A Click Way: What We Know About Online Porn Addiction
Paz Etcheverry, MS, PhD
June 2024
I recently stumbled upon a YouTube video, where the YouTuber delved into the reasons behind men’s and women’s apparent disinterest in pursuing relationships at this day in age. According to the YouTuber, a common factor for men is the satisfaction derived from reliance on pornography, leading individuals to forgo the desire for committed relationships and, eventually, to porn addiction.
The video prompted me to investigate the phenomenon of online porn addiction in society. What became quite apparent at first in my research is that we do not know yet how to define porn addiction. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, a comprehensive guide published by the American Psychiatric Association on mental health disorders, has no definition of porn addiction.[16] Published studies on this behavioral disorder usually rely on the self-reported, self-perceived assessment of addiction to porn. In other words, if the study participants considered that they had an unhealthy reliance on porn, then they were labeled as having an addiction to it.
Hence, the research findings that I am sharing in this article pertain not only to online porn addiction, also known as problematic pornographic use but to online porn use, also known as cybersex:
Porn use is attributed to four main reasons:
- increased sex drive
- enhancing sexual performance (e.g., to learn new sex positions, to understand the sexual pleasures of people of the opposite sex, etc.)
- social reasons (e.g., friends are watching pornography), and
- lack of relational and emotional skills (e.g., due to lack of a romantic partner or to relieve stress).[2]
Like any other addiction, porn addiction exhibits a model characterized by
- impaired control, e.g., craving, unsuccessful attempts to reduce the behavior,
- impairment, e.g., narrowing of interests and neglect of other areas of life, and
- risky use, i.e., persisting intake despite awareness of damaging psychological effects.[11]
Porn addiction is more prevalent in men than in women.[7] According to the evidence, the prevalence of porn addiction ranges between 3% in women to 11% in men; however, it is difficult to determine because, as aforementioned, there is not a formal definition of the disorder.[17] [6]
Porn addiction can be facilitated by non-digital erotica like magazines and books, but the affordability— the sites are either low cost or free—, accessibility—all that is required is internet connectivity—, and anonymity—no personal information is requested— of websites have contributed to ubiquitous access and use of porn.[11]
Pornography affects mental health. Studies have suggested that individuals who view pornography may become fixated on thoughts associated with pornographic content, which lessens their ability to form close interpersonal relationships and causes them to withdraw from social settings.[11] Additionally, pornographic material may lead to feelings of shame, guilt, and internal and moral conflicts among users.[14] For example, among US college students, pornography is associated with an increased risk of depression, suicidal thoughts, stress, and anxiety.[11] [3] Also, among US veterans, problematic pornography use is associated with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and insomnia.[15]
Porn use may be linked with sexual dysfunction, such as erectile dysfunction.[1] But how? One possible explanation might be that with increased porn use, the users have a lower response and, as a result, there is a need for more extreme, “kinky” material to become sexually aroused.[13] In other words, there is a desensitization over time in those who are addicted to porn.
Porn addiction can lead to relationship troubles. According to a study published in 2023, porn-addicted participants reported significant adverse effects on their sexuality and romantic and sexual relationships. The issues in the relationships were mainly due to secrecy and lying, emotional and physical infidelity, and the avoidance of partnered sex resulting from choosing porn over the partner.[8]
Porn addiction may lead to performance anxiety. Users may experience performance anxiety because of heightened insecurity after watching pornographic material. Some have revealed they had never experienced partnered sex, attributing this to increased insecurity stemming from porn use.[8]
Pornography may impact women’s body image. A 2010 report concluded that pornography leads to a culture of sexualization and body dissatisfaction,[12] which agrees with the increasing numbers of plastic surgeries among young females focused on breast operations and labiaplasty[5] and among men focused on penis surgery.[10] Hence, pornography emphasizes physical perfection, leading to low self-esteem, self-loathing, and a desire to change one’s body.
