Use of Pornography in Traditional Media and on the Internet in Norway‪.‬

In contemporary Western societies, pornography is becoming part of fashion, art, advertisements, music videos, and youth culture. Pornography is easily available on the internet or in ordinary kiosks. At the same time, Norwegian legislation about pornography is very strict. For instance, pornographic pictures must black out all contact between mucous membranes and genitals. As described by Rolness (2003), the public debate is dominated by a view of pornography as something immoral and harmful to people. The fear is that one (bad) thing will lead to another. However, the attitude toward use of pornography in Norway may be changing in a more positive direction (Traeen, Spitznogle, & Beverfjord, 2004). Norwegian activists oppose the view of pornography as something "evil" and are working to change the legislation so pictures and films are allowed without blackouts. The Court of Appeal is currently adjudicating one lawsuit challenging the pornography laws. In this climate of change, it is of interest to gain scientific information about the use of pornography in various subgroups of the population. Another issue to consider is that pornography is likely to determine the perception of what is normal and natural sexual behavior, particularly among young people. It therefore important to study how widespread the use is. The definition of pornography has varied over time, and it varies between different social and cultural contexts (Haavio-Mannila & Kontula, 2003; Kutchinsky, 1988). The term pornography is often negatively loaded, and associated with the socially unacceptable, the deviant, the censured, or the shameful (Beggan & Allison, 2003; Haavio-Mannila & Kontula; Traeen et al., 2004). It is difficult to give a universal definition of pornography (Gossett & Byrne, 2002). The perception of what is pornography is connected to individual preferences and opinions (Kutchinsky). The most prominent characteristic of pornography is the description of, or pictures of, naked or nearly naked bodies in genital contact. Pornography functions as means of entertainment, sexual arousal and stimulation, and as an information source about sexuality, particularly for young people (Trostle, 2003; Zillmann & Bryant, 1982).