Is it OK to watch porn in public?

[Total Crica]

Is it OK to watch porn in public?

"It's no secret that lots of people watch pornography on the internet.

It's usually something done behind closed doors - but how would you feel about someone watching porn in public?

The BBC's Siobhann Tighe describes a troubling experience on a London bus.

I sat on the lower deck beside a complete stranger and didn't give it a second thought. I was just relieved to get a seat. As we meandered through the London traffic, my gaze was drawn to my neighbor's phone. I wasn't being nosy but in the dim light of the bus, the brightness of his mobile caught my attention even though he was slanting it slightly away from me. Although I didn't mean to or want to, I found myself looking over towards his mobile a few times and then it suddenly occurred to me what was going on. The man beside me was watching porn.

Once I realized, although I genuinely didn't mean to, my eyes kept on being pulled back to it. I couldn't quite believe it. First he was watching animated porn, with the two naked characters in lurid colors repeating their movements over and over again. Then he started watching a film, which seemed to begin in a petrol station with a large woman in a low-cut yellow top and blonde hair peering into the driver's window. I didn't hear any sound, apart from a brief few seconds when my fellow passenger pulled the headphone jack out of his mobile, and then reinserted it.

The man didn't seem to notice my glances towards his phone, maybe because his hood was hampering his peripheral vision. He seemed oblivious to me and others around him, who admittedly wouldn't have been able to see what I saw. We eventually arrived at his bus stop and because he had the window seat and I had the aisle, he made a motion that he needed to get out, and he muttered a "thank you" as he squeezed past me. I watched him get off and walk down the street.

I felt uncomfortable and annoyed, but I didn't do anything about it. I didn't say anything to him and neither did he pick up on any of my glances or quizzical looks. His eyes didn't meet mine so I couldn't even communicate my feelings non-verbally..."
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Personally, as long as it wasn't illegal porn (child, rape), I don't care. Even if my child were around, wouldn't care. I think teaching kids that sex is healthy between consenting adults means there is no issue if they happen to see it on a screen, regardless of where that screen is located.

But, would it be the same thing as adverts using porn to sell things in a public place, like the famous digi screens in NYC downtown? Would I care then? Prolly not, I just don't feel like (legal) sex is something we should be ashamed of, even if it happens in public. But I am prolly weird, I dunno.

[Raskayz]

pretty much like picking your nose, its ok as long as no one sees you

[Vorality]

Sure, as long as no one can see or hear anything you're watching. Children definitely don't need to see porn. Porn does not even come close to what actual sex is and creates horrible expectations. That shit will definitely fuck up an adolescent mind.

[rayvio]

I'd say no, it's not ok. there's a big difference between not being ashamed of something and doing it in public

[Aenwyrm]

Since the segment that that was posted showed he was watching it like any other video on a mobile, and had headphones in, can't really do anything except stew in your own juices if you disapprove. Until he's blaring it to everyone and yanking one out in front of everyone, best to just keep your head down and your opinions to yourself. Cause if you're glancing at what he's watching and then speak up, you're now on the line for invading his privacy.

tl;dr None of your business unless he makes it so.

[enragedgorilla]

No worse than watching an R rated movie with tons of violence.
Headphones so no one hears , no worries.
If someone look over your should, that is on them.

[Krusza]

Sure, as long as no one can see or hear anything you're watching. Children definitely don't need to see porn. Porn does not even come close to what actual sex is and creates horrible expectations. That shit will definitely fuck up an adolescent mind.

I take it that you don't know that most 10 year olds have seen porn.

[Rudkobing]

I wasn't being nosy

You were being nosy.

It's something I don't think people should do that because those people might be into really freaky deaky porn. Most people head's would explode if they saw that.

[serenka]

I think no, when you watch porn you have to tick the i am 18 or older box, if you're watching it in public, anyone can see it and they may not have ticked the box.

really though? I think watching porn in public is just weird, who would want to do that? just wait till you get home

[Elim Garak]

If the person watching it has no problem with it then nobody else should too.

[Jtbrig7390]

Well it is different, movies aren't real....

To a 10 year old, they are as real as anything else. Still showing scenes of sex (While not real or graphic) is still enough for them to think it is.

He had headphones on and was not showing it off so its whatever. No different then watching any thing else.

Hell people ride down the road blasting music that talks about fucking people in the ass... As long as you are respectful (via using headphones and not showing it off) it should not matter at all.

- - - Updated - - -

Don't need to read the article, the answer is no.

Maybe you should read the article....

Headphones on and the only way to know hes watching it is if you lean over and look.

This is a simple case of..... People needing to mind there own business.

[Khaza-R]

Are you asking if it's legal or socially acceptable?

If it's legal, probably depends on how it's displayed. Is there sound, how disruptive is it, etc. There was case law years back stating that reading a pornagraphic magazine in public was defended by the first amendment.

As far as it being socially acceptable, that just depends who you ask. Personally I don't know why you'd want to watch porn around other people

[Lady Dragonheart]

I technically do, sometimes, in a sense. I like erotic art, and many people consider it porn, and I have it as backgrounds for essentially every device that I have. Also, stickers, covers, some of the clothes that I wear feature nude and/or erotic art. People have been offended by it, referring it to "porn."

