We live in a time where we are surrounded by amazing technological advances. Convenience is key, and it plays a major role in our decision making. We go grocery shopping using only our phones and get our purchases delivered to our homes within the hour. We conduct business meetings across continents and different time zones, using amazing video chat capabilities. We find our romantic partners using dating apps, which removes the need to meet people organically.
Convenience improves our lives every day. But with the quick, easy, and free access we have to pornography today, this is a kind of convenience that is hurting us in many ways.
The accessibility people have to pornography today is shocking when we look back at the way people used to watch porn. Getting pornographic material was once difficult, costly, and risky. It ranged from visiting questionable adult movie theaters to ordering magazines and renting VHS tapes. To view sexually explicit content, individuals were required to go out into the world and risk the chance of being discovered.
Then the internet happened, and the obstacles people once faced in getting porn disappeared.
Today, hardcore pornography is accessible with a few clicks of a button with our phones and laptops. Individuals can access it anonymously, in the privacy of their own homes, and without cost. There is no longer the risk of being seen at a video rental shop or hiding pornographic magazines in a closet. Porn can be searched for, viewed, and then erased, all from our cell phones. Because of its easy access, individuals are more inclined to try pornography and become reliant on it for their sexual needs. Approximately 8–15% of people who use porn will eventually develop a problem with it.
The stigma behind seeking porn is not the only thing that has changed. Individuals have become desensitized not only to the act of watching porn, but to the harmful material they consume as well.
Individuals regularly viewing pornography are gradually becoming desensitized to the explicit violence, barely legal or illegal intercourse, rape, incest, and other dangerous (and criminal) behavior portrayed in most porn. There is an estimated 88% of mainstream porn with scenes of sexual aggression and as a result, these harmful messages carry into viewers’ real-life sexual encounters. This has contributed to the rise in violence and sexual aggression in our society.
The line between rough sex and abuse is blurred because of the graphic material that individuals consume regularly through pornography.
The more videos and images of sexually explicit material that people watch, the less they are shocked by its content. The porn industry works to keep up with society’s definition of innovative and exciting sexual content, so it creates new unhealthy material to keep its viewers on their toes.
We can view porn at any time and any place we want, and we don’t have to pay a cent to do so. This “convenience” of pornographic material is damaging and there is a great risk that comes with it. Individuals must inform themselves of the reality of the pornography industry, and the dangers that pornography addiction brings to the lives of its viewers.
If you, or someone you know, is struggling with pornography addiction or needs help speaking to their loved ones about the dangers of pornography, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a trusted friend or a professional. There are licensed professionals available to speak with you who specialize in the areas of addictions and sex therapy. They can help you create and sustain a porn-free environment. Please, don’t wait until it is too late.
Bio: Dr. Nazanin Moali is a clinical psychologist, sex expert, sexologist and sex therapist in the Los Angeles area (Torrance). Dr. Moali has helped couples and individuals overcome sexual concerns, including pornography addiction. Call Dr. Moali today to book an in person and online appointment.