Pornograhpy Addiction Scientific Research PDF

G E T T H E FA C T S
BRAIN HEART WORLD

HOW PORN AFFECTS THE
BRAIN LIKE A DRUG
It may be surprising, but porn affects the brain in ways very similar to
harmful substances, like tobacco. Studies have shown that porn stimu-
lates the same areas of the brain as addictive drugs, making the brain
release the same chemicals. And just like drugs, porn triggers pathways
KEY TAKEAWAYS
in the brain that cause craving, leading users back for more and more
• To your brain, porn has the same extreme “hits” to get high.
effects as drugs.
O
• Porn hijacks the reward pathway in
n the surface, tobacco and porn don’t pursuing more of the drug. [8] Essentially,
the brain.
seem to have much in common. One addictive drugs hijack the brain, turning it
• Just like drugs, you build up a toler- is kept behind the counter at the gas around and forcing it in a direction it was
ance so you need more porn for the station or supermarket because of its well- never meant to go. Instead of encouraging
same effects. known harmful effects; the other is available the consumer toward healthy behaviors,
• Withdrawal symptoms can occur virtually anywhere. One can quickly become drugs lead the consumer into things that
when you try and walk away. an expensive habit while the other comes aren’t healthy at all, and can even be dan-
free with an internet connection. And let’s be gerous. [9]
honest, Hugh Hefner doesn’t exactly conjure
images of a secretive tobacco executive. Want to guess what else does that? Porn.
So where’s the similarity? Inside the brain. Researchers have found that internet porn
and addictive substances like tobacco have
In case you’re not a neurosurgeon, here’s a very similar effects on the brain, [10] and
crash course in how the brain works. Deep they are significantly different from how
inside the brain, there’s something called a the brain reacts to healthy, natural plea-
“reward center.” [1] You’ve got one. Your dog’s sures like food or sex. [11] Think about it.
got one. For mammals, it comes standard. When you’re munching a snack or enjoy-
The reward center’s job is to release “pleasure” ing a romantic encounter, eventually your
chemicals into your brain whenever you do cravings will drop and you’ll feel satisfied.
something healthy, like eating tasty food, Why? Because your brain has a built-in
doing a hard workout, or enjoying a kiss. [2] “off ” switch for natural pleasures. “Dopa-
The “high” you get from that chemical rush mine cells stop firing after repeated con-
makes you want to repeat that behavior again sumption of a ‘natural reward’ (e.g. food
and again. [3] Thanks to your reward center, or sex),” explains Nora Volkow, Director of
your brain is hardwired to motivate you to The National Institute of Drug Abuse. [12]
do things that will improve your health and But addictive drugs go right on increasing
chances of survival. [4] It’s a great system… dopamine levels without giving the brain a
normally. break. [13] The more hits drug users take,
the more dopamine floods their brain, and
The problem is, the brain can be tricked. the stronger their urges are to keep using.
That’s why drug addicts find it so hard to
When addictive substances are used, they give stop once they take the first hit. “[O]ne
the brain a “false signal.” [5] Since the brain hit may turn into many hits, or even a lost
can’t tell the difference between the drugs weekend.” [14]
and a real, healthy reward, it goes ahead and
activates the reward center. [6] An important What else has the power to keep pumping
chemical called dopamine is released, which dopamine endlessly into the brain? You
makes the brain start developing a craving for guessed it: porn.
the fake reward. [7] As long as there’s a lot of
dopamine floating around in the brain, the Scientists have long known that sexual
cravings will keep getting stronger, and the interest and performance can be increased
consumer will feel super-motivation to keep simply by introducing something new—
Get the Facts on Pornography © 2017 FIGHT THE NEW DRUG™ Learn m o re at F T ND.o rg
like a different sexual position, a toy, or a America, 110, 2. Doi:10.1073/Pnas.1301228110; Dopamine. Neuron, 76, 470-485. Doi:10.1016/J.
change of partner. [15] That’s because the Hedges, V. L., Chakravarty, S., Nestler, E. J., & neuron.2012.10.021
Meisel, R. L. (2009). Delta FosB Overexpression
brain responds to new sexual stimuli by
In The Nucleus Accumbens Enhances Sexual [8] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016).
pumping out more and more dopamine, Reward In Female Syrian Hamsters. Genes Brain Liking, Wanting, And The Incentive-Sensitization
flooding the brain just like a drug would. And Behavior, 8(4), 442–449. Doi:10.1111/J.1601- Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist,
[16] And “new” is exactly what internet 183X.2009.00491.X 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059; Vol-
porn sites provide: an endless stream of kow, N. D., Wang. G. J., Fowler, J. S., Tomasi, D.,
fresh erotic images delivered at high speed, [3] Bostwick, J. M., & Bucci, J. E. (2008). & Telang, F. (2011). Addiction: Beyond Dopamine
Internet Sex Addiction Treated With Naltrex- Reward Circuitry. Proceedings Of The National
in vivid color, 24/7. Before consumers one. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 83(2), 226–230. Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of
even start to get bored, they can always Doi:10.4065/83.2.226; Doidge, N. (2007). The America, 108(37),15037-15042. Doi:10.1073/
give themselves another dopamine boost Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin Pnas.1010654108; Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain
just by clicking on something different, Books. (106-108). That Changes Itself. (108) New York: Penguin
something more stimulating and hardcore Books.
than before. [17] [4] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016).
Liking, Wanting, And The Incentive-Sensitization [9] Hilton, D. L. (2013). Pornography Addic-
Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist, tion—A Supranormal Stimulus Considered In The
In fact, porn consumption follows a very 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059; Ber- Context Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective Neu-
predictable pattern that’s eerily similar ridge, K.C., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2015). Pleasure roscience & Psychology, 3, 20767. Doi:10.3402/
to drug use. Over time, excessive levels Systems In The Brain. Neuron, 86, 646-664. Snp.v3i0.20767; Kauer, J. A., And Malenka, J. C.
of “pleasure” chemicals cause the porn Doi:10.1016/J.neuron.2015.02.018; Paul, P. (2007). (2007). Synaptic Plasticity And Addiction: Nature
Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Reviews Neuroscience, 8: 844-858. Doi:10.1038/
consumer’s brain to develop tolerance, just
Our Lives, Our Relationships, And Our Families. Nrn2234; Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That
like the brain of a drug user. [19] In the (75) New York: Henry Hold And Co.; Hyman, S. Changes Itself. (106-109) New York: Penguin
same way that a junkie eventually requires E. (2005). Addiction: A Disease Of Learning And Books; Hyman, S. E. (2005). Addiction: A Disease
more and more of a drug to get a buzz or Memory. American Journal Of Psychiatry, 162(8), Of Learning And Memory. American Journal Of
even feel normal, regular porn consumers 1414-1422. Doi:10.1176/Appi.ajp.162.8.1414 Psychiatry, 162(8), 1414-1422. Doi:10.1176/Appi.
will end up turning to porn more often or ajp.162.8.1414
[5] Stacy, A. W., & Wiers, R. W. (2010). Implicit
seeking out more extreme versions—or Cognition And Addiction: A Tool For Explaining [10] Voon, V., Et Al. (2014). Neural Correlates
both—to feel excited again. [20] And once Paradoxical Behavior, Annual Review Of Clinical Of Sexual Cue Reactivity In Individuals With
the porn habit is established, quitting can Psychology, 6, 551-575. Doi:10.1146/Annurev. And Without Compulsive Sexual Behaviors,
even lead to withdrawal symptoms similar clinpsy.121208.131444 PLoS ONE, 9(7), E102419. Doi:10.1371/Journal.
to drugs. [21] pone.0102419; Pitchers, K. K., Et Al. (2013). Nat-
[6] Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A. ural And Drug Rewards Act On Common Neural
T. (2016). Neurobiological Advances From The Plasticity Mechanisms With DeltaFosB As A Key
But there’s good news too. Even those with Brain Disease Model Of Addiction. New England Mediator. Journal Of Neuroscience, 33(8), 3434-
serious porn habits can break away and Journal Of Medicine, 374, 363-371. Doi:10.1056/ 3442. Doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013
reclaim their lives. Thousands have done it, NEJMra1511480; Berridge, K.C., & Kringel-
[22] and if you’re looking for resources for bach, M. L. (2015). Pleasure Systems In The [11] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-
yourself or a loved one, click here to learn Brain. Neuron, 86, 646-664. Doi.org/10.1016/J. raphy Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review
neuron.2015.02.018; Volkow, N. D., & Morales, With Clinical Reports. Behavioral Sciences, 6, 17.
more.
M. (2015). The Brain On Drugs: From Reward Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017
To Addiction. Cell, 162 (8), 713. Doi:10.1016/J.
cell.2015.07.046; Voon, V., Et Al. (2014). Neural [12] Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A.
Citations Correlates Of Sexual Cue Reactivity In Individuals T. (2016). Neurobiological Advances From The
With And Without Compulsive Sexual Behaviors, Brain Disease Model Of Addiction. New England
[1] National Institute On Drug Abuse: The Reward PLoS ONE, 9(7), E102419. Doi:10.1371/Journal. Journal Of Medicine, 374: 363-371. Doi:10.1056/
Pathway. (2016). Retrieved From Http://Www. pone.0102419; Georgiadis, J. R., & Kringelbach, NEJMra1511480
drugabuse.gov/Publications/Teaching-Packets/ M. L. (2012). The Human Sexual Response Cycle:
Understanding-Drug-Abuse-Addiction/Sec- Brain Imaging Evidence Linking Sex To Other [13] Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A.
tion-I/4-Reward-Pathway; Volkow, N. D., & Pleasures. Progressive Neurobiology, 98, 49-81. T. (2016). Neurobiological Advances From The
Morales, M. (2015). The Brain On Drugs: From Doi:10.1016/J.pneurobio.2012.05.004 Brain Disease Model Of Addiction. New England
Reward To Addiction. Cell, 162 (8), 712-725. Journal Of Medicine, 374: 363-371. Doi:10.1056/
Doi:10.1016/J.cell.2015.07.046; Pitchers, K. K., Et [7] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). NEJMra1511480; Volkow, N. D., & Morales, M.
Al. (2013). Natural And Drug Rewards Act On Liking, Wanting, And The Incentive-Sensitization (2015). The Brain On Drugs: From Reward To
Common Neural Plasticity Mechanisms With Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist, Addiction. Cell, 162 (8), 712-725. Doi:10.1016/J.
DeltaFosB As A Key Mediator. Journal Of Neuro- 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059; cell.2015.07.046; Yanofski, J. (2011). The Dopa-
science, 33 (8), 3434-3442. Doi:10.1523/JNEURO- Hilton, D. L. (2013). Pornography Addiction—A mine Dilemma—Part II. Innovations In Clini-
SCI.4881-12.2013 Supranormal Stimulus Considered In The Context cal Neuroscience, 8(1), 47-53. Retrieved From
Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective Neurosci- Https://Www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Pmc/Articles/
[2] Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A. T. ence & Psychology, 3, 20767. Doi:10.3402/Snp. PMC3036556/
(2016). Neurobiological Advances From The Brain v3i0.20767; Pitchers, K. K., Et Al. (2013). Natural
Disease Model Of Addiction. New England Jour- And Drug Rewards Act On Common Neural [14] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016).
nal Of Medicine, 374, 363-371. Doi:10.1056/NE- Plasticity Mechanisms With DeltaFosB As A Key Liking, Wanting, And The Incentive-Sensitization
JMra1511480; Zatorre, R. J., & Salimpoor, V. N., Mediator. Journal Of Neuroscience, 33(8) 3434- Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist,
(2013) From Perception To Pleasure: Music And 3442. Doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013; 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059
Its Neural Substrates. Proceedings Of The National Salamone, J. D., & Correa, M. (2012). The Mys-
Academy Of The Sciences Of The United States Of terious Motivational Functions Of Mesolimbic [15] Dewsbury, D. A., (1981). Effects Of Novelty
Of Copulatory Behavior: The Coolidge Effect And Foundations In Social Neuroscience . Cambridge,
Related Phenomena. Psychological Bulletin, 89(3), Mass.: MIT Press. (565–72).
