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Biweekly Discussion - Debunking "Cyber-Sex Panics"

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Brian B.
Biweekly Discussion - Debunking "Cyber-Sex Panics"

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We're currently hosting our discussions at Café Walnut, near the corner of 7th & Walnut in Olde City, just across the street from Washington Square Park. The cafe's entrance is below street level down some stairs, which can be confusing if it's your first time. Our group meets in the large room upstairs.

Since we're using the cafe's space, they ask that each person attending the meetup at least purchase a drink or snack. Please don't bring any food or drinks from outside.

The cafe is fairly easy to get to if you're using public transit. With SEPTA, take the Market-Frankford Line & get off at the 5th Street Station (corner of 5th & Market), and walk 2 blocks south on 5th and then turn right on Walnut Street and walk 2 blocks west. With PATCO, just get off at the 9th-10th & Locust stop and walk 3 blocks east & 1 block north. For those who are driving, I'd suggest parking in the Washington Square parking deck at 249 S 6th Street which is just a half block away.

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DEBUNKING "CYBER-SEX PANICS"

FACT-CHECKING THE MEDIA NARRRATIVES ABOUT PORN-ADDICTED SEX MANIACS, TINDER DATE RAPISTS, ONLINE SEX TRAFFICKERS, PEDOPHILE CYBER-PREDATORS, AND VIOLENT INCELS

INTRODUCTION:

In this discussion, we'll explore a range of allegations about the supposedly negative effects that the internet is having on the rate of sexual assault & other violent crimes.

In the first section, we'll explore the social & psychological effects of widespread free pornography on the internet. We'll look at allegations that porn promotes sexual violence against women, and we'll see whether or not this is supported by crime statistics.

In the second section, we'll look at claims that online dating sites are more dangerous than traditional dating and expose users to stalkers, rapists & sex traffickers.

In the third section, we'll look at the alleged dangers of chat rooms, social media & multiplayer games with instant messaging features, and parental fears that the internet exposes their children to "cyber-predators".

In the fourth section, we'll look at allegations that the internet has compounded social dynamics which have trapped many men in a state of "involuntary celibacy", which in turn has given rise to a violent & misogynistic "incel" movement which has spawned several mass murders.

In all four sections, our main goal will be to try to separate the facts from the media spin, and we'll try to identify whether or not the news media has generated what I'm calling a "cyber-sex panic" on these issues. Essentially, we're asking if our society might be in the grips of a "moral panic" - i.e. a form mass hysteria that causes people to overestimate certain kinds of dangers - in this case, the dangers posed by the internet to our society's sexual norms.

To the extent to which we're seeing an overreaction, this may be due to a mix of ignorance, technophobia, our society's mix of fascination & fears about sexual deviance, and competition for viewers in our 24-hour news cycle that incentivizes "media circuses". Since moral panics can be difficult to identify until they're over, we'll try to gain some perspective by comparing the current concerns about sex & technology with some previous waves of media attention that have now been identified as moral panics to see if they match up.

RELEVANT MATERIAL FROM PAST MEETUPS:

This is the 3rd meetup where we'll address concerns about the internet and try to sort the truth from the overblown aspects of a media-driven "cyber-panic" about the dangers of the internet:

Back in March of 2019, we had a meetup entitled "Is Social Media Destroying Our Social Fabric?" where we discussed claims that social media: (1) fuels narcissism & status anxiety, (2) creates echo chambers that worsen political polarization, (3) distracts users from face-to-face interactions & harms relationships, (4) provokes anger & depression by subjecting users to endless debates, trolling & cyber-bullying.
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/ffkqkqyzfbfb/

Back in April of 2018, we had a meetup entitled, "What Is The Internet Doing To Our Brains?" where we discussed some allegations that the internet may be having a variety of negative psychological & neurological effects on heavy users including internet addiction, digital amnesia, information overload & multi-tasking syndrome:
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/248928846/

This is also the 3rd meetup where we'll address concerns about our society's sexual norms and try to sort the truth from the dubious narratives that tend to emerge during irrational "sex panics":

Back in May of 2018, we had a meetup entitled "The Campus Rape Crisis & Sex Trafficking" where we discussed why some skeptics think the media's focus on the role of binge drinking & date rape drugs in college campus rapes is misplaced, how & why the news media gets some high-profile college rape cases wrong, how "Missing White Girl Syndrome" leads the media neglect the plight of women of color & men/boys, and how the media perpetuates myths about sex trafficking.
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/248995893/

We had another meetup after that entitled "Sex Abuse Scandals, Pedo Panics & Conspiracy Theories" where we discussed the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandals, the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State, the "Pizzagate" conspiracy theory & its connection to real scandals, and the effects of sexual education & "Stranger Danger" classes on rates of sexual abuse.
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/251067305/

