Prostitution among college students

[Eventhorizon]

I would be okay with it. If that is the life they choose, I may not be proud of it, but it would be their choice.

My sister obviously loved her some sex. If she came to me and said, "I'm going to be a prostitute" I would have been relieved and said, "Well it's about friggin time you started charging!"

People are going to do what they want to do.

I'm really not into judging people or telling them how to live their lives, no matter how much I love them. It may not be the life you choose for them, but ultimately it is their life...not yours.

I dont think its a matter of being proud or not proud. I think its more about how safe it is, how fulfilling it is along with the mental processes that lead someone to consider that line of..."Work" is a good investment for a healthy life. Not to mention the shady sorts a woman would undoubtedly come into contact with. With your sister, its sounds like she was making a choice who she wanted to be with. That at least seems better than working for some pimp who tells you how you are going to live your life. However I dont want to imply I know much about the actual environment, my knowledge is limited by only what I see in the news \ documentaries or read about.

Well I know you asked so...being a guy, I can understand liking the sex part a great deal. Part of my problem (I think) is falling back on physical closeness because its better than nothing at all. That and I simply love women. Society seems to expect this from men and shun it in women. Never the less, maybe your sister is thinking in a similar way.

 

[Eventhorizon]

I admit, I'd be sad and disappointed, not to mention worried... but what could I do in such a situation? Stone her to death? Certainly not. I'd rather face facts and somehow empower her. (Actually, I'd probably just kidnap her until she came to her freaking senses. Prostitution is dangerous.) I'd much prefer anyone I loved to not have to expose herself to that sort of danger.

But, there's a fine line between prostitution and marrying for money, and one gets you all sorts of hate, and the other gets you congratulated, and a reality TV show, so.... yeah, same thing kind of, but one's a lot safer and probably more lucrative, in most cases. :/ What I'd want is for people to not have to depend on sexuality to make a living, rather to have their minds and talents valued and to have a lot of self confidence that doesn't depend only on sexuality. But that's just me.

Speaking for myself, I'm very particular and picky about what I do with my body, and that has served me well in life. I would wish for other women that they also have the power to choose and pick and decide for themselves, and that they set the bar HIGH for themselves, not low.

I agree with you for the most part. I just am having a hard time following the people here that simply say its a respectable line of work. I dont think that can apply when you consider the dangers associated with it. I also dont think anyone who chooses the line of work has a large amount of respect for themselves or their body bordering on an issue with self esteem.

 

[Faye]

That is pretty depressing considering that is the type of job college is supposed to help you avoid.

 

[Lexika]

That is pretty depressing considering that is the type of job college is supposed to help you avoid.

And taking into account how much money they make on these jobs compared to some of the real jobs that are available to graduates. One of the girls has admitted that she is making more as a prostitute than she will ever make being employed after graduation - something like $140,000 per year.

I can't help myself but feel that the guys are being cheated, or rather that they are cheating themselves - out of money and out of participation in real human relationships. Is it really so much better to be paying $250-300/hour for sex with a stranger rather than getting a girlfriend?

 

[Quiet]

I agree with a lot of this and to be honest I do think that sex in advertising is probably more perverse than prostitution... but at the same time, I don't think it's particularly healthy to enable all aspects of sexuality, because it can also end up distorting reality or ruining families. And we're not talking about free love or escaping sexual repression here, we're talking about profiting from it. Don't you think that if there were less sexual repression then it's possible that prostitution wouldn't be as big as it is?

Hey, busy now but will reply to post next week

 

[this is only temporary]

And taking into account how much money they make on these jobs compared to some of the real jobs that are available to graduates. One of the girls has admitted that she is making more as a prostitute than she will ever make being employed after graduation - something like $140,000 per year.

I can't help myself but feel that the guys are being cheated, or rather that they are cheating themselves - out of money and out of participation in real human relationships. Is it really so much better to be paying $250-300/hour for sex with a stranger rather than getting a girlfriend?

True, agreed -- but I am somewhat skeptical that most prostitutes are making $140,000 a year. Maybe some are, dunno. Maybe just the college ones.

I was just driving through an area where there are all these billboards advertising things like "We bare all!!!" and "Truckers stop here" and "Massage therapists for tired truckers, take your pick, Asian, White or Black!" and "Adult SUPERSTORE, next right." -- you know, that sort of thing. Pretty obvious what they're advertising.

(And these billboards were always right next to some giant church billboards talking about how God loves you and sin and hell and don't get an abortion. It was like war of the billboards and made for some interesting conversations.)

But all that was in the middle of nowhere, and I'm fairly certain these girls weren't being paid well, they were probably making a few measly bucks being some crab-infested trucker's lady of the night. Or afternoon. Or whatever. So when I hear they're making $140,000 a year I automatically think "Well, not all of them, that's for sure."

