Is Porn a Problem?

Pornography – it’s an industry that generates $13 billion dollars every year in the United States, and according to a recent CovenantEyes survey, will be engaging around a quarter of a billion people through mobile (cell or tablet) content in 2017. While there are many surprising pornography statistics, such as 88% of film scenes containing physical acts of aggression against women, and 51% of male and 32% of female students viewing their first pornographic film before the age of 12, one recent statistic might particularly surprise you. According to this same survey, there are higher subscription rates to pornography sites in zip codes that house greater numbers of young people (age 15 – 24). This information highlights the need to take a closer look at pornography and how is it affecting younger generations and their outlook on intimacy.

It’s no secret today’s Millennials and younger men and women have access to sex and pornography in ways older generations couldn’t even fathom. And the impact is astounding. Young women continually speak out about the effects pornography is having on potential relationships with men, sharing their inadequacies about not “living up to what is portrayed in adult films.” Pornography has made many women (of all ages) feel as though they do not measure up, and has caused some women to believe if they don’t offer up similar sex acts as seen in porn, they may not be able to keep their partner interested.

With statistical evidence and countless studies showing how porn is negatively influencing relationships and marriages, anti-pornography organization Fight the New Drug is educating the masses about the dangers of pornography using three specific methods: science, facts, and personal accounts. Unlike many other anti-pornography organizations, Fight the New Drug doesn’t align itself with a political or denominational holding, and it focuses on a commonly overlooked demographic suffering from the dangers of porn: Millennials.

The organization’s website teaches visitors how porn harms in three ways. This includes its effects on the brain, on one’s heart, and its overall effect on the world around us. For those who dig in deeper to porn’s effect on the brain, one would find that watching pornography is an escalating behavior, with intake growing over time. Continually watching porn will also alter someone’s sexual tastes with time, and the user may find themself watching a sexual act that would have disgusted them in the past. Researchers have also found that porn is extremely addicted, similar to drugs, as it floods the brain with dopamine. That rush causes the user to engage in the behavior over and over again in order to feel the same pleasurable effects.

When it comes to matters of the heart, watching pornography often leaves the user feeling lonely, as it becomes harder and harder to be aroused and interested in a real person. For those already in a relationship, it isn’t uncommon for the user’s partner to be devastated and feel untrusting after learning of someone’s porn habits. Research also shows porn can damage someone’s sex life, leading to decreased sexual encounters with a real person, and in some cases, to no sex at all.

And, when it comes to the world around us, pornography is changing families, with research showing less sex, and more anxiety and distrust when one partner is addicted to pornography. In addition, children and teens are receiving some of their sex education from adult films, giving them a skewed idea of sex and intimacy. Many people are also unaware of the dark secrets that flood the porn industry, such as violence, drugs, diseases, human trafficking and more.

So, if you or someone you know is addicted to pornography and struggling with the question, “Is porn really a problem?” be sure to visit www.FightTheNewDrug.org to learn more about the ways pornography is not only affecting you, but the people around you as well.

For those of you located in the South Florida area, be sure to attend our #PornKillsLove event with Fight The New Drug happening at Savor Cinema on Thursday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. Click here to learn more.