464-482. Doi:10.1037/0033-2909.89.3.464; Wilson,
J. R., Kuehn, R. E., And Beach, F. A. (1963). Modi- [22] See, E.g. Your Brain On Porn. (2010, De-
fication In The Sexual Behavior Of Male Rats Pro- cember 5). Rebooting Accounts. Retrieved From
duced By Changing The Stimulus Female. Journal Https://Yourbrainonporn.com/Rebooting-Ac-
Of Comparative And Physiological Psychology, counts; NoFap. Success Stories. Retrieved From
56, 636-644. Doi:10.1037/H0042469 Https://Www.nofap.com/Forum/Index.php?Fo-
rums/Success-Stories.24/
[16] Negash, S., Van Ness Sheppard, N., Lambert,
N. M., & Fincham, F. D. (2016). Trading Later
Rewards For Current Pleasure: Pornography Con-
sumption And Delay Discounting. The Journal Of
Sex Research, 53(6), 698-700. Doi:10.1080/002244
99.2015.1025123; Banca, P., Et Al. (2016). Novelty,
Conditioning, And Attentional Bias To Sexual
Rewards. Journal Of Psychiatric Research, 72, 91-
101. Doi:10.1016/J.jpsychires.2015.10.017
[17] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-

raphy Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review
With Clinical Reports. Behavioral Sciences, 6:
17. Doi.10.3390/Bs6030017; Negash, S., Van Ness
Sheppard, N., Lambert, N. M., & Fincham, F.
D. (2016). Trading Later Rewards For Current
Pleasure: Pornography Consumption And Delay
Discounting. The Journal Of Sex Research, 53(6),
698-700. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2015.1025123
[18] Satinover, J. (2004). Senate Committee On

Commerce, Science, And Transportation, Sub-
committee On Science, Technology, And Space,
Hearing On The Brain Science Behind Pornog-
raphy Addiction And Effects Of Addiction On
Families And Communities, November 18.
[19] Pitchers, K. K., Et Al. (2013). Natural And

Drug Rewards Act On Common Neural Plasticity
Mechanisms With DeltaFosB As A Key Media-
tor. Journal Of Neuroscience, 33(8), 3434-3442.
Doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013; Angres,
D. H., & Bettinardi-Angres, K. (2008). The Disease
Of Addiction: Origins, Treatment, And Recovery.
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disamonth.2008.07.002; Doidge, N. (2007). The
Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin
Books; Paul, P. (105). Paul, P. (2007). Pornified:
How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives,
Our Relationships, And Our Families. New York:
Henry Hold And Co. (75).
[20] Banca, P., Et Al. (2016). Novelty, Condition-

ing, And Attentional Bias To Sexual Rewards.
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Doi:10.1016/J.jpsychires.2015.10.017; Zillmann,
D. (2000). Influence Of Unrestrained Access
To Erotica On Adolescents’ And Young Adults’
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[21] Angres, D. H., & Bettinardi-Angres, K.

(2008). The Disease Of Addiction: Origins,
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Addicted Brain: Neural Sensitization Of Wanting
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HOW PORN CAN BECOME
ADDICTIVE
A lot of people are convinced that there’s no such thing as an addiction
to porn. But science disproved the old belief that in order to have an
addiction to something it has to involve a substance that is physically
put into the body; like with cigarettes, alcohol, or drugs. Excessive
KEY TAKEAWAYS
consumption of internet porn bears all of the signs, and dangers, of a
• We now know that when it comes to true addiction.
addiction, it’s not necessarily what
I
gets inside the body or how it got
there, but rather what reactions it s pornography addiction even a thing? Porn may enter through a different “how”
triggers in the brain. There’s an ongoing debate right now in and be a different “what,” but it ultimately
the media, and even in academic circles, does the very same things. [8]
• Consuming porn triggers dopamine
over whether compulsive porn consumption
release, tricking the brain into think-
is truly an addiction. Part of the problem is See, your brain comes equipped with
ing it’s a healthy activity.
simply that people don’t agree on exactly what something called a “reward center.” [9] Its
• As porn consumers become desen- the word “addiction” means. [1] But Dr. Nora job is to motivate you to do things that
sitized from repeated overloads of Volkow, director of the United States’ Nation- protect and promote your survival—things
dopamine, they often find they can’t al Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), is con- like eating to stay alive or having sex to
feel normal without a dopamine vinced that porn addiction is real. She even produce babies. [10] The way it rewards
high. suggested changing NIDA’s name in order to you for doing those things is by flooding
recognize “addictions such as pornography, your brain with dopamine and a cocktail
gambling, and food.” [2] of other “pleasure” chemicals each time
you do. [11]
In fact, research shows that of all of the forms
of online entertainment—like gambling, gam- But your brain doesn’t always reward you
ing, surfing, and social networking—porn has for the right things. For example, it pro-
the strongest tendency to be addictive. [3] duces higher levels of dopamine when you
have chocolate cake than it does for whole-
Doctors and scientists used to believe that in wheat bread. [12] Why? Because 3,000
order to have an addiction to something it has years ago, high-calorie foods were really
to involve a substance that is physically put hard to come by, so when our ancestors
into the body; like with cigarettes, alcohol, or found them, they needed to eat a whole
drugs. [4] But once scientists started to look bunch while they had the chance. [13]
inside the brain, it changed our understand- These days, a bag of Oreos is only as far as
ing of how addictions work. [5] What’s im- the nearest supermarket. If we gorged on
portant, we now know, is not necessarily what them every chance we got, we’d have heart
gets inside the body or how it got there, but disease and a lot of other health problems.
rather what reactions it triggers in the brain.
Cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs bring foreign Porn is basically sexual junk food. When
chemicals into the body in a myriad of ways: a person is looking at porn, their brain is
sniffed, injected, drunk from a glass, or lit on fooled into pumping out dopamine just as
fire and smoked. Porn and other behavioral if they really were seeing a potential mate.
addictions, like gambling, on the other hand, [14] Sure, filling your brain with feel-good
bring no new chemicals or substances into chemicals might sound like a great idea at
the body that weren’t already there. But, these first, but just like with junk food, it’s more
behaviors initiate strikingly similar processes dangerous than it seems.
inside the brain like substance addictions, and
that’s what makes them potentially addictive. When porn enters the brain, it triggers the
They hijack the brain’s reward pathways. reward center to start pumping out dopa-
[6] (See How Porn Affects the Brain Like a mine, which sets off a cascade of chemicals
Drug.) That’s what every addictive substance including a protein called DeltaFosB. [15]
and habit do. [7] DeltaFosB’s regular job is to build new
nerve pathways to mentally connect what United States’ National Institute on Drug Compulsive Sexual Behaviors, PLoS ONE, 9(7),
someone is doing (i.e. consuming porn) Abuse agrees. E102419. Doi:10.1371/Journal.pone.0102419;
Pitchers, K. K., Et Al. (2013). Natural And Drug
to the pleasure he or she feels. [16] Those
Rewards Act On Common Neural Plasticity
strong new memories outcompete other Mechanisms With DeltaFosB As A Key Media-
connections in the brain, making it easier Citations tor. Journal Of Neuroscience, 33(8), 3434-3442.
and easier to return to porn. [17] (See How Doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013
Porn Changes The Brain.) [1] Lewis, M. (2017). Addiction And The Brain:
Development, Not Disease. Neuroethics. 1-12. [9] National Institute On Drug Abuse: The Reward
Doi:10.1007/S12152-016-9293-4; Hall, P., (2014). Pathway. (2016). Retrieved From Http://Www.
But DeltaFosB has another job, and this is Sex Addiction—An Extraordinarily Contentious drugabuse.gov/Publications/Teaching-Packets/
why its nickname is “the molecular switch Problem. Sexual And Relationship Therapy, 29(1) Understanding-Drug-Abuse-Addiction/Sec-
for addiction.” [18] If enough DeltaFosB 68-75. Doi:10.1080/14681994.2013.861898 tion-I/4-Reward-Pathway; Volkow, N. D., &
builds up, it flips a genetic switch, caus- Morales, M. (2015). The Brain On Drugs: From
ing lasting changes in the brain that leave [2] Hilton, D.L, & Watts, C. (2011). Pornography Reward To Addiction. Cell, 162 (8), 712-725.
the user more vulnerable to addiction. Addiction: A Neuroscience Perspective, Surgical Doi:10.1016/J.cell.2015.07.046; Pitchers, K. K., Et
Neurology International 2, 19. Doi:10.4103/2152- Al. (2013). Natural And Drug Rewards Act On
[19] For teens, this risk is especially high 7806.76977 Common Neural Plasticity Mechanisms With
because a teen’s reward center in the brain DeltaFosB As A Key Mediator. Journal Of Neuro-
responds two to four times more power- [3] Meerkerk, G.J., Van Den Eijnden, R.J., & science, 33 (8), 3434-3442. Doi:10.1523/JNEURO-
fully than an adult’s brain, releases higher Garretsen, H.F. (2006). Predicting Compulsive SCI.4881-12.2013
levels of dopamine and produces more Internet Use: It’s All About Sex!, CyberPsychol-
ogy And Behavior, 9(1), 95-103. Doi:10.1089/ [10] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016).
DeltaFosB. [20]
Cpb.2006.9.95; See Also Korkeila, J., Kaarlas, S., Liking, Wanting, And The Incentive-Sensitization
Jaaskelainen, M, Vahlberg, T., Taiminen, T. (2010). Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist,
Overloaded with dopamine, the brain will Attached To The Web—Harmful Use Of The 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059; Ber-
try to defend itself by releasing another Internet And Its Correlates. European Psychiatry ridge, K.C., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2015). Pleasure
chemical called CREB [21] (It’s called 25(4) 236-241. Doi: 10.1016/J.eurpsy.2009.02.008 Systems In The Brain. Neuron, 86, 646-664.
CREB because no one wants to have to (Finding “Adult Entertainment” To Be The Most Doi:10.1016/J.neuron.2015.02.018; Paul, P. (2007).