 

[cvp12gh5]

I dont think its a matter of being proud or not proud. I think its more about how safe it is, how fulfilling it is along with the mental processes that lead someone to consider that line of..."Work" is a good investment for a healthy life. Not to mention the shady sorts a woman would undoubtedly come into contact with. With your sister, its sounds like she was making a choice who she wanted to be with. That at least seems better than working for some pimp who tells you how you are going to live your life. However I dont want to imply I know much about the actual environment, my knowledge is limited by only what I see in the news \ documentaries or read about.

Well I know you asked so...being a guy, I can understand liking the sex part a great deal. Part of my problem (I think) is falling back on physical closeness because its better than nothing at all. That and I simply love women. Society seems to expect this from men and shun it in women. Never the less, maybe your sister is thinking in a similar way.

This is true but there are a lot of honest jobs out there that are not "safe".

Let me clarify something...I am all for people making their own decisions in life but if my sis were to come to me proclaiming that she wanted to be a prostitute, I wouldn't say, ""That's FANTASTIC! What the hell are you doing sitting around?? Go out there and work it, gurl!" I would want to know why she has chosen this kind of work, what she would be doing to stay safe, etc. I would have a lot of questions. Just like with any job. Is this job the right "fit" for you?

And if at the end of the conversation, she still felt like that is what she wanted to do, then I would do research to see how she could do it in a way that would keep her safer. I would want her educated on the dangers of prostitution and how she could better protect herself out there.

I don't see sex as a bad thing. I don't see prostitution a bad thing. But I think we are both looking at it from different angles. When you think of a prostitute (correct me if I am wrong, but you did bring up news/documentaries), you are imagining some lost girl with daddy issues that had such a horrible upbringing that she turned to drugs to cope. And to support that habit, she turned to prostitution, not really caring about the dangers involved with that lifestyle on the streets. <--Yes, that is sad, and those documentaries break my heart. Those girls really don’t belong on the streets, they belong in treatment. They are prostituting for drug money, not because they see hooking as a lucrative business.

Then there are the other girls out there that are smart about it. They see how much money they can make and they catch that “entrepreneurial spirit”. They make it into a profitable business. They care about their safety and protection and go out of their way to insure it. They don’t have a pimp, they are their own pimp. That is the kind of prostitution I see nothing wrong with.

There are several pros and cons to this sort of lifestyle and people could argue them all day. And they will…especially on this forum

I do have one question for you. Are you against it because you feel that it is morally wrong?

 

[Eventhorizon]

she still felt like that is what she wanted to do

This is what I question. How many people would actually "Want" to do this as opposed to feeling like it was one of a "few" options they had. Maybe there are some who actually want to do it, I think they would be a few minority.

 

[Faye]

And taking into account how much money they make on these jobs compared to some of the real jobs that are available to graduates. One of the girls has admitted that she is making more as a prostitute than she will ever make being employed after graduation - something like $140,000 per year.

I can't help myself but feel that the guys are being cheated, or rather that they are cheating themselves - out of money and out of participation in real human relationships. Is it really so much better to be paying $250-300/hour for sex with a stranger rather than getting a girlfriend?

My guess is that they are rich and don't care about throwing around that kind of money and also that many of them do have wives or girlfriends.

 

[Gul Dukat]

I do have one question for you. Are you against it because you feel that it is morally wrong?

I'll answer this one.

I think it should be legal so that the workers can be better protected, but I would never ever in a billion years support a family member's decision to become a prostitute or have a discussion with them about how to best pursue a career in it. I don't know if it's morally wrong, but it definitely isn't morally right.

I think that the whole 'my body my choice' argument doesn't really cut it-- sure, it's your choice... but at the same time two people are involved in sex so the fact that these women want money isn't the only thing we need to take into account. You also have to ask yourself if these girls are enabling destructive trends in terms of their clientele.

In a normal relationship, people come together because they click. People have to learn how to relate to each other and respect each other, and they have to work at building a relationship because they care about each other... with prostitutes, you don't have to do any of that stuff. You can be a cheater, or a loser, or a jerk-- basically, you don't have to pretend to be a great person or try to impress anyone. You don't have to improve yourself in order to get what you want--as long as you can afford their fee, you receive your sexual validation. I think it has the same effect as porn, and that it helps to objectify women in men's minds and I think it's ultimately destructive.

I guess you could argue that you could be a prostitute with a conscience and be highly selective about who you're sleeping with... but I'm pretty sure that this never actually happens.

 

[Deep purple]

Question. Out of the people here who have mothers, sisters daughters etc.... which of you will be fine if and when one day any of them come to you and say, Im going to be a prostitute?

I'm horrified at the thought of it.

 

[muir]

I'm not convinced that you've read the article, @muir .

I couldn't find anything about student debt in the whole piece... this isn't about normal people (who would probably rather just be in debt), this is about spoiled rich kids who become prostitutes because they can't stand the thought of ever being like everyone else. They like shopping and spoiling themselves all the time, they don't seem to care about their futures because chances are they'll find someone else who will support them (one of them actually has a boyfriend who knows all about her lifestyle).

