Sexuality has always been a touchy subject in our society. Only recently has it been discussed in mainstream media. I never understood this considering how important sexuality is in our everyday lives. It is such a big part of being a human, yet so many people get instantly uncomfortable when the topic is brought up.
Tumblr is actually the place where I first discovered the insanely broad scope of sexuality, gender, and many other things of the sort. From the thousands of fandoms and fan fictions present on the site, it was a safe place to learn new things and express opinions without feeling judged. It was comforting to know that there were hundreds of other people interested in the same things as myself.
For most schools around the country the sex education programs are awful. Most schools teach abstinence only without thoroughly discussing the importance of safe sex practices. This causes an increase in the amount of teen pregnancies and STDs among young people. This should be a safe place to ask questions about anything you would need or want to know, but unfortunately that is not the case. I have always been very comfortable talking about things like this so it was not very hard for me to discuss the topics brought up these classes. That being said, it was definitely not a judge-free zone. Those how are uncomfortable discussing sex and sexuality will always find a way to make others feel embarrassed or as if their feelings and questions are invalid. This is why the internet is such a helpful tool when looking for answers to the oh so horrific questions.
While the internet can be a very helpful and educational place for people to learn new things, it can also be a bit overwhelming. There is not much censorship online. It is either all or nothing when it comes to researching sexuality. In Fifty Shades of Grey when Ana uses the laptop that Christian gave to her to research the content of the contract, she is bombarded with overly explicit information. Most that she did not know existed.
I hope that in the future there will be a better sex education program in place to help young people learn about the thoughts and feelings that consume them. Hopefully this will change the whole taboo of sexuality being a “naughty” word.
Literature & the Internet 