Common Reason For Compulsive Internet Use.) Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming
say its real name: cyclic adenosine mo- Our Lives, Our Relationships, And Our Families.
nophosphate response element binding [4] Holden, C. (2001). Behavioral Addictions: Do (75) New York: Henry Hold And Co.; Hyman, S.
protein!) CREB is like the brakes on a run- They Exist? Science 294(5544), 980. Doi: 10.1126/ E. (2005). Addiction: A Disease Of Learning And
away reward center; it slows the pleasure Science.294.5544.980 Memory. American Journal Of Psychiatry, 162(8),
response. [22] With CREB onboard, porn 1414-1422.
that once excited a person stops having [5] Voon, V., Et Al. (2014). Neural Correlates
Of Sexual Cue Reactivity In Individuals With [11] Volkow, N. D., & Morales, M. (2015). The
the same effect. [23] Scientists believe that And Without Compulsive Sexual Behaviors, Brain On Drugs: From Reward To Addiction. Cell,
CREB is partly why consumers have to PLoS ONE, 9(7), E102419. Doi:10.1371/Journal. 162 (8), 713. Doi:10.1016/J.cell.2015.07.046
keep increasing their porn intake to get pone.0102419; Olsen, C. M., (2011). Natu-
aroused. [24] That numbed-out state is ral Rewards, Neuroplasticity, And Non-Drug [12] Johnson, P. And Kenny, P. (2010). Dopamine
called “tolerance,” and it’s part of any kind Addictions. Neuropharmacology, 61, 1109-1122. D2 Receptors In Addiction-Like Reward Dys-
Doi:10.1016/J.neuropharm.2011.03.010; Nestler, function And Compulsive Eating In Obese Rats.
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E. J. (2005). Is There A Common Molecular Path- Nature Neuroscience 13: 635-641. Doi:10.1038/
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experience strong cravings and often find Pleasure Systems In The Brain. Neuron, 86, 646- [13] Linden, D. J. (2011). Food, Pleasure And
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HOW PORN CHANGES
THE BRAIN
Repeated consumption of porn causes the brain to literally rewire itself.
It triggers the brain to pump out chemicals and form new nerve path-
ways, leading to profound and lasting changes in the brain.
B
KEY TAKEAWAYS
elieve it or not, studies show that those But there’s a catch. Your brain is a very
• Consuming porn lays down new who consume pornography more hungry organ. It may only weigh 2% of
neuronal pathways in the brain. frequently have brains that are less your body weight, but it eats up 20% of
• The more porn consumed, the stron- connected, less active, and even smaller in your energy and oxygen, [8] so resources
ger the nerve connections become, some areas. [1] are scarce up there in your head. There’s
and the more difficult it can be stop. some pretty fierce competition between
To be fair, the studies only show that there’s brain pathways, and those that don’t get
• A consumer can rebuild those path- a correlation between porn consumption used enough will likely be replaced. [9]
ways by avoiding pornography and and smaller, less active brains, but they raise Use it or lose it, as they say. Only the
seeking healthy alternatives. the question: Can porn literally change your strong survive.
brain?
That’s where porn comes in.
Scientists used to believe that once you fin-
ished childhood, your brain lost the ability to Porn happens to be fantastic at forming
grow. [2] They thought that nothing except new, long-lasting pathways in the brain. In
illness or injury could physically alter an fact, porn is such a ferocious competitor
adult brain. Now we know that the brain goes that hardly any other activity can compete
on changing throughout life, [3] constantly with it, including actual sex with a real
rewiring itself and laying down new nerve partner. [10] That’s right, porn can actu-
connections, and that this is particularly true ally overpower the brain’s natural ability
in our youth. [4] to have real sex! Why? As Dr. Norman
Doidge, a researcher at Columbia Uni-
See, the brain is made up of about 100 billion versity, explains, porn creates the perfect
special nerves called neurons, [5] that carry conditions and triggers the release of the
electrical signals back and forth between parts right chemicals to make lasting changes in
of the brain and out to the rest of the body. the brain. [11]
Imagine you’re learning to play an E chord on
the guitar: your brain sends a signal to your
CONDITIONS
hand telling it what to do. As that signal zips
along from neuron to neuron, those activated The ideal conditions for forming strong
nerve cells start to form connections because neuronal pathways are when you’re in
“neurons that fire together, wire together.” what scientists call “flow.” Flow is “a deeply
Those newly-connected neurons form what’s satisfying state of focused attention.” [12]
called a “neuronal pathway.” [6] When you’re in flow, you get so deep into
what you’re doing that nothing else seems
Think of a neuronal pathway like a trail in the to matter. [13] You’ve probably experi-
woods. Every time someone uses the trail, enced it before, playing a game or having
it gets a little wider and more permanent. a conversation with friends or reading a
Similarly, every time a message travels down a great book. You were so focused on what
neuronal pathway, the pathway gets stronger. you were doing that you lost track of time,
[7] With enough repetitions, your neuronal and everything around you disappeared.
pathway will get so strong you’ll be strum- You wanted it to keep going forever. That’s
ming that E chord without even thinking flow.
about it. That process of building better, faster
neuronal pathways is how we learn any new When you’re in flow, it’s like you have
skill, whether it’s memorizing math formulas superhuman abilities. Athletes call it being
or driving a car. Practice makes perfect. “in the zone,” when you seem to do ev-
erything right. Your focus is intense. Your ings for porn long after they’ve stopped the [7] Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes
memory is phenomenal. Years later, you’ll habit. [22] Itself. (242-243) New York: Penguin Books.
still recall exact words of the conversation
[8] Du, F., Et Al. (2008). Tightly Coupled Brain
or details of what you read. The good news is, neuroplasticity works Activity And Cerebral ATP Metabolic Rate. Pro-
both ways. If porn pathways aren’t rein- ceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of
Now imagine someone sitting in front of forced, they’ll eventually disappear, so the The United States Of America, 105(17) 6409-6414.
the computer at 3:00 in the morning, look- same brain mechanisms that lay down Doi:10.1073/Pnas.0710766105, See Also Spence,
ing at porn. That person is so absorbed in pathways for porn can replace them with C., Okajima, K., Cheok, A. D., Petit, O., & Michel,
C. (2016). Eating With Our Eyes: From Visual
his or her porn trance that nothing else something else. [23] If the time has come Hunger To Digital Satiation, Brain And Cogni-
can compete for the consumer’s attention, for you or someone you love to begin that tion, 110, 53-63. Doi:10.1016/J.bandc.2015.08.006
not even sleep. This person is in the ideal healing process, learn more about how to (Asserting That The Brain Consumes “Somewhere
condition for forming neuronal pathways, get help. In The Region Of 25% Of Blood Flow, Or Rather,
and that’s what they are doing. Clicking 25% Of The Available Consumed Energy.”)
from page to page in search of the perfect
[9] Pace, S. (2014). Acquiring Tastes Through
image, not realizing that every image seen Citations Online Activity: Neuroplasticity And The Flow
is reinforcing the pathways the consumer Experiences Of Web Users. M/C Journal, 17(1).
is forging in his or her brain. By now, those [1] Love, T., Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., & Retrieved From Http://Journal.media-Culture.
images are burned so deeply into their Hajela, R. (2015). Neuroscience Of Internet org.au/Index.php/Mcjournal/Article/View/773;
mind that they will remember them for a Pornography Addiction: A Review And Update, Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself.
Behavioral Sciences, 5(3), 388-433. Doi: 10.3390/ (59-60) New York: Penguin Books.
long time to come, maybe the entirety of
Bs5030388; Kuhn, S., & Gallinat, J. (2014). Brain
their life. Structure And Functional Connectivity Asso- [10] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-
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CHEMICALS Doi:10.1001/Jamapsychiatry.2014.93; Love, T., Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017; Volkow, N. D., Koob,
Like other addictive substances and behav- Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., & Hajela, R. (2015). G. F., & McLellan, A. T. (2016). Neurobiological
Neuroscience Of Internet Pornography Addic- Advances From The Brain Disease Model Of Ad-
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the release of a cocktail of chemicals that rum-Osinski, S., Klucken, T, & Rudolf, S. (2015) Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., & Hajela, R. (2015).
give you a temporary buzz. [15] (See How OR-95: Neuronal And Subjective Responses In Neuroscience Of Internet Pornography Addic-
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of the chemicals in that cocktail is a pro- tion, Journal Of Behavioral Addictions, 4(S1), 42; 5(3), 388-433. Doi: 10.3390/Bs5030388; Voon,
Arnow, B. A., Et Al. (2002). Brain Activation And V., Et Al. (2014). Neural Correlates Of Sexual
tein called DeltaFosB. [16] Sexual Arousal In Healthy, Heterosexual Males. Cue Reactivity In Individuals With And Without
Brain, 125, 1014-1023. Doi:10.1093/Brain/Awf108. Compulsive Sexual Behaviors, PLoS ONE, 9(7),
Remember when we said that building See Also Kuss, D., & Griffiths, M. D. (2012). E102419. Doi:10.1371/Journal.pone.0102419;
neuronal pathways is like making a trail in Internet And Gaming Addiction: A Systematic Hilton, D. L. (2013) Pornography Addiction—A
the woods? Well, DeltaFosB is like a troop Literature Review Of Neuroimaging Studies, Supranormal Stimulus Considered In The Context
Brain Science, 2(3) 347-374. Doi:10.3390/Brain- Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective Neuroscience
of mountaineers out there with picks and
sci2030347 (Discussing Brain Atrophy Among And Technology 3. 20767. Doi:10.3402/Snp.
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T. (2016). Neurobiological Advances From The
Brain Disease Model Of Addiction. New England
Journal Of Medicine, 374, 363-371. Doi:10.1056/
NEJMra1511480; Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is
HOW PORN AFFECTS
SEXUAL TASTES
Many porn consumers find themselves getting aroused by things that
used to disgust them or things that they might have previously consid-
ered to be inappropriate or unethical. As individuals consume more
extreme and dangerous sex acts, they gradually begin to feel that those
KEY TAKEAWAYS
behaviors are more common and acceptable than they really are.
• Casual porn consumption has the
A
power to change ideas and attitudes.
s you’d probably guess, rats don’t like way of making sure that whatever you’re
• In many cases, porn consumers find the smell of death. But a researcher doing, you’ll come back to it again. The
their tastes so changed that they can named Jim Faust wondered whether association between the activity and the
no longer respond sexually to their that instinct could be changed, so he sprayed “reward” happens automatically, even if
actual partners, though they can still female rats with a liquid that smelled like a you don’t intend it, because “neurons that
respond to porn. dead, rotting rat. When he put them in cages fire together, wire together.” [6] (See How
• Porn consumers are more likely to with virgin male rats, a strange thing hap- Porn Affects The Brain Like A Drug.)
express attitudes supporting violence pened. The drive to mate was so powerful that
against women. it overcame the instinct to avoid the smell, The reward center is usually a pretty great
and the rats hit it off. Actually, that’s not so thing, even if it didn’t work out so well
strange. The strange part was what happened for those poor rats. Normally our brain
next. attracts us to healthy behaviors and en-
courages us to form life-supporting habits.
Once the male rats had learned to associate [7] But when those reward chemicals get
sex with the smell of death, Faust put them connected to something harmful, it has the
in cages with different objects to play with. opposite effect.
