SEX ISSUE

Generation Z is not only shifting away from watching porn solely for sexual gratification but also to act out their fantasies in the media they consume, according to a top porn site’s annual review of what people like to watch

PornHub’s 2023 Year in Review showed that the search term “Cosplay” went up by 146%, “Hentai” — a form of Japanese pornographic anime and manga — increased by 94%. “Interactive”, which is a subgenre of porn where the viewer participates in the video’s outcome, increased by 80%.

Cosplaying means dressing up and taking on a character’s personality. Daniel Flores, an illustration student, says he prefers pornographic art over videos. “With art, I have more of a connection to what happens,” he said.

Grace Martin, an Oak Park-based family and marriage therapist, credits the popularity of cartoon-based porn to the modern age. 

“It could be the internet and what’s accessible with AI being able to generate cartoons,” Martin said. “The artistic aspect of it, like growing up watching movies and watching YouTube.”

Martin said Cosplay doesn’t mean someone wants to act out a porn fantasy in real life. 

“A lot of people watch animated porn,” she said. “Does that mean they want to actually have sex with an actual cartoon character? No. These are just fantasies that turn people on and it’s okay to fantasize about wild stuff.”

Cari Beecham-Bautista, a part-time instructor in the Humanities, History and Social Sciences Department and former sex health educator, said the interest in pornographic art likely stems from a more general interest in anime.

“I know generally my students are very interested in anime but I think that there is this idea that we don’t want a corporate take on this, and we don’t want advertisers to sell us specific views on pornography”, she said. “I wonder too if part of it is ethical concerns, in professional pornography maybe there is a little more concern about people being exploited.” 

Julia Murray, a sophomore film and television major, was introduced to anime when she was 11 and discovered Hentai five years ago. She likes Hentai more than porn with “real people.” 

“I find watching IRL porn is more uncomfortable for me,” she said, using the abbreviation for “in real life.” “With standard pornography, it feels like it is focused on one thing whereas Hentai it could be in this magical world.”

According to PornHub’s data, Gen Z consumes porn more than any other generation, comprising 27% of the site’s 2023 viewership. 

Jaime Sinaloa, a junior marketing major, said he used to watch porn once a day, usually through PornHub’s website but has since slowed down.

“I feel like it kind of negatively impacted me, but there is also kind of a positive because you learn what’s out there, what you like and what you don’t like,” he said. 

Resumen en Español:

La Generación Z está cambiando sus hábitos para ver porno, usándolo no solo para gratificación sexual sino también para representar fantasías. Las búsquedas de “Cosplay,” que significa la adopción de una personalidad de ficción aumentaron con disfrazarse, aumento 146%. El género de porno animado japonés “Hentai” también aumentó 94% y el “porno interactivo” 80%, según un informe de PornHub. Estudiante de ilustración Daniel Flores, prefiere la pornographia de arte a los videos porque dice que se puede conectar más con lo que pasa.