Pornographic content has existed for centuries, but only since the adoption of high speed internet the endless supply of material and accessibility it provides are we beginning to understand the ability (or lack of) of our evolutionary brains to cope with that level of stimuli. In an effort to deliver the effects of such a ubiquitous habit in a non-moral, non-theological and purely-scientific approach, a print + digital campaign proposes a quiet, yet provocative avenue to encourage porn users to detox from their habits and restore natural intimacy and attraction.
Roughly 30% of all internet traffic is pornography, and for many that’s fine, but for others the effects are quite awful, and more worrying aren’t being attributed to the right cause. A series of posters aims to provoke conversation, or at the very least awareness in public spaces as a contrast to the standard environment of porn usage. The heart of the mission exists at www.itmightbedoingmore.com which exists as a curated, simple and readable expression of what we’ve learnt about porn and the brain. The website was designed to be quiet, calm, and most importantly a resource that visitor’s feel they won’t need to erase from their browsing history.
From the 6th to the 12th of October 2015, a short survey was written, asking completely anonymous participants to rate their emotions towards pornography from 1 (hate) to 10 (love/ complete enjoyment), as well as their frequency of engagement from 1 (never) to 10 (daily or higher), and also record any other thoughts/opinions upon reflecting on their answers (optional). The survey was pitched to users on Facebook and Twitter, as well as members of particular Reddit forums to achieve an even spectrum of opinions and answers.
The data accumulated and presented exists to simply illustrate the diversity of the social landscape of internet pornography. The responses of 400 participants align with the prediction of a clear diagonal, but more interestingly outline those in the other corners of the map who hold less common opinions and sentiments. When available, one reflection from each of the positions was chosen and displayed in an identical mapping system on page 2 as to provide further insight into the nature of that particular emotion & usage combination.