The male rats actually preferred to play with
the object that smelled like death, as if it were The same process that rewired those rats’
soaked in something they loved! [1] preferences—connecting the pleasure they
felt during sex to the stench of death—is
We know what you’re thinking: “Now I know triggered in human brains by porn. Porn
what I should have done for my science fair consumers may think they’re just being en-
project!” No, seriously, that’s pretty gross, tertained, but their brains are busy at work
right? You’re probably wondering how rats building connections between their feel-
could possibly be trained to go against such a ings of arousal and whatever’s happening
powerful natural instinct. Well, here’s how: on their screen. [8] And since consumers
of porn typically become accustomed to
Rats, humans, and all mammals have some- the porn they’ve already seen and have to
thing in their brain called a “reward center.” constantly move on to more extreme forms
[2] Part of the reward center’s job is to pro- of pornography to get aroused, [9] the
mote healthy living by rewarding you when kind of porn consumed usually changes
you do something that either keeps you alive over time. [10] (See Why Consuming Porn
(e.g., eating) or creates a new life (e.g., sex), Is An Escalating Behavior.)
or enriches your life (e.g. building satisfying
relationships). [3] The way it rewards you is In a survey of 1,500 young adult men,
by pumping a cocktail of “pleasure chemi- 56% said their tastes in porn had become
cals” through your brain. [4] (See How Porn “increasingly extreme or deviant.” [11] Just
Changes The Brain.) like the rats, many porn consumers even-
tually find themselves getting aroused by
Those chemicals do more than make you feel things that used to disgust them or things
great. While you’re enjoying that good feeling, that they might have previously considered
your brain is also building new nerve path- to be inappropriate or unethical. [12] In
ways to connect the pleasure you’re feeling many cases, porn consumers find their
to the activity you’re doing. [5] It’s the brain’s tastes so changed that they can no longer
respond sexually to their actual partners, (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. New York:
though they can still respond to porn. [13] Citations Penguin Books (108); Pace, S. (2014). Acquiring
Tastes Through Online Activity: Neuroplasticity
[1] Pfaus, J. G., Kippin, T. E., & Centeno, S. And The Flow Experiences Of Web Users. M/C
Once consumers start viewing extreme (2001). Conditioning And Sexual Behavior: A Journal, 17(1). Retrieved From Http://Journal.
and dangerous sex acts, things that they Review. Hormones And Behavior 40: 291–321. media-Culture.org.au/Index.php/Mcjournal/Arti-
thought were disgusting or degrading Retrieved From Http://Www.pphp.concordia.ca/ cle/View/773
can start to seem normal, acceptable, and Fac/Pfaus/Pfaus-Kippin-Centeno(2001).Pdf; See
more common than they really are. [14] Also Robinson, M. J. F., & Berridge, K. C. (2013). [5] Hilton, D. L. (2013). Pornography Addic-
Instant Transformation Of Learned Repulsion Into tion—A Supranormal Stimulus Considered In
One study found that people exposed to The Context Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective
Motivational “Wanting”. Current Biology, 23, 282-
significant amounts of porn thought things 289. Doi:10.1016/J.cub.2013.01.016 (Transforming Neuroscience & Psychology 3:20767. Doi:10.3402/
like sex with animals and violent sex Rats’ Revulsion To Saltiness Into Attraction) Snp.v3i0.20767; Pitchers, K. K., Et Al. (2013). Nat-
were twice as common as what those not ural And Drug Rewards Act On Common Neural
exposed to porn thought. [15] And when [2] National Institute On Drug Abuse: The Reward Plasticity Mechanisms With DeltaFosB As A Key
people believe a behavior is normal, they’re Pathway. (2016). Retrieved From Http://Www. Mediator. Journal Of Neuroscience, 33(8), 3434-
drugabuse.gov/Publications/Teaching-Packets/ 3442. Doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013;
more likely to try it. [16] Understanding-Drug-Abuse-Addiction/Sec- Hedges, V. L., Chakravarty, S., Nestler, E. J., And
tion-I/4-Reward-Pathway; Volkow, N. D., & Meisel, R. L. (2009). DeltaFosB Overexpression
Research has also found that watching Morales, M. (2015). The Brain On Drugs: From In The Nucleus Accumbens Enhances Sexual
pornography affects attitudes and beliefs Reward To Addiction. Cell, 162 (8), 712-725. Reward In Female Syrian Hamsters. Genes Brain
toward sex, women, and relationships. [17] Doi:10.1016/J.cell.2015.07.046; Pitchers, K. K., Et And Behavior 8, 4: 442–449. Doi:10.1111/J.1601-
Al. (2013). Natural And Drug Rewards Act On 183X.2009.00491.X.; Hilton, D.L, & Watts, C.
Porn consumers are more likely to express
Common Neural Plasticity Mechanisms With (2011). Pornography Addiction: A Neuroscience
attitudes supporting violence against wom- DeltaFosB As A Key Mediator. Journal Of Neuro- Perspective, Surgical Neurology International
en, [18] and studies have shown a strong science, 33 (8), 3434-3442. Doi:10.1523/JNEURO- 2, 19. Doi:10.4103/2152-7806.76977; Miner, M.
correlation between men’s porn consump- SCI.4881-12.2013 H., Raymond, N., Mueller, B. A., Lloyd, M., Lim,
tion and their likelihood to victimize K. O. (2009). Preliminary Investigation Of The
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(2016). Neurobiological Advances From The Brain tics Of Compulsive Sexual Behavior. Psychiatry
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Disease Model Of Addiction. New England Jour-
studies from 7 different countries con- nal Of Medicine, 374, 363-371. Doi:10.1056/NE- ns.2009.04.008; Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That
cluded that there is “little doubt that, on JMra1511480; Zatorre, R. J., & Salimpoor, V. N., Changes Itself. New York: Penguin Books (107).
the average, individuals who consume (2013) From Perception To Pleasure: Music And
pornography more frequently are more Its Neural Substrates. Proceedings Of The National [6] Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes
likely to hold attitudes [supporting] sexual Academy Of The Sciences Of The United States Of Itself. New York: Penguin Books (63).
America, 110, 2. Doi:10.1073/Pnas.1301228110;
aggression and engage in actual acts of sex- Hedges, V. L., Chakravarty, S., Nestler, E. J., & [7] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016).
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Porn Can Lead to Violence.) In The Nucleus Accumbens Enhances Sexual Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist,
Reward In Female Syrian Hamsters. Genes Brain 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059; Ber-
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WHY CONSUMING PORN IS
AN ESCALATING BEHAVIOR
Frequent porn consumption tends to escalate. Because of porn’s addic-
tive nature, porn consumers usually need an ever-increasing dosage
over time in order to feel the same level of enjoyment, and they often
have to seek out more extreme and hard-core forms of porn. Porn con-
KEY TAKEAWAYS
sumers can reach a point where they enjoy porn less and less, but want
• Many consumers start on free porn, it more and more.
but it doesn’t end there.
H
• Researchers have discovered that ave you ever wondered how pornog- feelings you get when you win a game,
the reward center is actually two raphers who charge for their material share a kiss, or experience any natural,
different brain systems, a “Liking” stay in business when there’s so much healthy reward. [8] Unfortunately, it also
system and a “Wanting” system, porn available for free? As Wendy Seltzer—an lights up for counterfeit rewards like ciga-
that work in different—sometimes attorney and fellow at Yale Law School—ex- rettes, drugs, or porn, which is why addic-
opposite—ways. plained, the answer is actually pretty simple: tive substances feel enjoyable at first. [9]
• As some consumers develop toler- once porn consumers get hooked, they’ll
ance, the porn that used to excite want more and more. “Seeing [free porn] just When something activates your reward
them starts to seem boring and they whets their appetite for more,” Seltzer said. center and you feel that intense high from
often need more extreme versions of “Once they get through what’s available for the “Liking” system, your brain starts
pornography and more often to get free, they’ll move into the paid services.” [1] producing a chemical called CREB. [10]
the same effects. CREB acts kind of like a set of brakes on
How can pornographers be so sure? The the reward system. [11] Normally it makes
answer is right there inside the brain. the pleasure fade and leaves you feeling
satiated and ready to get on with your life.
Like any potentially addictive substance, porn (See How Porn Can Become Addictive.)
triggers the release of dopamine into a part
of the brain called the reward center (a.k.a. But if the “Liking” system gets stimulated
reward pathway or system). [2] Basically, the too much over time (as often happens
reward center’s job is to make you feel good with drugs or porn), CREB levels build up
whenever you do something healthy, like eat- until your whole pleasure response goes
ing a great meal, having sex, or getting a good numb. [12] Some researchers believe that
workout. [3] The “high” you get makes you an excess of CREB is the reason addicts ex-
want to repeat the behavior again and again. perience tolerance, which means that they
[4] (See How Porn Affects The Brain Like A feel less enjoyment from the stimulant and
Drug.) Your brain is hardwired to motivate need to use more of it to reach a high. [13]
you to do things that will improve your health In fact, too much CREB floating around
and chance of survival. [5] Simple. in your brain can dull the enjoyment of
anything, which may be why addicts often
Well…not quite so simple. Researchers have feel bored, detached, and depressed. [14]
recently discovered that the reward center
is actually two different brain systems, a
WANTING
“Liking” system and a “Wanting” system, that
work in different—sometimes opposite— The “Wanting” system is a much larger
ways. [6] Understanding how they work helps area in the reward center, and it causes the
explain why porn can be habit-forming and brain to rewire itself in response to intense
why consuming porn is often an escalating pleasure. [15] With the help of a protein
behavior. called DeltaFosB, the “Wanting” system
builds new brain connections so you can
remember the experience and repeat it
LIKING
later. [16] (See How Porn Changes The
The “Liking” system is a tiny portion of the Brain.)
reward center. [7] It provides the enjoyable
It’s called the “Wanting” system because acts creeping into their porn habits and Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming
those new nerve connections make you fantasies. [26] But no matter how shocking Our Lives, Our Relationships, And Our Families.
(75) New York: Henry Hold And Co.; Hyman, S.
crave the pleasurable experience. [17] The their tastes become, you can bet there will
E. (2005). Addiction: A Disease Of Learning And
more often the experience is repeated, the be pornographers waiting to sell it to them. Memory. American Journal Of Psychiatry, 162(8),
stronger those nerve connections be- 1414-1422.
come, and the stronger the cravings grow. If you are, or know someone who is, being
[18] DeltaFosB is sometimes called “the pulled into more and more porn, it’s not [6] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016).
molecular switch for addiction” because too late! It’s possible to quit porn and Liking, Wanting, And The Incentive-Sensitization
Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist,
it reinforces cravings and, if it builds up replace it with healthy habits. The brain 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059; Love,
enough in the brain, it can switch on genes can start to heal, and consumers can regain T., Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., & Hajela, R.
that leave the consumer more vulnerable the ability to fully feel and enjoy their lives (2015). Neuroscience Of Internet Pornography
to addiction. [19] again. Thousands already have. [27] Click Addiction: A Review And Update, Behavioral
here to learn how to get help. Sciences, 5(3), 388-433. Doi: 10.3390/Bs5030388
DeltaFosB doesn’t just make you remem-
[7] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016).
ber the pleasurable experience itself; it also Liking, Wanting, And The Incentive-Sensitization
forms connections to details associated Citations Theory Of Addiction. American Psychologist,
with the experience. These associations 71(8), 670-679. Doi:10.1037/Amp0000059; Love,
(called “cues”) are found with all kind [1] Schwartz, J. P. (2004). The Pornography Indus- T., Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., & Hajela, R.
of addictions. [20] For a smoker, a cue try Vs. Digital Pirates. New York Times, February 8. (2015). Neuroscience Of Internet Pornography
Addiction: A Review And Update, Behavioral
may be the smell of cigarette smoke. An
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WHY PORN IS FULL OF LIES
In porn, everything—from the way people look, to the way they have
sex—is a fantasy. Porn consumers often become so obsessed chasing the
fantasy that they miss out on actual love and relationships.