They're taking cabs everywhere they go, they buy designer shoes, get expensive haircuts, etc., etc. These are not things that they are doing out of desperation, they're doing it because they're materialistic... and I guess because they've convinced themselves that it doesn't matter to them.

I guess I should feel sorry for them but since they have it all and they're not even doing anything worthwhile with the money, I actually don't feel sorry for them. They deserve everything they get... I find it repulsive that anyone could be so superficial and so materialistic that they're willing to put themselves through all of that so that they can buy an overpriced handbag or get some $700 hairstyle. If they were doing it because they were desperate or because they wanted to do some good or even because they wanted to invest it in their future, I might be able to understand, but to go through all of that and piss it away on disposable crap is pathetic. Maybe that's harsh but I can't help it-- I have more respect for animals than I do for these girls.

It doesn't need to say anything in the article about debt the reality of the situation is that students are getting into huge amounts of debt and more and more are turning to more desperate measures to alleviate the debt

In the UK the government has introduced tuition fees which are pricing many people out of higher education. Far from affecting the spoiled rich kids this is actually stopping the less fortunate from getting an education (unless they take on huge debt or turn to prostitution)

 

[jupiterswoon]

I can't help myself but feel that the guys are being cheated, or rather that they are cheating themselves - out of money and out of participation in real human relationships. Is it really so much better to be paying $250-300/hour for sex with a stranger rather than getting a girlfriend?

What young female would want to have sex with a male thirty years her senior for free? Hey Grandpa, you're looking svelte......

It appears to me that these men are at an advantage, they obviously don't care about a real relationship, in fact they might even be married, the fact is, it's going to be easier for a twenty something to turn them on. I don't think the women are being taken advantage of, there are more women on the site than men. The reality is that our society isn't set up to support people once they enter into the workforce.

 

[Eventhorizon]

What young female would want to have sex with a male thirty years her senior for free? Hey Grandpa, you're looking svelte......

It appears to me that these men are at an advantage, they obviously don't care about a real relationship, in fact they might even be married, the fact is, it's going to be easier for a twenty something to turn them on. I don't think the women are being taken advantage of, there are more women on the site than men. The reality is that our society isn't set up to support people once they enter into the workforce.

Apparently plenty. Just saying.

 

[Eventhorizon]

What young female would want to have sex with a male thirty years her senior for free? Hey Grandpa, you're looking svelte......

It appears to me that these men are at an advantage, they obviously don't care about a real relationship, in fact they might even be married, the fact is, it's going to be easier for a twenty something to turn them on. I don't think the women are being taken advantage of, there are more women on the site than men. The reality is that our society isn't set up to support people once they enter into the workforce.

You know now that I think of it, your whole post is fairly antagonistic toward men. Yeah AS IF the only way any companionship can happen is if the female is TAKEN ADVANTAGE of. PUHLEASE. Seriously.

 

[Barnabas]

This is my fourth time rewriting this sentence, it just makes me sad to see something thats meant to be beautiful, personal and symbolic and turning it into a paycheck. It's just sad.

 

[hk427f3]

it just makes me sad to see something thats meant to be beautiful, personal and symbolic and turning it into a paycheck.

Are you opposed to people selling their art or music? Also, don't you think that trying to dictate What Is Meant To Be™[FONT=Arial Unicode MS, Lucida Sans Unicode] [/FONT]for all other people is a bad thing to do?

 

[this is only temporary]

What young female would want to have sex with a male thirty years her senior for free? Hey Grandpa, you're looking svelte......

It appears to me that these men are at an advantage, they obviously don't care about a real relationship, in fact they might even be married, the fact is, it's going to be easier for a twenty something to turn them on. I don't think the women are being taken advantage of, there are more women on the site than men. The reality is that our society isn't set up to support people once they enter into the workforce.

You might be surprised about the answer to that question. I know a few young women with grandpa fetishes. Seriously.

 

[Eventhorizon]

You might be surprised about the answer to that question. I know a few young women with grandpa fetishes. Seriously.

Yeah as I said, call people over 30 grandpas? I think its funny. And apparently there is a majority of women that like men over 30 because I have never found a shortage of them. I have not taken offense to any statements here with exception to jupiterswoon's. There are any number of vicious and correct things I could say in relation to it but currently wont because I believe in construction more than destruction. I suggest she choose her words more carefully and stop throwing grenades just to see where they land.

 

[Gul Dukat]

Yeah as I said, call people over 30 grandpas? I think its funny. And apparently there is a majority of women that like men over 30 because I have never found a shortage of them. I have not taken offense to any statements here with exception to jupiterswoon's. There are any number of vicious and correct things I could say in relation to it but currently wont because I believe in construction more than destruction. I suggest she choose her words more carefully and stop throwing grenades just to see where they land.

Except she didn't say men over 30, she said men 30 years her senior… as in, she's 20 and he's 50.