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Comment by xg15 | Hacker News Reader

So the general agreement is that people should not be allowed to consume porn in the united states?

Not sure if you were saying this ironically, but I firmly believe limiting the consumption of porn would be a net positive. The negative effects are at best overlooked, but normally twisted, and the average age of first experience with porn keeps dropping.

Yes because limiting a vice based on what a few people “firmly believe” has always worked so smoothly and successfully in the past and has never caused any major societal issues. Worked so well in America for alcohol and drugs, why not give it a shot with porn too?

I didn't say ban. Unless you're for kids drinking at age 9 we're on the same page. And it's more than a few people at this point.

I am pretty sure the law does not deter any 9 years olds from drinking alcohol. I would even say that it is not because of the law that people do not give alcohol to their 9 years old kid. If it truly is because of the law, you have bigger issues I believe.

His analogy is perfectly consistent. There are laws prohibiting minors from purchasing alchoholic drinks. In the same way, porn can be restricted from minors. He is just saying that there needs to be strict enforcement of a law against porn to protect minors.

I guess your argument is that there is no need for a law against alchoholic drinks since there is common sense to not give alchohol to minors and for minors to not drink alchohol.

But the existence of laws regulating alchoholic drinks purchase suggests that common sense is not enough and laws need to be created for it.

The constant struggle to control what other people can consume. Outside of things like CSAM (which I have zero desire to view) I don’t need a nanny telling me what I can view

Also, anyone who feels entitled to impose on others for a cause this mild clearly has an underdeveloped respect for personal liberty and isn't going to stop there.

I don't appreciate the insinuation. The level of severity should not gate how people feel about this specific issue.

Let's lift it out of insinuation territory, then: I think you have an underdeveloped sense of respect for personal liberty and I think that if you won a victory on this front it would embolden you to continue chipping away at other liberties to further your circle of control. People love crusading against vices because the feeling of moral authority is heady and addictive. One hit is never enough.

The concept of liberty is how we rein in this dark tendency.

I don't disagree. I won't pretend to know how I would act if limiting porn consumption was actually implemented. But ignoring the thousands of people who self-report an ironically similar addictive experience you just described, but for porn, is dismissive and self-centered.

It looks like that if you buy apple products, you deserve a nanny because you are clearly a moron!

(I use 'you' as a generality, not you the poster ;-) )

I love how any time anyone says that maybe porn shouldn't be available for every 9 year old with a tablet people get up in arms about it.

OP didn't say ban all porn, but it should be more tightly regulated and its consumption has proven to be damaging.

I'm actually agreeing with you at this, but how should this regulation look?

Also, I believe there are a number of non-porn sexual education resources, which should stay available.

However, note that the current crackdown on porn isn't about underage consumers, it's about consumption in general. Apple isn't asking for age verification, they are banning adult content completely.

OP said Apple's stance is reasonable and Apple is pretty close to saying "ban all porn".

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