B
ack in the 1950s, two researchers their partner’s appearance, sexual perfor-
named Tinbergen and Magnus played mance, sexual curiosity, and displays of
a trick on butterflies. [1] After figuring affection. [8] Ironically, porn is directly
KEY TAKEAWAYS out which marks on female butterfly wings related to problems with attraction, arous-
• Porn causes consumers to miss out were most eye-catching to males, the real, and sexual performance, [9] as well as
on the best parts of real relation- searchers created their own cardboard butter- lower sex drive, erectile dysfunction, and
ships. fly models. They exaggerated the patterns on difficulty reaching orgasm. [10] (See How
the wings to make them brighter and flashier Porn Damages Consumers’ Sex Lives.)
• Porn is just a production. than would ever be found in nature. Essen-
• Porn is not a safe or healthy way to tially, they created the world’s first butterfly One recent study examined men who
learn about sex. supermodels. used internet porn compulsively and
found that, in 11 out of 19 subjects, porn
And the male butterflies fell for it. They went consumption had lowered their sex drive
straight for the cardboard mock-ups and tried and/or ability to maintain erections in
to mate with them. Ignoring the real female physical relationships with real women.
butterflies that were right there in plain sight, [11] Oddly enough, those men were still
the males gave all their attention to the exag- able to respond sexually to porn. [12] Like
gerated pictures. [2] Sound familiar? Tinbergen’s butterflies, porn can leave peo-
ple preferring internet porn over an actual
Like the duped butterflies, porn consumers partner. [13] Chances are, your partner is
can get so obsessed chasing flashy fantasies not okay with that.
that they miss out on real life and real rela-
tionships. Call it the first great lie of porn:
PORN LIE #2
Porn is just watching people have

PORN LIE #1
sex—what could be more natural
You can have it both ways; you can and normal than that?
enjoy the immediate gratification
of thousands of virtual sex partners Actually, sex is natural and normal. Porn is
and the long-term satisfaction of a something entirely different.
real relationship.
Make no mistake, porn is a product.
The truth is, porn often takes a heavy toll on Pornographers have a lot to gain by driv-
real-life relationships. [3] When they discov- ing traffic to their sites, so they dress up
er that their loved-one is using porn, many their product to grab your attention. That
partners feel shocked, rejected, abandoned, “dressing up” is exactly what makes porn
humiliated, and betrayed. [4] (See How Porn so unnatural.
Hurts A Consumer’s Partner.) The idea that
“porn is a personal decision that affects no Professional porn performers have a whole
one else” is simply wrong. team of people to make every detail look
perfect, from directing and filming to
But even if your partner has no problem with lighting and makeup, maybe even a plastic
porn, it can still damage your relationship. surgeon or two to thank. With some care-
Studies have clearly shown that porn erodes ful editing, a typical 45-minute porn flick
a person’s ability to love and feel loved with that took three days to shoot can appear
a real partner. [5] When men are exposed to to have happened all at once, without a
porn, they rate themselves as less in love with break. Film the right bodies from the right
their actual partners, [6] and less satisfied angles at the right moments, edit out all
with their relationships and sex lives. [7] They the mistakes, Photoshop away any imper-
become more critical and dissatisfied with fections, add a catchy soundtrack, and you
have something most definitely NOT like Learning about sex from porn also means 0391-2; Bergner, R. M., & Bridges, A. J. (2002). The
“natural” sex with “normal” people. You absorbing a lot of dangerous ideas about Significance Of Heavy Pornography Involvement
For Romantic Partners: Research And Clinical
end up with something more “cardboard” sexuality and women. [19] (See How Porn
Implications. Journal Of Sex And Marital Therapy,
than “butterfly.” Warps Ideas About Sex.) Amateur porn, 28, 193-206. Doi:10.1080/009262302760328235;
which claims to be more natural and real, Schneider, J. P. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex
actually teaches the same attitudes and Addiction On The Family: Results Of A Survey.
PORN LIE #3
reproduces the same false stereotypes as Sexual Addiction And Compulsivity, 7(1), 31-58.
Porn is just an innocent professionally produced porn—sometimes Doi:10.1080/10720160008400206;
distraction and a harmless worse! [20] [4] Kalman, T. P. (2008). Clinical Encounters
pastime. With Internet Pornography, Journal Of The
Ultimately, porn doesn’t deliver the satis- American Academy Of Psychoanalysis And
Leading relationship experts, Doctors faction and healthy enjoyment it promises. Dynamic Psychiatry, 36(4), 593-618. Doi:10.1521/
John and Julie Gottman have expressed [21] It leads to damaged relationships, Jaap.2008.36.4.593; Bridges, A. J., Bergner, R. M.,
serious concern about the effects of por- disappointment, and isolation. [22] (See & Hesson-McInnis, M. (2003). Romantic Part-
ners’ Use Of Pornography: Its Significance For
nography on couple relationships. They Why Porn Leaves Consumers Lonely.) Tin- Women. Journal Of Sex And Marital Therapy,
explain, “Pornography may be just such bergen’s butterflies were simply reacting 29(1), 1-14. Doi:10.1080/713847097; Bergner,
a supernormal stimulus. With pornogra- to instinct when they were fooled by the R.M., & Bridges, A. J. (2002). The Significance
phy use, much more of a normal stimulus “supermodel decoys,” but humans are not Of Heavy Pornography Involvement For Ro-
may eventually be needed to achieve the victims of their evolution. You can choose mantic Partners: Research And Clinical Impli-
cations. Journal Of Sex And Marital Therapy,
response a supernormal stimulus evokes. to recognize porn for the deception it is.
28, 193-206. Doi:10.1080/009262302760328235;
In contrast, ordinary levels of the stimulus You can reject porn’s lies and choose real Schneider, J. P. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex
are no longer interesting. This may be how life, real relationships, and real love. Addiction On The Family: Results Of A Survey.
normal sex becomes much less interest- Sexual Addiction And Compulsivity, 7(1), 31-58.
ing for porn users. The data supports this Doi:10.1080/10720160008400206;
conclusion. In fact, use of pornography by
one partner leads the couple to have far Citations [5] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-
raphy Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review
less sex and ultimately reduces relationship [1] Magnus, D. B. E. (1958). Experimental Analysis With Clinical Reports. Behavioral Sciences, 6, 17.
satisfaction.” Of Some ‘Over-Optimal’ Sign-Stimuli In The Mat- Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017; Voon, V., Et Al. (2014).
ing Behavior Of The Fritillary Butterfly. Argynnis Neural Correlates Of Sexual Cue Reactivity In
Once a person is aware of the damage they Paphia. Proceedings Of The 10th International Individuals With And Without Compulsive Sexual
are doing to themselves, (See How Porn Congress On Entomology, 2, 405-418; Tinbergen, Behaviors, PLoS ONE, 9(7), E102419. Doi:10.1371/
N. (1951). The Study Of Instinct. Oxford: Claren- Journal.pone.0102419; Kalman, T. P., (2008). Clini-
Changes the Brain) their loved ones (See don Press. cal Encounters With Internet Pornography, Journal
How Porn Hurts A Consumer’s Partner,) Of The American Academy Of Psychoanalysis And
and society (See How Porn Fuels Sex Traf- [2] Magnus, D. B. E. (1958). Experimental Analysis Dynamic Psychiatry, 36(4), 593-618. Doi:10.1521/
ficking), using porn can hardly be called Of Some ‘Over-Optimal’ Sign-Stimuli In The Mat- Jaap.2008.36.4.593; Henline, B. H., Lamke, L. K., &
harmless or innocent. ing Behavior Of The Fritillary Butterfly. Argynnis Howard, M. D. (2007). Exploring Perceptions Of
Paphia. Proceedings Of The 10th International Online Infidelity. Personal Relationships, 14, 113-
Congress On Entomology, 2, 405-418; Tinber- 128. Doi:10.1111/J.1475-6811.2006.00144.X; Stack,
PORN LIE #4 gen, N. (1951). The Study Of Instinct. Oxford: S., Wasserman, I., & Kern, R. (2004). Adult Social
Clarendon Press; Hilton, D. L. (2013). Pornography Bonds And The Use Of Internet Pornography.
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about sex. In The Context Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective J.0038-4941.2004.08501006.X; Schneider, J. P.
Neuroscience & Psychology, 3, 20767; Paul, Pamela. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex Addiction On The
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This lie is especially troubling because Compulsivity, 7, 31-58. Doi:10.1080/10720160008
forming Our Lives, Our Relationships, And Our
many young porn consumers really do Families. New York: Henry Holt And Co., 145. 400206[9]
rely on the warped fantasy of porn to form
their ideas and expectations about sex. [3] Minarcik, J., Wetterneck, C. T., & Short, M. B. [6] Bridges, A. J. (2010). Pornography’s Effect On
[14] That’s scary for a lot of reasons. Young (2016). The Effects Of Sexually Explicit Mate- Interpersonal Relationships. In Stoner, J. & Hughes,
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Journal Of Behavioral Addictions, 5(4) 700-707. Collection Of Papers (Pp. 89-110). Princeton, NJ:
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HOW PORN KILLS LOVE
Sure, porn is fake, but what’s wrong with a little harmless fantasy? The
problem is, porn isn’t harmless at all. Studies show that viewing porn
makes consumers more critical of their partner and less satisfied with
their romantic relationship and sex life. Not only does porn impact
romantic relationships, but porn influences the ways individuals view
themselves, as well their friends, family members, and others around
KEY TAKEAWAYS them. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, porn also changes the ways
• Porn can make real relationships that individuals view the hobbies and passions they used to love!
more difficult and less satisfying.
P
• In addition to harming romantic re- orn looks like a newer, slicker version divorce. [5] While this applies to men and
lationships, porn can harm any and of love. Love 2.0. It’s like love, but easy, women, studies have found that men who
all relationships in a consumer’s life. fast, and cheap. are exposed to porn find their partner less
• Porn can negatively impact self-es- sexually attractive and rate themselves as
teem. In porn, finding a “partner” is effortless. He less in love with their partner. [6] A recent
or she is always ready, willing, and longing for study tracked couples over a six year peri-
your attention. This partner has nothing else od, from 2006 to 2012, to see what factors
to do with their time but wait for the consum- influenced the quality of their marriage
er, breathless and perpetually aroused. He or and their satisfaction with their sex lives.
she is young, attractive, sexually adventurous, The researchers found that of all the fac-
and anxious to please. This partner will never tors considered, porn use was the second
get bored or annoyed, never have an “off ” strongest indicator that a marriage would
day or need a listening ear. In fact, all he or suffer. [7] Not only that but the marriages
she will ever want is wild, ecstatic orgasms that were harmed the most were those of
that look real! And if this porn-partner ever individuals who viewed porn heavily, once
fails to keep the consumer entertained, they a day or more. [8]
can simply be exchanged with the click of a
computer mouse. [1] But it’s not just married couples who are
harmed by porn. Unmarried couples in
Sure, it’s all fake, but advocates of porn say, romantic relationships who view pornog-
“So what? What’s wrong with a little harmless raphy together experience twice the rate of
fantasy?” The problem is, it’s not harmless. infidelity as couples where partners watch
The problem is that internet pornography it individually and alone, and three times
has a number of unique properties, such as more than couples who don’t watch porn
limitless novelty, on-demand accessibility, and at all. [9] A recent study of romantically
easy escalation to more extreme material, that involved people (most of whom were not
can condition someone’s sexual arousal to married) found that those who used porn
aspects of pornography consumption that do frequently were most likely to have lower
not readily transition to real-life partners. As satisfaction and intimacy in their relation-
this happens, real life sex may not register as ship. [10]
meeting expectations, and arousal declines.
