Conclusion
The pornography industry is a multibillion-dollar, global industry, and it has been normalized in many aspects of popular, mainstream culture (McNair 2013; Philaretou et al. 2005: 150; Sarikakis and Shaukat 2008; Smith 2010). Around the world, pornography use and exposure are increasingly becoming common and widespread, particularly with the rapid growth and spread of the Internet, smartphones, and social media (Day 2014; Freeman-Longo 2000; Hald and Malamuth 2008; McKee 2010).
Although numerous studies have explored exposure to and effects of pornography within developed countries, empirical studies from developing countries, particularly in Africa, are sparse. The present study is the first to explore the topic of pornography within Eritrea. Utilizing a variety of methods, the study examines exposure to and use of pornography among young Eritreans, identifies related factors, and also investigates the possible impact of viewing pornography on general attitudes toward women. Significantly, the present study helps establish an important baseline of exposure to and consumption of pornography in the country and also broadens awareness and understanding about the topic.
Overall, it was found that exposure to and use of pornography in Eritrea is not uncommon. Results suggest that the majority of young people have been exposed to pornography in their lifetimes, and that a large percentage of young men accessed pornography during the previous year. Notably, males were significantly more likely than females both to have ever viewed pornography and to have viewed pornography within the past year. As well, the results show that nearly all of the respondents know of others, especially peers and classmates, who use pornography. Pornography is used for a variety of reasons, including as a sex education tool and as a source of entertainment. As well, one-way ANOVA results show that there was a statistically significant difference in attitudes toward women between respondents that had viewed pornography during the previous year and respondents that had not. Specifically, respondents that had viewed pornography during the previous year held more negative, less egalitarian attitudes toward women.
While this study provides noteworthy findings, several limitations may be noted. First, despite assurances of anonymity and confidentiality, research participants may have underreported or provided inaccurate accounts of their pornography use. Not only is pornography illegal in Eritrea, there are strong conservative socio-cultural norms frowning upon it, which may have led to a fear of stigma among respondents and a social desirability bias in responses. Second, survey results are from a sample of college and higher education institute students. Thus, the sample is not representative of the general population, and it may also imply a cohort effect. With the Internet and ICT often being used more frequently by young people, pornography may be more accessible for this group than for others. Finally, the causal direction of the association between pornography and attitudes toward women cannot be definitely confirmed, while details on the type or genre of pornography viewed were not collected.
Moving forward, there are many areas and a plethora of topics deserving of empirical research and investigation. For example, future work may explore exposure to pornography among the general population or investigate how pornography use impacts viewers’ well-being and selfesteem. Additionally, researchers may examine the possible relationship between pornography use and sexual health or behaviors (e.g., early sexual debut or high-risk sexual practices).
Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank all those who were supportive in the completion of this paper.