Generation Porn

Generation Porn is a controversial and thought-provoking documentary series from BBC Select released in 2019, which meticulously delves into the multibillion-dollar global pornography industry. Extracting valuable insights from industry insiders, sexual health professionals, and contemporary consumers of adult content, the series aims to assess the massive commercialization of the mature content industry, and its pervasive influence on societal relationships and perceptions of intimacy.

Generation Porn is introduced as a three-part exploration that gauges the exponential growth of the porn industry due to the unfettered access provided by the internet. For better or worse, the producers don't shy away from presenting the raw facts and unsettling trends bred by this growth - illicit trades, exploitation, addiction, and distorted understanding of human sexuality. Each anecdote, interview, or case study has been carefully chosen to uncover the alarming reality and unspoken consequences of readily accessible explicit content to millions worldwide.

The first part features candid revelations from those involved in producing content - adult performers, directors and behind-the-scene professionals. They offer an insider's perspective into how the proverbial sausage is made. The program lays bare the 'business' side and the often gruelling demand-supply dynamics of the industry, subtly hinting at an ethical crisis.

The series takes a turn to the users' perspective in the later parts, examining the behavioural changes linked to high-speed access to explicit content, especially among young adults. The program introduces parents, teachers, and teenagers talking about their experiences, concerns, and encounters with porn, as well as experts expounding on its scientific and psychological implications. The series doesn't moralize or demonize but rather focuses on the objective understanding of how online pornography is shaping the next generation's attitudes towards sex and relationships.

Moreover, Generation Porn examines the implications of porn becoming mainstream and the role of the bystander, the society, the governance and the silence surrounding it. One polarizing theme of the series is the ever-blurring lines between pornography and pop culture. The producers raise questions about normalization and desensitization, discussing porn's influence on fashion, music videos, reality TV shows, as well as the role of social media.

Notably, the series highlights the technology-driven growth, discussing the economical and accessibility aspects. It exposes the reality of the free access model, revealing hidden costs that are often overlooked - personal data being traded, premium content upselling and much more. The documentary, via interviews with technology experts and platforms, explores how the internet has made porn not just a business but a disruptive global phenomenon.

The pacing of the series is excellent, revealing details gradually and precisely. The compassionate gaze towards interviewees involved in the industry adds immense value, humanising an often dehumanised subject-matter. Equally, the representation of everyday people affected by the ubiquity of porn poses emotional narratives and personal stories that ground the series in reality.

However, Generation Porn isn't just doom and gloom. Aspects of the series are devoted to individuals trying to make a positive difference either by promoting education, transparency, safety standards, or countering exploitation. These sections carry optimism and prove that ethical discussions around the subject are seriously needed and indeed taking place.

Balancing journalistic depth with empathetic storytelling, Generation Porn attempts to hold a mirror to society itself. It exposes the cracks in the system that have allowed pornography to become a hidden public health issue. Without taking a predefined stance, the series leaves its viewers enlightened, concerned, and wondering about the dire need for dialogue, reignition of sex education, and overall reform in the approach towards adult content generation and consumption.

In conclusion, Generation Porn is a gripping documentary, providing an unparalleled insight into a subject matter often considered taboo. From interviews with industry insiders to ordinary individuals grappling with porn's influence, it's a daring exploration of porn's rise into global consciousness and its permeating aftermath. This compelling production by BBC Select will leave viewers in thought, acting as a call to arms for discussing and addressing the future of Generation Porn.