Why do porn consumers struggle so much
Maybe that is why counselor’s offices and in real life relationships? The science is
divorce courts are filling up with couples who pretty clear.
have found that, in reality, porn is killing love
in their romantic relationships. Research shows that porn users report
less love and trust in their relationships,
An increasing number of couples in therapy are more prone to separation and divorce,
report that pornography is causing difficulties and often see marriage as a “constraint.”
in their relationships. [2] Research shows [11] Overall, they are less committed to
that pornography consumption is linked to their partners, [12] less satisfied in their
less stability in relationships, [3] increased relationships, [13] and more cynical about
risk of infidelity, [4] and greater likelihood of love and relationships in general. [14] They
also have poorer communication with Not long ago, Princeton psychologists will be happier watching porn than partici-
their partners and are more likely to agree performed a study showing a group of men pating in those real-life experiences. [29]
that, in their own relationships, “little pictures of men and women, some barely
arguments escalate into ugly fights with clothed and some not. The psychologists Breaking free of this cycle, reaching out
accusations, criticisms, name-calling, and monitored their medial prefrontal cortex for help, finding support, and establishing
bringing up past hurts.” [15] (mPFC), which is involved in recogniz- healthy forms of intimacy in one’s life can
ing human faces and distinguishing one eliminate the poor self-esteem caused
And, as if that’s not enough, porn also ru- person from another. For the most part, by porn. Many people who have broken
ins a couple’s sex life. [16] (See How Porn the mPFC was activated with each picture. free of a porn habit have reported greater
Damages Your Sex Life.) However, when the subjects of the study happiness, better self-esteem, improved
were shown the pictures of scantily clothed mental health, and happier relationships.
But is this just a “chicken and egg” scenar- people, it was not activated. [23] Basical-
io? Is porn really damaging relationships, ly, the automatic reaction in their brains “I can see beauty in so many dif-
or are people turning to porn because suggested that they didn’t perceive the ferent forms now... real forms. I’m
they’re in relationships that are already sexualized people as fully human. Just as a back at composing music, studying,
suffering? body, a sum of parts. my grades have boosted, have way
more energy... I take more care of
Probably both, according to Dr. Ana Obviously, porn is not the best represen- myself, exercise… When I meet a
Bridges, a psychologist at the University tation of how real men and women look girl now, sex is not my goal. There’s
of Arkansas. [17] When a couple hits a or how real sex and intimacy work in a no goal. The present is the only goal,
rough patch, one partner may use porn for real-life relationship. And yet, whether so a cool conversation, or maybe
distraction or relief, and their partner may they realize it or not, porn consumers are just a flirty smile can make my day.”
be hurt by their porn use because it makes affected by the portrayals they see in porn 23 YEAR OLD MALE
AFTER 2 MONTHS OF QUITTING
them feel unattractive and insecure, like he even after the browser window is closed. PORN CONSUMPTION [30]
or she is being compared to porn perform- [24]
ers and the fantasy of porn. [18] The hurt Who wouldn’t want that? Who wouldn’t
partner may pull away emotionally, which While it may not always be “romantic want a healthy amount of love and respect
might make the porn-consuming partner love,” porn can kill love in friendships, for himself or herself that is free from
feel more distant, so he or she deals with relationships with family members, and porn’s isolating and harmful effects? Who
their stress by turning to more porn, and others in porn consumer’s lives. And wouldn’t want a healthy view of potential
round and round they go. (See How Porn it doesn’t stop there, porn also has the romantic partners and relationships in
Hurts A Consumer’s Partner.) potential to kill the love consumers have general? Real love requires real commit-
for themselves. Ultimately, this often leaves ment to real people, including yourself.
No wonder many partners of porn users porn consumers feeling lonely. [25] Choosing real love over porn gives people
end up depressed, anxious, and feeling greater freedom and control to decide
like they can never measure up to the There is a healthy amount of love every in- what they really want to do with their time
impossible standard of porn. [19] (See dividual has for themselves that promotes and energy. Instead of someone sitting in
How Porn Can Hurt Your Partner.) The good self-esteem, confidence, and overall a front of a computer for hours, consuming
truth is, they have good reason to worry. positive quality of life. Since porn depicts a product that can isolate and damage their
In porn, mistakes are edited out and flaws men and women as being nothing more relationships, they can focus on reality.
are Photoshopped away. Porn actors have a than sex objects, porn consumers can start Keeping porn out of your life gives you the
whole team there to make them look fan- to subconsciously think of themselves that freedom and time to try that new sport
tastic, and once their best performance is way, as nothing more than sex objects. you have been interested in, take that class
captured on film, it never ages. Who wants [26] Because it can be hard to reach out that sounds really interesting, travel to a
to compete with that? [20] to friends and family to explain how they new place with family members, invest in
are feeling and how they are struggling friendships, or find the one you want to
Regardless of how a consumer’s romantic with porn, many people turn to the easiest spend time loving and growing old with—
relationship is being impacted by porn, as source of immediate “comfort” available: the real way. Real life, and real life-giving
human beings, we interact with different more porn. This can lead to a vicious cycle experiences have so much more to offer
people daily, in a number of ways. One of of isolation and self-loathing. [27] than porn ever will.
the dangers of porn is that it can distort
the way a consumer sees people, causing As a porn consumer finds himself or
him or her to see friends, family mem- herself further down this cycle, an isolating Citations
bers, coworkers, or strangers on the street porn habit can lead consumers to skip out
[1] Pfaus, J. G., Kippin, T. E., & Centeno, S.
only as a sum of body parts, discarding on interacting with friends, trying new
(2001). Conditioning And Sexual Behavior: A
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Jcom.12201
WHY PORN LEAVES
CONSUMERS LONELY
Porn promises immediate satisfaction, endless excitement, and easy
intimacy, but in the end, it robs the consumer of all three. The more
pornography an individual consumes, the more he or she tends to
withdraw emotionally from real people and rely on porn. Eventually, it
KEY TAKEAWAYS
becomes more difficult to be aroused by a real person or to form a real
• Porn lessens consumer’s ability to relationship, and the resulting isolation and loneliness fuel the need for
connect in real relationships.
more porn.
• People are often secretive about their
A
porn use, separating them further
from others. uthor and political activist Naomi According to Bridges, as a porn consumer
Wolf has traveled all over the United withdraws from his or her relationships,
• Porn can contribute to or increase States talking with college students they experience “increased secrecy, less
other psychological problems in about relationships. “When I ask about loneli- intimacy and also more depression.” [7]
consumers. ness, a deep, sad silence descends on audienc- Studies have found that when people
es of young men and young women alike,” she engage in an ongoing pattern of “self-con-
says. “They know they are lonely together … cealment,”—which is when they do things
and that [porn] is a big part of that loneliness. they’re not proud of and keep them a
What they don’t know is how to get out.” [1] secret—it not only hurts their relationships
and leaves them feeling lonely, but also
But what does porn have to do with loneli- makes them more vulnerable to serious
ness? psychological issues. [8] For both male
and female porn consumers, their habit
“The more one uses pornography, the more is often accompanied by problems with
lonely one becomes,” says Dr. Gary Brooks, anxiety, body-image issues, poor self-im-
a psychologist who has worked with porn age, relationship problems, insecurity, and
addicts for the last 30 years. [2] “Anytime [a depression. [9]
person] spends much time with the usual
pornography usage cycle, it can’t help but be a That may be one reason why porn con-
depressing, demeaning, self-loathing kind of sumers struggle so much in their closest
experience.” [3] The worse people feel about relationships. Studies have consistently
themselves, the more they seek comfort wher- shown that porn consumers tend to feel
ever they can get it. Normally, they would be less love and trust in their marriages.
able to rely on the people closest to them to [10] They also experience more negative
help them through their hard times—a part- communication with their partners, feel
ner, friend, or family member. But most porn less dedicated to their relationship, have a
consumers aren’t exactly excited to tell anyone harder time making adjustments to their
about their porn habits, least of all their partner, enjoy less sexual satisfaction, and
partner. So they turn to the easiest source of commit more infidelity. [11] Meanwhile,
“comfort” available: more porn. spouses of porn consumers report de-
creased intimacy in their marriages and a
“When one partner uses porn at a high feeling of being less understood by their
frequency,” explains researcher Dr. Ana porn-consuming partners. [12] Relation-
Bridges, “there can be a tendency to withdraw ship experts, Doctors John and Julie Gott-
emotionally from the relationship.” [4] That’s man explain, “there are many factors about
partly because porn consumption causes the porn use that can threaten a relationship’s
brain to rewire itself to connect sexual arousal intimacy [which] for couples is a source of
with porn’s fantasies, [5] (see How Porn connection and communication between
Changes The Brain) making it more difficult two people. But when one person becomes
for the consumer to become aroused by a real accustomed to masturbating to porn, they
person in a real relationship. [6] (See How are actually turning away from intimate
Porn Damages Consumers’ Sex Lives.) interaction.”
A second reason porn consumers struggle Citations tal Psychology, 49(5), 928–937. Doi:10.1037/
A0028845; Luoma, J. B., Et. Al. (2013). Self-Stig-
with relationships is because of the nature
ma In Substance Abuse: Development Of A
of porn itself. Porn portrays both men and [1] Wolf, N. (2003). The Porn Myth. New York
New Measure. Journal Of Psychopathology And
women as little more than bodies with a Magazine, Oct. 20.
Behavioral Assessment, 35, 223–234. Doi:10.1007/
single purpose, to give and receive sexual S10862-012-9323-4; Rotenberg, K. J., Bharathi,
[2] Brooks, G. R., (1995). The Centerfold
pleasure. [13] Whether porn consumers Syndrome: How Men Can Overcome Objec-
C., Davies, H., And Finch, T. (2013). Bulimic
like it or not, those perceptions often start Symptoms And The Social Withdrawal Syndrome.
tification And Achieve Intimacy With Wom-
creeping into how they see themselves and Eating Behaviors, 14, 281–284. Doi:10.1016/J.
en. San Francisco: Bass. Cited In Yoder, V.
eatbeh.2013.05.003; Frijns, T. And Finkenauer,
other people in real life. [14] The harder C., Virden, T. B., & Amin, K. (2005). Internet
C. (2009). Longitudinal Associations Between
it becomes for users to see themselves Pornography And Loneliness: An Association?
Keeping A Secret And Psychosocial Adjust-
and others as anything more than sexual Sexual Addiction And Compulsivity, 12, 19-44.
ment In Adolescence. International Journal
Doi:10.1080/10720160590933653
objects, the harder it is to develop and Of Behavioral Development, 33(2), 145–154.
nurture real relationships. [15] Doi:10.1177/0165025408098020
[3] Interview With Dr. Gary Brooks, Oct. 23, 2013.
