The Man Who Built OnlyFans Is Dead. The Damage He Left Behind Isn't.

Although we never celebrate death, there is an important conversation to be had about what kind of impact we make on our society. Conservatives spend a considerable amount of time discussing the failure of modern culture, yet they are often afraid to address one of the greatest threats to Western civilization: The normalization of pornography. 

Pornography is a problem of the human heart much more than it is a problem of a singular civilization. It has appeared throughout the world, poisoning the hearts and minds of people from ancient Greece to 20th century Great Britain. In the United States, it began as small, illegal printed materials that were typically passed around between soldiers and men’s groups. As censorship laws were steadily repealed, underground circuits distributed more printed materials, until the 1970s saw it evolve into a primarily theatrical experience. Exclusive television channels further normalized it into the 20th century, changing it from being incredibly taboo into something that was being broadcast into millions of Americans’ homes. 

The final frontier for pornography’s cultural infestation was the internet. As home computers, cell phones, and social media dominated the 21st century, access to pornography became increasingly available. The estimated rates of consumption by the population changed from 7.7 percent in 2004 to 25.1 percent in 2016. The availability of porn has also changed how it is perceived, with young people in particular not seeing it as a moral issue. 57 percent of young adults seek out porn at least once a month, and as many as 37 percent of teenagers do as well. A UK Children’s Commissioner survey found that 10 percent of children had been exposed to pornography by the age of 9, and 27 percent had been exposed by age 11. That same survey also found that the average age of first exposure was around 13 years old. 

The average age of first exposure was around 13 years old. 

The introduction of OnlyFans has made the problem significantly worse. It was first launched in 2016, after Tim Stokely had attempted to launch other similar websites in previous years, such as ‘Customs4U’ and ‘GlamWorship’. In 2017, OnlyFans lifted its ban on pornographic content, turning it into a platform that could cater directly to the perverted whims of subscribers. In 2018, Radvinsky acquired OnlyFans from Stokely and became the majority shareholder. Under his ownership, OnlyFans experienced massive growth, including during the COVID pandemic where it saw a surge in popularity. User signups boomed, with as many as 200,000 new users joining the platform every day. Celebrities such as Bella Thorne and Cardi B made accounts, incentivizing fans to seek out explicit content.

As the boredom of the post-pandemic world set in, many young women had a difficult time resisting the allure of OnlyFans. Setting up an account is easy, requiring just a handful of steps for age verification and bank details. Afterwards, producing content is remarkably easy as well, as all users need is their smartphone camera. Content creators can instantly start generating revenue, and well established influencers can make millions of dollars in a day. 

OnlyFans encourages people to be sexual deviants under the promise of popularity and financial gain. It’s no secret that pornography use negatively impacts people. Its constant access has allowed pornography addictions to rise, has destroyed relationships, and has normalized increasingly explicit, violent content. Its content creators have also exposed themselves to stalkers, doxxing, and serious mental and physical health problems. 

With a user base of over 120 million people and over 2 million content creators, OnlyFans is impacting more of our population than many people realize. 

Countless statistics and data sets show the dangerous effects of pornography on a society. But all of that data seems insignificant when we are discussing a desperate and declining civilization. OnlyFans has reduced its users down to animalistic beings, minimizing their personhood. It has destroyed families and marriages. It has turned women into objects and men into monsters. It has destroyed how men and women interact with each other. With a user base of over 120 million people and over 2 million content creators, OnlyFans is impacting more of our population than many people realize. 

If we truly want to restore western civilization and to build a worthwhile legacy, we have to speak out against pornographic websites like OnlyFans. America can’t build a healthy new generation if their brothers and sisters are routinely being exposed to pornography by the time they are 13. Every state should implement age-verification laws to limit minors from accessing websites with explicit content. Currently, many states only require users to click a box that states “Yes, I am 18+”. Families should be extremely cautious about their children’s internet usage. Conservatives need to tell young women that they are worth more than their body and tell young men that engaging with explicit content is dangerous. If we let pornography invade our culture, what kind of legacy have we left behind?