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Internet porn has become the "crack cocaine"
of the sexual addictions. But why is it such a powerful force
in people's lives? Cooper (1998) suggested there are three primary
factors that facilitate increased online sexuality. This was
termed the Triple A Engine and the factors are defined as:
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Accessibility
there are millions of sites available 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. And these can be accessed from the privacy of
one's home or office.
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Affordability
competition on the Web keeps prices low and there are many
ways to access "free" porn sites.
-
Anonymity
people perceive their communications to be anonymous.
There are three additional elements, which
I refer to as the Triple C's:
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Caution
the fact that much of cybersex is legal
-
it's available in the
privacy of one's home
-
can avoid sexually transmitted
diseases
-
it can be ideal for hiding
the activity from a partner because it does not leave
obvious evidence of any sexual encounter. (Schneider,
2000)
-
Control
Young (2000) claims the anonymity of electronic transactions
provides the user with a greater sense of control over the
content, tone, and nature of the online sexual experience.
Unlike real life sexual experiences, a woman can change partners
if her cyber-lover isn't very good or a man can "surf"
from picture-to-picture, until he finds the image that is
"just right."
-
Creativity
Young (2000) claims that individuals are more likely to experiment
sexually, as online users feel encouraged to engage in their
fantasies and validated by the acceptance of the cyberspace
culture. For instance, what if a man privately wondered what
it would be like to have sex with another man? Within the
anonymous context of cyberspace conventional messages about
sex are eliminated, allowing users to play out hidden sexual
fantasies without the fear of being caught. For anyone who
has ever been curious about a whole range of sexual behaviors,
cybersex offers a private, superficially safe, and anonymous
way to explore fantasies.
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