[9] Flisher, C. (2010). Getting Plugged In: An
“There’s a certain way of experiencing [4] Weir, K. (2014, April). Is Pornography Addic-
Overview Of Internet Addiction. Journal Of
sexual arousal that is the opposite of tive? Monitor On Psychology. 45(4) 46. Retrieved
Paediatrics And Child Health 46: 557–559.
From Http://Www.apa.org/Monitor/2014/04/
closeness,” Brooks says. “At best, it can be Doi:10.1111/J.1440-1754.2010.01879.X; Layden,
Pornography.aspx
managed somewhat by some people, but M. A. (2010). Pornography And Violence: A New
most of the time it creates a barrier that Look At The Research. In Stoner, J., & Hughes,
[5] Love, T., Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., &
D. (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A
poisons relationships.” [16] The Gottmans Hajela, R. (2015). Neuroscience Of Internet
Collection Of Papers (Pp. 57–68). Princeton, NJ:
go on to explain, “when watching pornog- Pornography Addiction: A Review And Update,
Witherspoon Institute; Kafka, M. P. (2000). The
raphy the user is in total control of the sex- Behavioral Sciences, 5(3), 388-433. Doi: 10.3390/
Paraphilia-Related Disorders: Nonparaphilic
Bs5030388; Pitchers, K. K., Et Al. (2013). Natural
ual experience, in contrast to normal sex And Drug Rewards Act On Common Neural
Hypersexuality And Sexual Compulsivity/Ad-
in which people are sharing control with diction. In Leiblum, S. R., & Rosen, R. C. (Eds.)
Plasticity Mechanisms With DeltaFosB As A Key
the partner. Thus a porn user may form Principles And Practice Of Sex Therapy, 3rd Ed.
Mediator. Journal Of Neuroscience, 33(8), 3434-
(Pp. 471–503). New York: Guilford Press.
the unrealistic expectation that sex will 3442. Doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013;
be under only one person’s control… the Hilton, D. L. (2013) Pornography Addiction—A
[10] Henline, B. H., Lamke, L. K., & Howard,
relationship goal of intimate connection is Supranormal Stimulus Considered In The Context
M. D. (2007). Exploring Perceptions Of Online
Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective Neuroscience
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Infidelity. Personal Relationships, 14, 113-128.
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v3i0.20767; Nestler, E. J., (2008) Transcriptional
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Mechanisms Of Addiction: Role Of DeltaFosB,
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Doi:10.1111/J.0038-4941.2004.08501006.X;
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Schneider, J. P. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex
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more than sexual titillation. Real intimacy Sexual Addiction And Compulsivity, 7, 31-58.
Doi:10.1080/10720160008400206
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world of satisfaction and excitement that raphy Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review
[11] Maddox, A. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Markman,
doesn’t disappear when the screen goes off. With Clinical Reports. Behavioral Sciences, 6, 17.
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Alone Or Together: Associations With Relation-
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[12] Bergner, R., & Bridges, A. (2002). The
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[13] Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: How Pornog-
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[8] Laird, R. D., Marrero, M. D., Melching, J. A.,
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[14] Interview With Dr. Gary Brooks, Oct. 23,
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Strategies In Early Adolescence: Developmental
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E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without Porn…I
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305). Hillsdale, N.J.: Erlbaum Associates.
[16] Interview With Dr. Gary Brooks, Oct. 23,

2013.
HOW PORN HURTS A
CONSUMER’S PARTNER
Partners of porn consumers often report feeling angry, confused, and
betrayed when they find out that the other half of their committed
relationship has been watching porn. Consumers may have no idea how
they are hurting their own relationships and the people they love.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
N
• Commonly, when individuals find o one ever woke up and said, “Today, intimate relationships to be built on trust,
out about their partner’s porn I want to get out there and ruin my respect, commitment, honesty, and love.
consumption, they feel a range of current and future relationships. I’m
negative emotions including rejec- going to cut myself off emotionally, under- It is very common, when partners find out
tion, humiliation, abandonment, mine trust, and leave my partner feeling that their other half has been consuming
isolation, loneliness, jealousy, anger, confused, rejected, angry, and betrayed.” porn, for them to feel a whole range of
and shame. negative emotions including rejection,
• Even if partners are open and honest No one says that, but a pile of research shows humiliation, abandonment, isolation,
about their consumption—it can still that’s exactly what can happen as a result of loneliness, jealousy, anger, and shame.[10].
do real harm. consuming porn. Even if they don’t believe that porn is the
same as cheating, they often feel a deep
• Porn reshapes expectations about
It’s probably no surprise that women tend to sense of loss, betrayal, and mistrust. [11]
sex and attraction by presenting an
view porn and its effects very differently from The secrecy, shame, isolation, and lies that
unrealistic picture.
men. [1] While women and men can both are often introduced into a relationship by
struggle with pornography consumption, compulsive porn consumption can snow-
studies have shown that many women—even ball into all kinds of problems. [12]
if they believe that pornography consumption
is okay for other people—see no acceptable But even if porn isn’t kept a secret—even if
role for porn within their own committed re- partners are open and honest about their
lationship. [2] And no wonder! The evidence consumption—it can still do real harm.
that porn can harm relationships and partners We mentioned earlier that porn consump-
is overwhelming. [3] tion can lead to less satisfaction and less
interest in one’s partner. [13] Why does
Two of the most respected pornography re- that happen? Part of the answer is that
searchers, Jennings Bryant and Dolf Zillman porn rewires the brain, so that consumers
at the University of Alabama, studied the of porn become less responsive sexually
effects of porn and media for more than 30 to their partner, even though they can still
years. They found that consuming pornog- respond to porn. [14]
raphy makes many individuals less satisfied
with their own partners’ physical appearance, At the same time, porn reshapes expecta-
sexual performance, sexual curiosity, and tions about sex and attraction by present-
affection. [4] They also found that, over time, ing an unrealistic picture. In porn, men
many porn users grow more callous toward and women always look their best. They
females in general, less likely to value monog- are forever young, surgically enhanced, air-
amy and marriage, and more likely to develop brushed, and Photoshopped to perfection.
distorted perceptions of sexuality. [5] Other [15] So it’s not hard to see why, according
researchers have confirmed those results and to a national poll, six out of seven women
added that porn consumers tend to be signifi- believe that porn has changed men’s expec-
cantly less intimate with their partners, [6] tations of how women should look. [16]
less committed in their relationships, [7] less
satisfied with their romantic and sex lives, [8] As writer Naomi Wolf points out, “Today
and more likely to cheat on their partners. [9] real naked women are just bad porn.” [17]
That doesn’t bode well for any relationship But it’s not only physical looks of both
where one partner is consuming porn, espe- men and women that get distorted in
cially since most of us want and expect our porn. Women are also generally portrayed
as anxious for sex anywhere, at any time, Of Massive Exposure To Pornography. In Mala-
with anyone, and they are delighted to go Citations muth, N. M. & Donnerstein, E. (Eds.), Pornogra-
phy And Sexual Aggression (Pp. 115-138). New
as long and aggressively as one man or [1] Olmstead, S. B., Negash, S., Pasley, K., & Fin- York, NY: Academic Press.
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usually loudly and ecstatically, and then For Pornography Use In The Context Of Future [6] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-
are immediately ready for more. They Committed Romantic Relationships. Archives raphy Causing Sexual Dysunction? A Review
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S10508-012-9986-7 Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017; Minarcik, J., Wetterneck,
a break. In fact, they never seem to need
C. T., & Short, M. B. (2016). The Effects Of Sexual-
anything at all except endless sex. They are [2] Olmstead, S. B., Negash, S., Pasley, K., & Fin- ly Explicit Material Use On Romantic Relationship
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Of Sexual Behavior, 42, 625-635. Doi:10.1007/ Pornography And The Male Sexual Script: An
S10508-012-9986-7 Analysis Of Consumption And Sexual Rela-
If you think those unrealistic depictions
tions. Archives Of Sexual Behavior, 45, 1-12.
don’t work their way into consumers’ [3] Minarcik, J., Wetterneck, C. T., & Short, M. B. Doi:10.1007/S10508-014-0391-2; Maddox, A.
beliefs, expectations and actions think (2016). The Effects Of Sexually Explicit Mate- M., Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J. (2011).
again. [19] In a recent survey of 16 to rial Use On Romantic Relationship Dynamics. Viewing Sexually-Explicit Materials Alone Or
18-year-old Americans, nearly every Journal Of Behavioral Addictions, 5(4) 700-707. Together: Associations With Relationship Quality.
Doi: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.078; Park, B. Y., Et Al. Archives Of Sexual Behavior, 40(2), 441-448.
participant reported learning how to have
(2016). Is Internet Pornography Causing Sexual Doi:10.1007/S10508-009-9585-4; Bergner, R.
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the young women said they were pressured havioral Sciences, 6, 17. Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017; Heavy Pornography Involvement For Romantic
to play out the “scripts” their male part- Braithwaite, S. R., Coulson, G., Keddington, Partners: Research And Clinical Implications.
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Among Emerging Adults In College. Archives
positions, faking sexual responses, and
Of Sexual Behavior, 44(1), 111-123. Doi:10.1007/ [7] Minarcik, J., Wetterneck, C. T., & Short, M. B.
consenting to unpleasant or painful acts. S10508-014-0351-X; Resch, M. N., & Alderson, (2016). The Effects Of Sexually Explicit Mate-
K. G. (2014). Female Partners Of Men Who rial Use On Romantic Relationship Dynamics.
Of course, the pain caused by porn can Use Pornography: Are Honest And Mutual Use Journal Of Behavioral Addictions, 5(4) 700-707.
go far beyond a bad experience in the Associated With Relationship Satisfaction? Journal Doi: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.078; Maddox, A. M.,
bedroom. Individuals who learn of their Of Sex And Marital Therapy, 40(5), 410-424. Do Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J. (2011). Viewing
i:10.1080/0092623X.2012.751077; Poulsen, F. O., Sexually-Explicit Materials Alone Or Together:
partner’s porn habit often internalize their Busby, D. M., & Galovan, A. M. (2013). Pornog- Associations With Relationship Quality. Archives
shame and confusion, asking themselves raphy Use: Who Uses It And How It Is Associated Of Sexual Behavior, 40(2), 441-448. Doi:10.1007/
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[23] Many partners of porn consumers 7; Morgan, E. M. (2011). Associations Between [8] Minarcik, J., Wetterneck, C. T., & Short, M. B.