Also, since the discussion of "incels" in Section 4 deals with the media circus created by some high-profile mass murders, it may be helpful to refer to the discussion outline from our meetup in April of 2018 where we debated whether mass shootings are really an "epidemic" or rather a moral panic:
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/249160148/

Note: In Section 4, we'll also look at the overlap between the internet memes about atheists & incels and try to figure out how these stereotypes evolved. This relates to our past discussion of the "internet atheist" stereotype from a meetup we had in July of 2018 - see Part 4 of the outline:
https://www.meetup.com/Philly-Skeptics/events/252679767/

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DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR OUR DISCUSSION:

The videos & articles you see linked below are intended to give you a basic overview of some of the major debates over the effects that the internet & smart phones have on our society's sex & dating norms.

As usual, I certainly don't expect you to read all the articles & watch all the videos prior to attending our discussion. The easiest way to prepare for our discussion is to just watch the numbered videos linked under each section - the videos come to about about 49 minutes total. The articles marked with asterisks are just there to supply additional details. You can browse and look at whichever ones you want, but don't worry - we'll cover the stuff you missed in our discussion.

In terms of the discussion format, my general idea is that we'll address the topics in the order presented here. As you can see, I've listed some questions under each section to stimulate discussion. We'll try to answer most of them. I figure we'll spend about 30 minutes on each section.

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I. INTERNET PORN & THE ALLEGED CONNECTION BETWEEN PORN, OBJECTIFICATION & SEX CRIMES:

  • HAS THE UBIQUITY OF ONLINE PORN CAUSED MEN TO "OBJECTIFY" WOMEN MORE? HOW COULD THIS BE MEASURED?

  • HAS THE UBIQUITY OF ONLINE PORN LED TO MORE COERCION IN SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS?

  • IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS PORN CONSUMPTION INCREASES A MAN'S LIKELIHOOD OF SEXUAL ASSAULTING WOMEN? IF SO, HOW DO WE RECONCILE THIS WITH THE FACT THAT DURING THE PAST 20 YEARS SEXUAL CRIMES HAVE DECREASED EVEN AS ACCESS TO PORN HAS MASSIVELY INCREASED?

  • IS THERE EVIDENCE THAT SUGGESTS PORN CONSUMPTION DECREASES RATES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT? IF SO, DOES IT DO THIS BY CHANGING SEXUAL ATTITUDES TOWARDS CONSENT OR MERELY BY ALLEVIATING SEXUAL FRUSTRATION?

  • IS THE FACT THAT VIOLENT SEX OFFENDERS OFTEN HAVE HUGE STASHES OF VIOLENT PORNOGRAPHY PROOF THAT PORN CAUSED THEM TO DEVELOP THE MOTIVE TO COMMIT SEX CRIMES, OR COULD CAUSATION GO THE OTHER WAY - I.E. THEIR PREEXISTING VIOLENT SEXUAL URGES CAUSED THEM TO SEEK OUT VIOLENT PORN?

  • COULD THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PORN CONSUMPTION & SEXUAL ASSAULT BE NONLINEAR, SO THAT REGULAR PORN CONSUMPTION BY MOST MEN LOWERS SEXUAL ASSAULTS, BUT VIOLENT PORN CONSUMPTION BY MENTALLY ILL MEN INCREASES THEIR CHANCES OF COMMITTING A SEXUAL ASSAULT?

1a) Young Turks, "Porn Reduces Sexual Violence - Study" (video - 3:41 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbjbxHLkL8c

1b) LipTV w/ Park Dietz, "Porn + Violence = Sexual Criminals" (video - 3:27 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvkd_ZsMWi0

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II. ONLINE DATING SITES, HOOKUP APPS, PERSONAL ADS & THEIR ALLEGED DANGERS:

  • ARE DATING SITE & HOOKUP APP USERS AT A GREATER RISK OF BEING STALKED, OR IS IT EASY TO BLOCK STALKERS & PREVENT THEM FROM FINDING OUT YOUR REAL NAME & LOCATION?

  • ARE ONLINE DATERS AT A GREATER RISK OF DATE RAPE THAN THOSE WHO MEET PEOPLE OFF-LINE? ARE TIPS LIKE "ALWAYS DRIVE YOURSELF & MEET IN A PUBLIC PLACE", "TELL A FRIEND WHERE YOU'RE GOING," AND "DON'T DRINK" HELPFUL IN REDUCING THIS RISK?

