Researchers have also asked the female partners of men who are heavy consumers of pornography how they feel about their partner’s habits. Psychologist Ana Bridges of the University of Arkansas and her colleagues found that although most of the women received low overall scores on a measure of distress about their partner’s porn use, most of them also endorsed some statements indicative of anguish. For example, 42 percent agreed that their partner’s porn consumption made them feel insecure, 39 percent that the partner’s porn use had a negative effect on their relationship and 32 percent that it adversely affected their lovemaking, hinting that the habit may have downsides.
Addicted to Porn?
Even if porn proves detrimental to its users and, in some cases, their partners, it may or may not be addictive. Scientists debate whether addiction is an appropriate term for behaviors such as excessive gambling, shopping, Internet use, sexual activity and viewing of Internet pornography. Those in favor of recognizing so-called behavioral addictions argue that some immoderate actions share core characteristics with alcohol and drug addiction. These include extreme indulgence and continued use despite a negative effect on the user.
Skeptics counter, however, that although people may partake excessively in certain activities and sometimes suffer detrimental life consequences, they rarely develop tolerance or obvious withdrawal symptoms—two hallmarks of addiction. Some critics further maintain that the label of “addict” adds unnecessary stigma to the problem. Others contend that this description lets people “off the hook” for socially problematic behaviors that are at least partly under their control.
Although researchers have just begun to explore the possible downsides of pornography use in general and Internet pornography in particular, the results of many studies of exposure to pornography suggest that excessive viewing of such material could sometimes be harmful. As a result, psychotherapists need to be alert to such behavior in their clients, especially when it impinges on their romantic relationships. A better understanding of how watching Internet pornography affects the men and women drawn to it may ultimately lead to meaningful treatments for those with a pornography habit that has hurt them and their loved ones.
This article was originally published with the title Sex in Bits and Bytes.
See what we're tweeting about
14 Comments
Add CommentPorn addiction is different from drug addiction. Seeing different people (instead of the same person) triggers the lower part of the brain. So the porn industry has learned that giving away free porn is the best way to bring new customers and keep old customers. Yes, I was a porn addict, in case you are wondering. Of course, it will not affect everyone the same way, but studies should be done.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisInternet porn addiction is a real problem throughout many countries around the world. It is a real addiction with tolerance that leads to harder porn and withdrawal symptoms that can make stopping porn use extremely difficult. It has a physiological affect on the brain. Hormones have a very strong affect on our behaviour.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor some better information on the subject look for books by Patrick Carnes, PhD and also www.noporn.com. The problem of porn addiction is more widespread than the authors of this article have concluded. Surveys mean little; this is a very personal and shameful form of addiction that people don't want to talk about or admit to freely. More studies need to be done so that better help can be provided for these individuals and their spouses.
How destructive is brushing your teeth too much? How destructive is drinking water until death? Too much of anything can be destructive. Success in life revolves around moderation. If it wasn't porn, these addicts would destroy themselves in another fashion.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt would be nice if the abstract defined the kind of "porn" the authors are writing about. A bare breast on a beach may be porn to some while anything short of beastiality may not be to others.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt would be nice to see "porn" defined as well as "excessive" and the inverse in relationships to be included: how do we know how the female porn consumer's partners feel?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis article failed to address the context of pornography: that it is a masturbation aid, and what this means in any relationship or to any individual to be practiced in a healthy way. It is concerning that the authors did little to balance the conversation surrounding positive effects of a healthy fantasy life in partnerships or any possible positive effects of masturbation within relationships: that is after all, what is at the heart of this subject. Unless the topic is the "porn" itself, which, again, is not defined by the authors.
This article verges on being irresponsible with its sweeping statements suggesting links between porn and violence toward women -- without authors' substantiation. A large movement of pro-porn women and sex educators from around the world have been working toward understanding causation and/or correlation between porn and aggressive/violent sexual behavior. There are still few, if any, peer-reviewed sources: but they are collected on Our Porn, Ourselves (ourpornourselves.org/concerns-about-porn/).