I think that sex, the display of sex and affection, is far too heavily restricted in the US. I think that, so long as you aren't being a nuisance with it, even watching porn, so long as you aren't like, rubbing or stroking yourself. It should be fine depending on the instance of what sort of porn it is. For example, violent and/or heavily offensive porn should have some sort of restriction in public. However, generic and/or romantic and casual porn/hentai, should be fine.

As a country that is prone to advertising violence, even to children, that this is more of a non-issue. If I had more of a say in what society deemed fit for the public, I'd restrict violence, but allow sex and by extension porn, so long as it wasn't terribly offensive or violent. Granted, I also believe that nudism should be a thing to a moderate degree.

[glowzone]

I've had a woman yell at me because I was drawing "naked" women, I was just sketching stuff..I tried to explain you don't tend to start a drawing with clothes on, but she wouldn't have any of it.

She kept preaching to me how sick I was for like half an hour. After my best attempts at being reasonable were just met with more yelling I started drawing some bondage shit just to spite her. I'm sure she thinks she was in the right because of that, but fuck it.

I was in the middle of a park sitting against a tree all by myself as well..not on a train or anything.

[serenka]

There was this autistic kid in my college class that used to watch that weird anime porn stuff in class, that was weird.

[Aggrophobic]

Should it be allowed? Yes.
Is it ok? Well, it's a bit awkward thats for sure.

The same could be said for anything that people find disturbing, though. Violence, Fox news, anything like that.

[Independent voter]

If nobody can see it, I guess. I'm not sure why you'd want to watch porn in public. Definitely not with young children around.

[Phlegethon]

Is it OK to watch porn in public?

"It's no secret that lots of people watch pornography on the internet.

It's usually something done behind closed doors - but how would you feel about someone watching porn in public?

The BBC's Siobhann Tighe describes a troubling experience on a London bus.

I sat on the lower deck beside a complete stranger and didn't give it a second thought. I was just relieved to get a seat. As we meandered through the London traffic, my gaze was drawn to my neighbor's phone. I wasn't being nosy but in the dim light of the bus, the brightness of his mobile caught my attention even though he was slanting it slightly away from me. Although I didn't mean to or want to, I found myself looking over towards his mobile a few times and then it suddenly occurred to me what was going on. The man beside me was watching porn.

Once I realized, although I genuinely didn't mean to, my eyes kept on being pulled back to it. I couldn't quite believe it. First he was watching animated porn, with the two naked characters in lurid colors repeating their movements over and over again. Then he started watching a film, which seemed to begin in a petrol station with a large woman in a low-cut yellow top and blonde hair peering into the driver's window. I didn't hear any sound, apart from a brief few seconds when my fellow passenger pulled the headphone jack out of his mobile, and then reinserted it.

The man didn't seem to notice my glances towards his phone, maybe because his hood was hampering his peripheral vision. He seemed oblivious to me and others around him, who admittedly wouldn't have been able to see what I saw. We eventually arrived at his bus stop and because he had the window seat and I had the aisle, he made a motion that he needed to get out, and he muttered a "thank you" as he squeezed past me. I watched him get off and walk down the street.

I felt uncomfortable and annoyed, but I didn't do anything about it. I didn't say anything to him and neither did he pick up on any of my glances or quizzical looks. His eyes didn't meet mine so I couldn't even communicate my feelings non-verbally..."
__________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________

Personally, as long as it wasn't illegal porn (child, rape), I don't care. Even if my child were around, wouldn't care. I think teaching kids that sex is healthy between consenting adults means there is no issue if they happen to see it on a screen, regardless of where that screen is located.

But, would it be the same thing as adverts using porn to sell things in a public place, like the famous digi screens in NYC downtown? Would I care then? Prolly not, I just don't feel like (legal) sex is something we should be ashamed of, even if it happens in public. But I am prolly weird, I dunno.

Why doesn't it surprise me that it's a woman sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?
She had no right to look at his phone nor has she a right to convey her feelings about it in a verbal or non verbal way. Mind your own business.

[Aeula]

So long as you're not jacking off to it, sure It's okay.

People do it all the time at my college.

[Lady Dragonheart]

Sure, as long as no one can see or hear anything you're watching. Children definitely don't need to see porn. Porn does not even come close to what actual sex is and creates horrible expectations. That shit will definitely fuck up an adolescent mind.

I disagree, this is only really the case in porn that is designed to be a production of superficial fantasy which was significantly more common many years ago. However, the advent and raise of amateur porn and sharing personalized porn has led to significantly more believable, tame and generally realistic porn.

The time of the buxom (likely mostly synthetic) teenage babe that has ravenously extreme sex with a guy that looks more like a greek god than an actual person is declining rapidly in popularity. Also, with the rise of hentai, it is much more about fantasy than anything else, and it is generally obvious in its level of believably. It serves as more of a sexual-escapism than a substitute for actual real sex. Granted, there are some exceptions with people's personal habits, but I'm speaking on trends and popularity.