The global experiment of ubiquitous digital pornography is growing so quickly that it is nearly impossible to exaggerate the scale of what is taking place. In 2016, the smut giant PornHub estimated that so many people were using its websites around the world that about a dozen porn videos were viewed for every man, woman, and child on Planet Earth. Many sociologists, biologists, and behavioral psychologists bluntly admit that the compulsive consumption of increasingly hardcore and sexually violent material on a nearly daily basis is unprecedented in human history, and that we do not yet know how devastating or dramatic the impact of this cultural transformation will be.
While some countries are moving to stanch skyrocketing sexual assault rates by banning pornography entirely, Great Britain has also made an extremely encouraging and aggressive move to keep porn out of the hands of children. Perhaps as early as April 1 of this year, porn sites will be required by law to get evidence of identification from all United Kingdom residents before the internet users can access the porn sites. Traditionally, porn companies have simply had users click to affirm they are over eighteen, while being fully aware that this intentionally useless formality stops precisely nobody underage from accessing X-rated material. That is the point.
