Americans are watching more porn than ever with the nation topping the global charts for Pornhub traffic in 2024, but is it doing more harm than good?
Well, in short, yes. Therapist Danielle Sukenik has been speaking about the downsides of watching porn and how viewing it can physically change your brain.
A study conducted in 2015 found men who frequently watch porn had less capacity in the brain’s area crucial for motivation and decision-making, while heavy users of sites such as PornHub were less responsive to sexual stimuli, which would likely cause problems in the bedroom.
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Sukenik wrote in a piece for The Conversation: "This pattern likely results from lower connectivity between the prefrontal cortex − the decision-making part of the brain − and the reward as more porn is consumed. This in turn leads to increased cravings and impulsivity in order to achieve the previous levels of reward in the brain."
The therapist added: "Because pornography can affect brain changes and subsequent pleasure responses, porn users may eventually feel the need to seek more extreme content.
"This pursuit, in attempts to override the chemistry of the changing brain, may lend to disruption in the person’s life, often within relationships."
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Sukenik is not the only expert to speak about how porn can impact an individual's brain with heavy consumption.
Paul Sheppard, a mindset coach who helps folks struggling with anxiety, went viral on TikTok when he detailed what happens to the brain if a person watches too much porn.
He explained: "Here are some ways porn can f*** up your brain. And also f*** up your life.
"Too much porn can mean that your brain begins to rewire itself so that you prefer porn instead of having sex with a real person.
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"Too much porn use has been linked to performance anxiety, erectile dysfunction, sexual inadequacy and also body image negativity."
Sheppard went on to explain why so many find porn so addictive.
He added: "Porn is a super stimulant. In other words it boosts your dopamine levels unnaturally high. This makes it extremely addictive for some people.
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"It also makes other things around you much less pleasurable because the only way you can get that really good feeling is to go back to porn."
The anxiety coach said that symptoms brain fog, tiredness, demotivation and general intolerance could be a sign you're watching too much porn.
"Reboot and rewire your brain by abstaining completely and do something else instead," Sheppard advised if you're experiencing any of these issues.
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, Adult Industry, Mental Health
Callum Jones