  • DO THE NCA'S STUDY THAT SHOWNED A SIX-FOLD INCREASE IN DATE RAPES ASSOCIATED WITH ONLINE DATING SUGGEST THAT USING DATING SITES IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN MEETING PEOPLE OFF-LINE? OR IS ONLINE DATING JUST AS SAFE, AND THE APPARENT SPIKE IN DATE RAPES MERELY AN ARTIFACT OF THE BIG INCREASE IN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING DATING SITES BETWEEN 2009 & 2013?

  • DOES KAZ WEIDA'S INFORMAL ANALYSIS THAT RANKED THE "MOST DANGEROUS STATES FOR ONLINE DATING" BASED ON BACKGROUND RATES OF STDs, CYBERCRIME & SEXUAL ASSAULT RATES GIVE US AN ACCURATE RISK PERCEPTION OF USING DATING SITES IN EACH STATE?

  • DOES THE FACT THAT MATCH & eHARMONY SCREEN FOR SEX OFFENDERS MEAN THEY ARE SAFER?

  • ARE SOME OF THE STORIES ABOUT ONLINE DATERS BEING DRUGGED & HAVING THEIR KIDNEYS STOLEN TRUE? OR WHAT ABOUT THE STORY ABOUT A WOMAN CALLING POLICE & GETTING NARROWY RESCUED FROM HER TINDER DATE WHO HAD SET UP A "KILL ROOM" DOWNSTAIRS WITH PLASTIC SHEETS? ARE THESE JUST NEW VERSIONS OF OLD URBAN LEGENDS?

  • DO SEX TRAFFICKERS COMMONLY USE DATING SITES? IF SO, IS IT FOR ADVERTISING THEIR EXISTING PROSTITUTES OR GROOMING NEW ONES? ARE ONLINE DATERS ARE AT A HIGHER RISK OF BEING LURED & ABDUCTED BY SEX TRAFFICKERS?

  • HOW HAS THE INTERNET AFFECTED THE UNDERGROUND PROSTITUTION MARKET? HAS IT MADE VOLUNTARY SEX WORK MORE OR LESS DANGEROUS?

  • TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE NEWS MEDIA & LAW ENFORCEMENT EQUATE VOLUNTARY PROSTITUTION WITH SEX TRAFFICKING, OBSCURING THE STATISTICS?

2a) Mary Aiken, "Online Dating Has Created a Six-Fold Increase in Sexual Assaults" (video - 6:04 min.)
https://youtu.be/snvWJ4G8Tuc

2b) News Channel 5, "Human Traffickers Target Social Media, Dating Sites" (video - 2:10 min.)
https://youtu.be/pCNi3YehqeE

2c) Vox, "This anti-sex trafficking law could end internet freedom" (video - 5:18 min.)
https://youtu.be/WBaqDjPCH8k

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III. CHILD-REARING IN THE INTERNET AGE & THE PANICS OVER "CYBER-PREDATORS":

  • DOES SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSE CHILDREN & TEENS TO SEXUAL PREDATORS? HOW ABOUT APPS WITH CHAT FEATURES LIKE LIKE ROBLOX, TIKTOK & KIK?

  • ARE SEXUAL PROPOSITIONS OF CHILDREN & TEENS MORE LIKELY TO COME FROM THEIR PEERS OR ADULTS?

  • ARE ADULT SEX OFFENDERS TYPICALLY INTERESTED IN TEENS OR CHILDREN?

  • ARE SEX OFFENDERS MORE LIKELY TO TRY TO EXPLOIT THEIR VICTIMS ONLINE OR TO TRY TO GET THEM TO MEET UP IN REAL LIFE?

  • ARE RECENT FEARS OF "CYBER-PREDATORS" REMINISCENT OF THE "SATANIC RITUAL ABUSE" PANIC THAT CENTERED AROUND DAYCARES IN THE 1980s?

  • DID THE DATELINE NBC SHOW "TO CATCH A PREDATOR" CREATE A MORAL PANIC AROUND MYSPACE BACK IN THE LATE 2000s?

3a) The Media Show, "Online Predators" (video - 2:43 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lsnC-iWHJ0

3b) Sonia Livingstone, "Child abuse on the internet: risks and reality" (video - 5:41 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUO2aqVKxYQ

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IV. THE INTERNET'S CONNECTION TO THE MASCULINITY CRISIS, INVOLUNTARY CELIBACY & THE PANIC OVER "INCELS" AS MISOGYNISTIC MASS MURDERERS:

  • IS PHIL ZIMBARDO RIGHT THAT INTERNET PORN & VIDEO GAMES ARE ADDICTIVE & PROMOTE SOCIAL ISOLATION? IF SO, IS IT PLAUSIBLE THAT THEIR UBIQUITY AMONG ADOLESCENT MALES HAS PREVENTED A SIZEABLE PERCENTAGE FROM MATURING & CREATED A "MASCULINITY CRISIS"?

