Generation XXX

28 Journal of Adolescent Research
contexts (e.g., erotica, Internet pornography use, videos) to determine how
different media of pornography might be differentially related to outcomes.
Third, research would benefit from a more detailed examination of acceptance
of pornography use. The item in the current study assessed general
acceptance, but it is possible that acceptance would vary if participants
responded to a temporally based response code (e.g., “Daily pornography
use is an acceptable way to express one’s sexuality”). This is especially
salient for women, who may perceive their own minimal use of pornography
to be acceptable but who may perceive men’s much higher use as being
less acceptable, particularly, use that is considered habitual. It will also be
important for future research to examine acceptance in various life periods
and among relationship statuses (e.g., dating, engaged, married) because
acceptance of pornography may vary among single, committed, and married
individuals. Finally, because of the cross-sectional nature of the current
data, causal inferences could not be made. The age-related trends in the current
study certainly justify the need for longitudinal data, following individuals
from adolescence to emerging adulthood to later adult life. Despite
these limitations, the current study provides a more complete understanding
of pornography use among a normative (nonclinical) population of
emerging adult college students and raises a number of important questions
for future research, including the importance of examining the impact of
pornography use and acceptance on current functioning during adolescence
and emerging adulthood and on future couple and family formation.
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