This is a serious subject. For SciAm to be viewed as an unbiased source seems like the utmost priority. Otherwise, SciAm's authority will get lost in any media hysteria surrounding pornography. I fear that unless outlets like SciAm presents context and fact, we will never get real answers about what kind of effects pornography has on relationships and culture.
This article did little to shed light on the issues it introduced. It did much to support stereotypes about pornography from only one side of the discussion.
I ditto Violet Blue's well stated comments and think this is supposed to be about science here. But I would like to add that it is alarming to see so many science readers have bought into the Puritan word "porn" in replacement of grown-up words like "adult" or "erotic."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs the Kama Sutra "porn?"
Many individuals struggling with sexual addiction issues describe themselves as being two-different people. There is a part of them that wants to stop and there is another part that does not. The part that wants to stop is the logical/rational part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex. The part that does not want to stop is the limbic system or the survival portion of the brain. The problem we are seeing with more and more people is that fact that sexuality has been distorted and twisted into perverse ways that they cannot have healthy, normal intimacy.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think west country should control the porn in internet.In China,it is forbidden ,but Chinese netizen can watch pornography from abroad website .Almost all of the pornography website's server are in America
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBravo for concluding with "correlation is not causation". Journalists reporting on science in the popular media should make a mantra of that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNow, having pointed out the three possible explanations for the correlation, the next step is to describe the research (or lack thereof) that supports or refutes each possibility.
I've never watched internet porn but don't despise people who do. I'm curious to know if a majority of lonely, elderly, widowed or divorced people (male or female) report using porn for occasional masturbation to gain relief from tension, e.g., as an aid in getting to sleep? If so, it would seem that porn used for those purposes is a healthful activity.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPornography drives internet technology because their are a lot of people willing to pay for it. We all benefit from the results of this technology. If you don't like internet porn, don't watch it. I don't.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI'd be interested to see if the unique brand of immediate gratification that comes from porn usage affects the brain outside of the home office. Porn essentially grants users a direct route from the very earliest "rumblings" of sexual appetite to the ultimate sexual release, bypassing the longer sexual process that humans have evolved with to this point (be it the entire process of finding a mate, courting him/her, or simply the extended foreplay procedures). Since most people probably come in contact with porn, and may even become users, before their first real sexual encounter, how does this new pathway that they've created in their minds affect their sexual performance when they are having sex in the way that people have for centuries? How does this affect a person's goal/reward systems outside of the sexual realm?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAs a woman I feel completetly disrespected by porn, I think it is beyond degrading. I know how it feels to be in a relationship with someone who is a porn addict and it makes me feel completely worthless knowing that if I am not there givingg him sexual pleasure that the will get it elsewhere from pornography. I think it is degrading to and women alike, sex is personal, intimate and beautfiul but it looses its value when it is on television viewed for the world to see. I want to know how someone can be affected if they start watching porn at a young age before they have any sexual encounters ? I agree with a comment someone posted that society has displayed sex in a distorted perverse way that is not intimate. I feel that my partner enjoy sexual pleasure with me or with porn but not both I am worth more than that.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisDefine eroticism versus pornography. Eroticism is the set of things person P approves of that can incite lustful or passionate desire. Pornography is the set of things person P disapproves of that can incite lustful or passionate desire. Each person has their own sets of things approved or disapproved. Thus porn simply a subjective value judgement totally lacking in objectivity. Thus a "prude" is anyone who takes your eroticism and calls it porn. While you can study them all you want, lets not pretend that these value judgments have any intrinsic scientific merit. Calling it an addiction is ridiculous. Is it an addiction if I spend an hour a day to read a mystery novel a day as my favorite past time? While I hardly ever view porn, why is it an addiction if someone looks at it an hour a day to get aroused before making love to his wife, girlfriend or boyfriend?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this