Over the last 30 years academic discussion of pornography has been largely confined to questions about its social and psychological effects. The debate has been caste in black and white terms; partly because the stakes were political, as in the debate over porn amongst feminists, and partly because social scientists have sought to produce a hard, definitive conclusion as to the harmfulness or otherwise of porn. Recently, however, these disputes have died down. This new climate provides the opportunity for a calmer and more considered evaluation of the part that pornography plays in the formation of sexual identities, practices and experiences. We need to view pornography as one more significant factor in the life-long sexual socialization of individuals in modern society. Drawing on previous qualitative research this paper seeks to illustrate ways in which the social and personal impact of reading pornography can be treated in terms of three aspects: how the act of reading fits into personal biography; how the reader or viewer negotiates the meanings about sexuality and gender contained in porn; and the processes of identification and interpretation involved in the use of such material. (Contains 6 notes.)