One in FIVE UK adults would work in porn if the salary was high enough & they felt safe – poll

Almost 20% of British adults would consider working in the porn industry, as long as the salary was high and the environment safe, according to a new poll that suggests sex work has become an “acceptable” part of society.

A Savanta ComRes poll found 19% of Britons would enter a career in pornography if they thought the pay was high enough and the working environment was safe. More than a third (34%) viewed porn, once considered a shameful indulgence, as an “acceptable part of modern society.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the young were more likely to consider entering the porn industry – 32% of those aged 18 to 34 had contemplated it – while just 8% of those over 55 had considered such a switch.

Despite apparently open attitudes toward the industry, though, slightly more than half (51%) of poll respondents admitted they would be concerned if they discovered an adult family member was generating content for sale on sites like Pornhub or OnlyFans. Among those under 35, only 41% said they would likely be worried about such an outcome, while 59% of those over 55 would find it cause for concern.

The survey of 2,087 British adults was commissioned by anti-pornography charity the Naked Truth Project. Its founder, Ian Henderson, called the poll results disturbing, noting that increasing awareness of just how many porn “actors” are trafficked and exploited against their will does not seem to be translating into people distancing themselves from the industry.

"There are people of all ages who are accessing explicit content on a regular basis – content that is having a tangible and detrimental impact on the relationships, mental health and self-worth of both viewers and those working in the industry,” Henderson said, describing the pervasiveness of porn throughout even the most ordinary lives.

It should be a concern that so many are open to pursuing a career in pornography

And the popular embrace of the career path once regarded as a strict taboo has only grown by leaps and bounds, leaking into adult academia and generating calls for the creation of “entry-level porn” for teens.

While the most popular sites that host pornographic material – from MindGeek’s industry-dominating network of porn sites to OnlyFans’ more recent but wildly successful entry into the industry – are sometimes subject to censure by outside forces like payment processors or web hosts, occasional scares have done little to stifle the burgeoning industry.

At most, these setbacks sparked some minor and sometimes short-term behavioral changes. After being accused of proliferating child pornography and rape videos last year, Pornhub updated its policy, allowing only vetted and verified partners to post content. OnlyFans seemed poised on the brink of extinction last month as it announced sexualized content would have to be jettisoned ostensibly to avoid being blacklisted by prudish payment processors. The site, however, reversed course within a matter of days, announcing that it would “suspend” the policy change, leading to widespread sighs of relief both from content creators who make their money selling fantasy on the site and consumers.

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