressed.
Now, one of the keys to getting out from all this anxiety is the technology that we have, such as playing video games, listening to music, working, and studying through online. We do all that with our gadget. Until finally PornHub released premium access freely to the worldwide, it seems to be the right thing as a distraction for people who felt bored and depressed from this pandemic.
Atsil Wasilah, Youtuber and sex educator saidd that porn videos as something that can be entertaining, so people watch it not to educate them or something else, but only for entertainment.
“It’s the same like when we are watching Korean dramas or playing video games. Is that something bad? For me not really. Once again, I said that watching porn is a form of entertainment, so this depends on each individual’s perspective on porn film. For me, myself, and I don’t mind if people watching porn. I believe that everyone has and know their own portion [in watching porn],” she said.
Atsil Wasilah or known as Sisil said that watching porn was like watching Korean dramas and playing video games, which can spend hours of our time. She felt the three things could have the same entertaining context. Maybe this statement will be debated because of the negative sound when we heard ‘watch porn’.
Aside from being entertainment in killing boredom, depending on the criteria of the users or viewers of porn sites, it might be an alternative sex education for married people to strengthen their relationship.
“For those who have a partner, especially married people. This can be see as a different perspective. In a more mature certainly. No longer looking for the answer to curiosity, but looking for material that can be practiced to their partners. Erotica’s films can be a stimulant for a couples to be more inspired to do other things, like adding some spice to the relationship,” added by Sisil.
What’s interesting is Kara or Sisil, said Pornhub that offered premium access for free was not a problem that must be issued because it did not harm anyone. Otherwise, they assumed that could be a win-win solution. However, Pornhub is also a business company, which can be said to use this pandemic to increase their profits by being offered free premium access.
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Production Team
Writers: Cindy Damara, Natasya Christanta, and Veren Margaretha
Editor: Stelladia Surya Wijaya
Photographers: Cindy Damara and Crysania Suhartanto
Illustrator: Natasya Christanta
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