While pornography wasn’t the reason that the internet was invented, it has certainly had the effect of increasing both the ease in which it is accessed and the amount of pornography available to the general public. People have turned to the internet to access varied sources of pornography that were not available in the past.
Before the internet, people that were interested in pornography had to rely on print magazines or stores that sold videos in which to pursue their habits. The invention of smartphones, laptops, tablets and other devices has made accessing and viewing pornography as easy as opening a web browser.
As a result, pornography addiction is an issue that’s rapidly gaining social recognition. The harmful effects of frequent pornography use on the psychology of viewers is becoming studied and acknowledged among professionals.
The use of pornography as an escape mechanism for individuals who are having difficulties with stress or other issues in their lives is on the rise. Unfortunately, studies are beginning to show that frequent pornography use is behaving like a drug in the minds of these individuals.
The more individuals rely on pornography for a sense of relief, the stronger the urge to view pornography becomes. The paradox is that in order to achieve the same level of relief, they must increase their viewing or seek out pornography that is more graphic.
A study lead by D.L. Hilton in 2013 on Pornography Addiction showed that pornography stimulates the reward mechanisms in our brains¹. As is common with any other stimulant, we develop a tolerance to the substance and require higher doses to achieve the same result.
The impact of this on our real-life interactions are varied and can be debilitating. Excessive pornography use can affect the user’s ability to engage in healthy, meaningful sex with a partner.
One of the first issues noted is that pornography use changes our expectations of our partner’s physical appearance. Most of the actors and actresses used in pornography videos have undergone multiple surgeries and may have body makeup or retouching in order to present a specific look.
Pornography viewers may not realize that the bodies presented are fantasy and will be unable to form a sexual attraction when presented with a person who is attractive but has not had the benefit of artificial enhancements.
Pornography often depicts sexual scenarios from a one-sided aspect. Pornography exploits power structures where one individual is serviced and another is subservient. Sometimes, the individual who is in a submissive role is abused in the process.
This can create or reinforce negative connotations in the viewer’s mind that lead to the inability to enjoy a mutually beneficial sexual relationship. While real-life relationships are about companionship and respect, pornography carries none of these messages.
In pornography, the focus is on instant gratification and not intimacy. With repeated viewing, it’s easy to focus on sex and not on a relationship between the two people. When we turn to pornography for sexual gratification, we expect the same level of involvement with our partners. We begin to lose appreciation for personal connection.
In addition to the emotional disconnection between partners, pornography can have severe effects on your physical ability to engage in sexual intercourse. Many men who regularly view pornography have reported a lowered sex drive outside of porn viewing hours.
In Your Brain on Porn, author Gary Wilson examines these findings. He discovered through research that the symptoms reported by self-identifying pornography users ranged from delayed ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, and inability to achieve orgasm.
It’s concerning to note that these symptoms were prevalent amongst all ages of pornography users. Some responders who reported these symptoms were below middle-age. Considering this is the biologically recognized sexual prime for males, the inability to achieve or maintain sexual desire is of concern.
While these issues are concerning, there’s another aspect to frequent pornography use that is often overlooked. Studies show that individuals who view pornography are more likely to cheat if they are in a committed relationship.
In a study conducted by Amanda Maddox involving couples and pornography use, Maddox found that couples who viewed pornography either together or separately fared worse than couples who refrained from its use².
Couples that did not engage in pornography use reported a higher level of commitment, attraction and sexual satisfaction with their partners. The rates of infidelity in these couples was less than half the rate of couples who engaged in pornography use.
Given these studies, the effects of pornography on our interpersonal relationships and physical bodies appears to be harmful. If you are concerned over your pornography use and wonder how it may have affected your sexual associations, Purify Your Gaze offers a free self-assessment quiz.
You can find it on our site or click this link. After you complete your quiz, you will have the option to download a copy of ‘Beyond A High Sex Drive’, a 20 page booklet, completely free. This informative booklet provides further reading on understanding healthy and unhealthy sexual relationships, and what you can do to improve your sexual health.
¹Hilton, D. L. (2013). Pornography addiction – a supranormal stimulus considered in the context of neuroplasticity. Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology, 3, 20767.
²https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2891580/
