Is pornography truly as destructive as they say? Should you stop masturbating completely and never watch porn again? Today, we’ll examine the true effects of porn and the impact that it could have on your mind, body, and relationships.
How Easy Is It to Access Porn Compared to When the Internet Did Not Exist?
According to some studies, 30% of the entire internet consists of pornography. As soon as the internet became common in households, porn became available to anyone around the globe.
Before that, people had to purchase dirty magazines, buy or rent movies on VHS tapes, visit adult theaters, etc. Purchases were quite expensive, and they sacrificed the privacy of any porn lover. Moreover, it was incredibly difficult to view porn for free in high quality. Some alternatives were nude movie scenes, lingerie catalogs, and just plain old imagination.
When porn turned digital, nearly everyone with a decent web connection had access to it. Sites like PornHub and Redtube are some of the most famous online, offering any type and genre of porn imaginable. What’s more, the majority of videos are provided in HD and completely free at any time.
Additionally, porn has become more immersive than ever due to virtual reality tech. While there are certainly some benefits to online porn, it comes with some side effects.
READ: 11 Unexpected Benefits of Watching Porn
The Effects Porn Has on You
While it may seem harmless at first, obsessively watching porn can result in significant problems. It can affect your mind the most, in addition to your body. It could also affect your sexual behavior, performance, and relationship with your intimate partners.
According to research, porn can reformat your mind. An intense session of watching adult videos can overwhelm your brain with chemicals such as dopamine. That can create a dependency, and it can also desensitize you to real-world stimulants.
Moreover, with frequent porn watching, the mind can get used to the constant chemical releases. After that, it could seek more intense stimuli. You could get to a point where casual softcore scenes lose their power. Then, the brain could crave stronger, hardcore scenes and even obscene or shocking videos. Then, the aftermath could result in fatigue, uneasiness, and anxiety. Plus, the high chemical release may also decrease your sexual arousal in real life, which could also cause more serious problems like erectile dysfunction.
Other studies found a link between the dependency on chemical release and aggression. That could be a reason why many hardcore scenes contain gender-based violence. In fact, a lot of porn can encourage aggression, non-consensual sex, and even contain connections to sex trafficking.
And that is only the beginning. Porn can shift the line between real life and illusion. After all, adult content is often created by professional porn stars. These men and women specialize in sex and acting and are often physically enhanced through plastic surgery (breasts, lips, etc.). All of that can serve as an incorrect form of sex education. That can cause people, especially younger generations, to have unrealistic expectations and desires.
The Effects of Porn on Your Relationship
As mentioned, the majority of porn does not depict reality correctly. It is a fictitious representation that is no different from action movies. Problems can arise when people start to compare themselves and relationships with pornography.
That can cause people to question their bodies, sexual abilities, self-esteem, and even their social abilities. What’s worse, they can become much more critical of their partner and their looks, sexual performance, and behavior.
What’s more, many people struggle to recreate various extreme scenes (deepthroating, fisting, painplay, etc.) and endanger themselves physically. If unsuccessful, they could blame themselves and their ability to satisfy their sexual partner.
Since porn can objectify people, it can change sexual attitudes in relationships.
Addicts could expect their partner to perform all types of obscene or even dangerous scenes. They may not even be possible in real life. Also, porn can cause a general disinterest in real-world sex.
Another risk is that people could disregard the use of condoms. They could attempt to replicate various kinks (i.e., creampies and extreme anal sex) without protection. That could pose some health risks. Moreover, porn can lead to a more liberal view of sexual affairs. That is, frequent watchers could be more likely to cheat. At that point, an addiction can lead to emotional detachment and even breakup or divorce.
Learn the basics of using a condom here.
Fortunately, evidence that confirms most of the previously mentioned points is not always conclusive. While many studies have tested the side effects of porn, it’s still tough to reach factual conclusions. The primary reason for this is that porn can affect everyone differently. While genuine porn addiction is surely harmful, it’s possible that couples and individuals could actually improve their sexuality due to various porn benefits.
When Do You Draw a Line Between Healthy Porn Habits and Addiction?
So how can you tell if your curiosity for porn is getting too dangerous? Many people argue that the consumption of pornography that features consenting adults is completely natural. It’s possible that the effects of porn will not influence you if you are careful and exercise moderation.
In fact, it could broaden your sexual horizons. For instance, couples who watch pornography can improve their sex lives by reenacting some scenes. If their sex life has gone stale, they can gain inspiration from various videos. It’s even possible to watch porn tutorials to get advice on sex toys, stronger orgasms, new positions, etc.
Additionally, one of the benefits of online porn is that everyone is aware of it. It has become easier to discuss the subject. Plus, most people are becoming aware of the common dangers.
And as far as a clear distinction is concerned, you will need to identify the behaviors that can harm you. If you are incessantly masturbating and consuming porn for days on end, it is time to find a way to stop. Some tell-tale signs include increased watching time and frequency. Additionally, you could notice anxiety and the feeling of restlessness when away from porn. Moreover, other signs are feelings of guilt or the inability to enjoy real sex.
In case of a serious dependency, therapy may be needed.
Summary
All in all, porn can be both helpful and destructive. You shouldn’t feel guilty in case of moderate pornography consumption. However, you should know the risks and try to avoid them. That way, you’ll protect your mind, sexual wellbeing, and your relationships.