Porn addiction can cause occupational issues as users sometimes use their work computers to satisfy their addiction.[8] Porn addiction can lead to decreased concentration, efficiency, and productivity in the workforce[9] [4] and to employee distress and sexual harassment.[4]
In conclusion, the phenomenon of online porn addiction highlights a growing concern in today’s digital age. Despite the absence of a formal definition in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the patterns of impaired control, life impairment, and risky use are apparent among self-identified addicts. The widespread accessibility, affordability, and anonymity of online pornography have contributed to its pervasive impact on mental health, relationships, and professional life. The higher prevalence among men and the associated risks remind us of the need for a clearer understanding and more effective interventions. Addressing this issue is crucial for fostering healthier interpersonal connections and mitigating the adverse effects on individuals and society as a whole.
References
[1] Berger, J. H., Kehoe, J. E., Doan, A. P., Crain, D. S., Klam, W. P., Marshall, M. T., & Christman, M. S. (2019). Survey of sexual function and pornography. Military Medicine, 184(11–12), 731–737. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usz079
[2] Burtăverde, V., Jonason, P. K., Giosan, C., & Ene, C. (2021). Why do people watch porn? An evolutionary perspective on the reasons for pornography consumption. Evolutionary Psychology: An International Journal of Evolutionary Approaches to Psychology and Behavior, 19(2), 14747049211028798. https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049211028798
[3] Camilleri, C., Perry, J. T., & Sammut, S. (2021). Compulsive internet pornography use and mental health: A cross-sectional study in a sample of university students in the United States. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 613244. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.613244
[4] Cooper, A., Safir, M. P., & Rosenmann, A. (2006). Workplace worries: A preliminary look at online sexual activities at the office-emerging issues for clinicians and employers. Cyberpsychology & Behavior: The Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society, 9(1), 22–29. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2006.9.22
[5] Crouch, N. S., Deans, R., Michala, L., Liao, L. M., & Creighton, S. M. (2011). Clinical characteristics of well women seeking labial reduction surgery: A prospective study. BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 118(12), 1507–1510. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.03088.x
[6] de Alarcón, R., de la Iglesia, J. I., Casado, N. M., & Montejo, A. L. (2019). Online porn addiction: What we know and what we don’t – A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(1), 91. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm8010091
[7] Frangos, C. C., Frangos, C. C., & Sotiropoulos, I. (2011). Problematic internet use among Greek university students: An ordinal logistic regression with risk factors of negative psychological beliefs, pornographic sites, and online games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 14(1–2), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1089
[8] Hanseder, S., & Dantas, J. A. R. (2023). Males’ lived experience with self-perceived pornography addiction: A qualitative study of problematic porn use. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1497. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021497
[9] Kadiani, A., Goyal, E., Devabhaktuni, S., Saldanha, B. D., & Chaudhari, B. (2017). Pornographic addiction: Is it a distinct entity? Medical Journal of Dr. D.Y. Patil University, 10(5), 461–464.
[10] Marra, G., Drury, A., Tran, L., Veale, D., & Muir, G. H. (2020). Systematic review of surgical and nonsurgical interventions in normal men complaining of small penis size. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 8(1), 158–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.01.004
[11] Noel, J. K., Jacob, S., Swanberg, J. E., & Rosenthal, S. R. (2023). Pornography: A concealed behavior with serious consequences. Rhode Island Medical Journal (2013), 106(3), 29–34.
[12] Papadopoulos L. (2010) Sexualisation of young people – Review. Available at: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/10738/1/sexualisation-young-people.pdf.
[13] Park, B. Y., Wilson, G., Berger, J., Christman, M., Reina, B., Bishop, F., Klam, W. P., & Doan, A. P. (2016). Is internet pornography causing sexual dysfunctions? A review with clinical reports. Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland), 6(3), 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs6030017
[14] Privara, M., & Bob, P. (2023). Pornography consumption and cognitive-affective distress. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 211(8), 641–646. https://doi.org/10.1097/NMD.0000000000001669
[15] Shirk, S. D., Saxena, A., Park, D., & Kraus, S. W. (2021). Predicting problematic pornography use among male returning US veterans. Addictive Behaviors, 112, 106647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106647
[16] Shrivastava, T., Agarwal, P., Vora, V., & Sethi, Y. (2022). Aggravation of obsessive-compulsive disorder due to excessive porn consumption: A case report. Cureus, 14(12), e33018. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33018
[17] Wéry, A., & Billieux, J. (2017). Problematic cybersex: Conceptualization, assessment, and treatment. Addictive Behaviors, 64, 238–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2015.11.007
