Bondage. Fetishes. Girl on girl. Ropes. Beastiality. Medical. Teacher and student. Gay. Gang bang.

            The searches are endless. Pornography is available for free on the internet, and without site blockers, nearly anyone can access it.

            Amy Bremel, who is in charge of Creating, Honoring, Advocating and Nurturing Gender Equity at Castleton University, has recently been doing some research about porn and its impacts on relationships.

            “When we talk about alcohol and drugs, or STIs or condoms, we can go out there and find lots of websites and research on that, but there’s not a lot about how many people are affected by this (porn). I’m not finding a lot of really solid research, because when you do a porn search, guess what comes up?” Bremel said.

            According to Bremel, porn can have negative impacts on intimacy levels in relationships. The website fightthenewdrug.com is dedicated to teaching about the harmful effects of porn on relationships. Its mission is to “provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using only science, facts, and personal accounts.”

            So what are these harmful effects?

            According to fightthenewdrug, because some porn is filled with abuse and domination, it can give an incorrect idea about what is healthy in a relationship. It also touches on the idea that people can become reliant on the videos for stimulation, and may develop an inability to become aroused otherwise, as well as having problems with being satisfied with sex.

            Senior Seth Marcil believes porn is fine in moderation.

            “I think it depends on the level that you watch it. If you watch it all the time, it influences how you think sexual and intimate relationships should be,” Marcil said.

            Bremel’s research has shown that more men are experiencing impotence because of porn. She said that many are comparing their bodies to those on screen and are unable to perform in bed, which can lead to insecurities in relationships. Bremel stated that females in these relationships can feel rejected, dismissed and hurt.

            An anonymous Castleton student agrees with the research that porn is not healthy in a relationship.

            “I think it is fine for people to watch it when they are not in a relationship, but I think it negatively impacts sex when they are in a relationship,” they said.

            Bremel’s intern, Aminah Orogi, has been working with her on the research and finds her work very interesting.

            “Basically porn is as addictive as drugs can be on the human brain. Most people think addiction can only be caused by an intake of a substance, but that’s not the case. It’s dangerous because a lot of porn is male dominant, with the female basically being thrown around and stuff, so watchers end up thinking that’s how sex is supposed to be, and it can lead to more violence in relationships,” Orogi said.

            Bremel’s job on campus is to talk about how to create and maintain healthy relationships, which led to her research about pornography.

            “I do a lot of stuff about consent and hook-up culture, but we haven’t been talking about when your partner in a long-term relationship disregards your boundaries,” Bremel said.

            Not everyone on campus agrees that porn is a bad thing.

            Senior Adan Osman enjoys it.

            “I love watching porn. I think it makes the relationship stronger. When you and your girl are watching porn together it’s the best, and you can learn some new moves,” Osman said.

            But Fightthenewdrug research shows watchers need to be careful.  

“Among the effects of the use of pornography are an increased negative attitude toward women, decreased empathy for victims of sexual violence … and an increase in dominating and sexually imposing behavior,” the site reports.

            Because of this research, Bremel is proposing a porn-free week from March 6-10, with a poetry slam on the evening of March 9.