  • ARE STEREOTYPES OF GAMERS AS OBESE, ANGRY, BASEMENT-DWELLING LONERS INACCURATE?

  • IS "INVOLUNTARY CELIBACY" A GROWING PROBLEM FOR YOUNG MEN, OR JUST MORE VISIBLE DUE TO THE ONLINE "INCEL" COMMUNITY?

  • IF INVOLUNTARY CELIBACY IS REALLY INCREASING, IS IT WORSE FOR MEN? IF SO, IS IT MORE ATTRIBUTABLE TO FEMALE HYPERGAMY (I.E. WOMEN CHASING ALPHA MALES), MALE HYPERGAMY (I.E. MEN CHASING WOMEN WHO ARE "OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE"), OR BROADER SOCIAL & ECONOMIC TRENDS?

  • DID THE "INCEL" COMMUNITY EVOLVE WHEN ANGRY SEXLESS NERDS FOUND EACH OTHER IN ONLINE FORUMS, AS MILES KLEE ARGUES? OR WAS IT PARTLY DUE TO LOTS OF ONLINE NERD-BASHING FROM BOTH BROISH GUYS & FEMINISTS, AS SCOTT ALEXANDER ARGUES? HOW DOES THIS DEBATE TIE INTO "DIFFERENTIAL ASSOCIATION", "LABELING THEORY" & "STRAIN THEORY" FROM SOCIOLOGY?

  • HAVE "INCEL" INTERNET FORUMS CREATED AN "ECHO CHAMBER" THAT AMPLIFIES A MISOGYNISTIC WORLD VIEW, OR ARE THESE FORUMS MORE LIKE SUPPORT GROUPS? HOW DOES THE "INCEL COMMUNITY" TIE IN WITH "PICKUP ARTISTRY" (PUA) FORUMS & THE "RED PILL" MANOSPHERE BLOGS?

  • HAS MEDIA COVERAGE OF THE ONLINE "INCEL COMMUNITY" AFTER THE TORONTO VAN ATTACK IN 2018 EXAGGERATED THE SIZE OF THE "INCEL" DEMOGRAPHIC & THE THREAT THEY POSE? COULD THIS MEDIA STIGMATIZATION EXACERBATE INCEL'S SOCIAL EXCLUSION & ANGER?

  • DO INCELS FIT THE PROFILE OF MARGINALIZED "FOLK DEVILS" THAT OFTEN GET SCAPEGOATED FOR SOCIAL PROBLEMS? IS THE CURRENT "INCEL PANIC" SIMILAR TO THE MEDIA'S STIGMATIZATION OF METALHEADS DURING THE "SATANIC PANIC" IN THE 1980s, GOTHS AFTER THE 1999 COLUMBINE SHOOTING, AND EMO KIDS AFTER ALLEGATIONS OF EMO MUSIC INSPIRING SELF-HARM IN THE 2000s? OR ARE "INCELS" DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEIR GROUP IS (ALMOST) EXCLUSIVELY MALE & ESPOUSES AN IDEOLOGY RATHER THAN A TASTE IN MUSIC?

  • WHY IS THERE SO MUCH OVERLAP BETWEEN INTERNET MEME STEREOTYPES OF ATHEISTS & INCELS, I.E. NECKBEARDS, FEDORAS, KATANAS, GAMING, BRAGGING ABOUT HIGH IQ BUT LIVING IN PARENTS' BASEMENT, SAYING "M'LADY" & DECLARING ONESELF A "GENTLEMAN", COMPLAINING ABOUT "THE FRIENDZONE"? IS THIS DUE MORE TO OVERLAPS IN ATHEIST & NERD CULTURE DEMOGRAPHICS (E.G. SKEWS HEAVILY MALE, HIGHER IQ BUT LOWER EMPATHY), OR SELECTION EFFECTS DUE TO THE WEIRD OUTLIERS WHO OBSESSIVELY POST ON INTERNET FORUMS?

4a) Phillip Zimbardo, "The Demise of Guys" (video - 8:04 min.)
https://youtu.be/pzpqQJavrSk

4b) CBC, "Incels and extremism: How an involuntary celibate's frustrations can evolve" (video - 5:10 min.)
https://youtu.be/tuTDQ-dEhVI

4c) Khan Academy, "Perspectives on deviance: Differential association, labeling theory, and strain theory" (video - 6:31 min.)
https://youtu.be/MSucylf4KhY

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Cafe Walnut
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