Young Adults’ Use Of Sexually Explicit Materials (2016). The Effects Of Sexually Explicit Material
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And Their Sexual Preferences, Behaviors, And Use On Romantic Relationship Dynamics. Journal
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true for both men and women, studies Maddox, A. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J. Associations Between Young Adults’ Use Of
have shown that because of the shame they (2011). Viewing Sexually-Explicit Materials Alone Sexually Explicit Materials And Their Sexual Pref-
feel and their worry about being blamed Or Together: Associations With Relationship erences, Behaviors, And Satisfaction. Journal Of
Quality. Archives Of Sexual Behavior, 40(2), 441- Sex Research, 48(6), 520-530. Doi:10.1080/00224
for their partner’s problem, the majority of
448. Doi:10.1007/S10508-009-9585-4; Bergner, 499.2010.543960; Maddox, A. M., Rhoades, G. K.,
women who learn of a partner’s porn use R.M., & Bridges, A. J. (2002). The Significance Of & Markman, H. J. (2011). Viewing Sexually-Ex-
isolate themselves at least somewhat from Heavy Pornography Involvement For Romantic plicit Materials Alone Or Together: Associations
their normal sources of social support, just Partners: Research And Clinical Implications. With Relationship Quality. Archives Of Sexual
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[25] Doi:10.1080/009262302760328235 009-9585-4; Yucel, D. & Gassanov, M. A. (2010).
Exploring Actor And Partner Correlates Of Sexual
[4] Zillman, D. & Bryant, J. (1988) Pornography’s Satisfaction Among Married Couples. Social
If you want to do a huge favor for the Love Impact On Sexual Satisfaction. Journal Of Applied Science Research, 39(5), 725-738. Doi:10.1016/J.
of Your Life, decide now that you won’t Social Psychology, 18, 438-453. Doi: 10.1111/ ssresearch.20009.09,002
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porn into your relationship. Or, if you’re [9] Braithwaite, S. R., Coulson, G., Keddington, K.,
[5] Zillman, D., & Bryant, J. (2000). Influence Of & Fincham, F. D. (2015). The Influence Of Pornog-
already caught in porn’s web, make the
Unrestrained Access To Erotica On Adolescents’ raphy On Sexual Scripts And Hooking Up Among
decision to get help. Click here to find out And Young Adults’ Disposition Toward Sexual- Emerging Adults In College. Archives Of Sexual
how you can give them the gift they really ity. Journal Of Adolescent Health, 27(2 Suppl), Behavior, 44(1), 111-123. Doi:10.1007/S10508-
want: You. All of you. Heart and Mind. 41-44. Doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(00)00137-3; D. & 014-0351-X; Maddox, A. M., Rhoades, G. K., &
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[10] Kalman, T. P., (2008). Clinical Encounters [15] Hilton, D. L., (2013). Pornography Addic- [23] Minarcik, J., Wetterneck, C. T., & Short,
With Internet Pornography, Journal Of The tion—A Supranormal Stimulus Considered In M. B. (2016). The Effects Of Sexually Explicit
American Academy Of Psychoanalysis And The Context Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective Material Use On Romantic Relationship Dy-
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Jaap.2008.36.4.593; Bergner, R.M., & Bridges, Snp.v3i0.20767; Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: How 700-707. Doi: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.078; Bergner,
A. J. (2002). The Significance Of Heavy Por- Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Re- R.M., & Bridges, A. J. (2002). The Significance Of
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Research And Clinical Implications. Journal Holt & Co., 145. Partners: Research And Clinical Implications.
Of Sex And Marital Therapy, 28, 193-206. Journal Of Sex And Marital Therapy, 28, 193-206.
Doi:10.1080/009262302760328235 [16] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno Doi:10.1080/009262302760328235
To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In Stoner,
[11] Bridges, A. J., Bergner, R. M., & Hes- J. Stoner & Hughes, D. (Eds.), The Social Cost Of [24] Steffens, B. A., & Rennie, R. L. (2006).
son-McInnis, M. (2003). Romantic Partners’ Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3-20). The Traumatic Nature Of Disclosure For
Use Of Pornography: Its Significance For Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute. Wives Of Sexual Addicts. Sexual Addic-
Women. Journal Of Sex And Marital Therapy, tion And Compulsivity, 13(2-3), 247-267.
29(1), 1-14. Doi:10.1080/713847097; Schnei- [17] Wolf, N. (2003). The Porn Myth. New York Doi:10.1080/10720160600870802; Wild-
der, J. P. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex Addiction Magazine. June 14. Retrieved From Http://Nymag. mon-White, M., & Young, J. (2002). Fami-
On The Family: Results Of A Survey. Sexual com/Nymetro/News/Trends/N_9437/ ly-Of-Origin Characteristics Among Women
Addiction And Compulsivity, 7(1), 31-58. Married To Sexually Addicted Men. Sexual
Doi:10.1080/10720160008400206 [18] Layden, M. A. (2010) Pornography And Addiction And Compulsivity, 9(4), 263-273.
Violence: A New Look At The Research. In Doi:10.1080/10720760216042
[12] Maddox, A. M., Rhoades, G. K., & Mark- Stoner, J. & Hughes, D. (Eds.), The Social Cost
man, H. J. (2011). Viewing Sexually-Explicit Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. [25] Manning, J. C. (2010) The Impact Of Por-
Materials Alone Or Together: Associations 57-68). Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute; nography On Women: Social Science Findings
With Relationship Quality. Archives Of Sexual Ryu, E. (2004). Ryu, E. (2008). Spousal Use Of And Clinical Observations. In Stoner, J. Stoner &
Behavior, 40(2), 441-448. Doi:10.1007/S10508- Pornography And Its Clinical Significance For Hughes, D. (Eds.), The Social Cost Of Pornogra-
009-9585-4; Wildmon-White, M., & Young, Asian-American Women: Korean Woman As An phy: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3-20). Princeton,
J. (2002). Family-Of-Origin Characteristics Illustration. Journal Of Feminist Family Therapy, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute.
Among Women Married To Sexually Addict- 16(4), 75. Doi:10.1300/J086v16n04_05; Shope,
ed Men. Sexual Addiction And Compulsivity, J. H. (2004). When Words Are Not Enough: The
9(4), 263-273. Doi:10.1080/10720760216042; Search For The Effect Of Pornography On Abused
Schneider, J. P. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex Women. Violence Against Women, 10(1), 56-72.
Addiction On The Family: Results Of A Survey. Doi:10.1177/1077801203256003
Sexual Addiction And Compulsivity, 7(1), 31-58.
Doi:10.1080/10720160008400206 [19] See, E.g. Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P. M., (2016)
Adolescents And Pornography: A Review Of
[13] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Por- 20 Years Of Research. Journal Of Sex Research,
nography Causing Sexual Dysunction? A Review 53(4-5), 509-531. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.
With Clinical Reports, Behavioral Sciences, 6, 17. 1143441 (Pointing Out That “Existing Research
Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017; Minarcik, J., Wetterneck, Has Produced Consistent Evidence That Adoles-
C. T., & Short, M. B. (2016). The Effects Of Sexual- cents’ Pornography Use Is Related To Their Sexual
ly Explicit Material Use On Romantic Relationship Attitudes.”)
Dynamics. Journal Of Behavioral Addictions, 5(4)
700-707. Doi: 10.1556/2006.5.2016.078; Morgan, [20] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N.,
E. M. (2011). Associations Between Young Adults’ Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without
Use Of Sexually Explicit Materials And Their Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know
Sexual Preferences, Behaviors, And Satisfaction. Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use
Journal Of Sex Research, 48(6), 520-530. Doi:1 Among A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black
0.1080/00224499.2010.543960; Maddox, A. M., And Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research,
Rhoades, G. K., & Markman, H. J. (2011). Viewing 52(7), 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960
Sexually-Explicit Materials Alone Or Together: 908
Associations With Relationship Quality. Archives
Of Sexual Behavior, 40(2), 441-448. Doi:10.1007/ [21] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N.,
S10508-009-9585-4; Yucel, D. & Gassanov, M. Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without
A. (2010). Exploring Actor And Partner Cor- Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know
relates Of Sexual Satisfaction Among Married Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use
Couples. Social Science Research, 39(5), 725-738. Among A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black
Doi:10.1016/J.ssresearch.20009.09,002 And Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research,
52(7), 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960
[14] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornography 908
Causing Sexual Dysunction? A Review With Clinical
Reports, Behavioral Sciences, 6, 17. Doi:10.3390/ [22] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N.,
Bs6030017; Voon, V. Et Al. (2014). Neural Correlates Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without
Of Sexual Cue Reactivity In Individuals With And Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know
Without Compulsive Sexual Behaviors. PLoS ONE, Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use
9(7), E102419. Doi:10.1371/Journal.pone.0102419; Among A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black
Kalman, T. P., (2008). Clinical Encounters With Inter- And Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research,
net Pornography, Journal Of The American Academy 52(7), 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960
Of Psychoanalysis And Dynamic Psychiatry, 36(4), 908
593-618. Doi:10.1521/Jaap.2008.36.4.593
HOW PORN DAMAGES
CONSUMERS’ SEX LIVES
According to research and personal accounts, instead of increasing
sexual enjoyment, porn often leads to less satisfying sex in the long run
and, for many porn consumers, no sex at all.
P
KEY TAKEAWAYS orn promises a virtual world filled with heighten the experience by masturbating—
• Commonly, when individuals find sex—more sex and better sex. What it the part of the brain map that connects
out about their partner’s porn doesn’t mention, however, is that the arousal to porn is being strengthened.
consumption, they feel a range of further a porn consumer goes into that fan- [9] Meanwhile, the pathways connecting
negative emotions including rejec- tasy world, the more likely their reality is to arousal to things like seeing, touching,
tion, humiliation, abandonment, become just the opposite. [1] Porn often leads or cuddling with a partner aren’t getting
isolation, loneliness, jealousy, anger, to less sex and less satisfying sex. [2] And for used. Pretty soon, natural turn-ons aren’t
and shame. many consumers, porn eventually means no enough, and many porn consumers find
sex at all. [3] they can’t get aroused by anything but
• Even if partners are open and honest
porn. [10]
about their consumption—it can still
How? Well, it starts in the brain.
do real harm.
How bad is the problem? Put it this way:
• Porn reshapes expectations about You see, your brain is full of nerve pathways doctors are seeing an epidemic of young
sex and attraction by presenting an that make up what scientists call your “brain men who, because of their porn use, can’t
unrealistic picture. map.” [4] It’s kind of like a hiking map in your get it up with a real, live partner. [11]
head, with billions of tiny overlapping trails.
These pathways connect different parts of Thirty years ago, when a man developed
your brain together, helping you make sense erectile dysfunction (ED), it was almost
of your experiences and control your life. always because he was getting older, usu-
ally past 40. As his body aged it became
When you have a sexual experience that feels more difficult to maintain an erection. [12]
good, your brain starts creating new pathways Chronic ED in anyone under 35 was nearly
to connect what you’re doing to the pleasure unheard of. [13] But those were the days
you’re feeling. [5] Essentially, your brain is before internet porn. These days, online
redrawing the sexual part of your map so message boards are flooded with com-
you’ll be able to come back later and repeat plaints from porn users in their teens and
the experience. [6] (See How Porn Affects The 20s complaining that they can’t maintain
Brain Like a Drug ). The same thing happens an erection. [14] They want to know what’s
the first time someone consume’s porn. The wrong with their body, but the problem
porn consumer’s brain starts building new isn’t in the penis—it’s in the brain. [15]
pathways in response to this very powerful
new experience. [7] It’s saying, “This feels Study after study has shown that porn is
great! Let’s do this again.” directly related to problems with arousal,
attraction, and sexual performance. [16].
But here’s the catch: brain maps operate on Porn leads to less sex and to less sexual
a “use it or lose it” principle. [8] Just like a satisfaction within a relationship. [17]
hiking trail will start to grow over if it’s not Researchers have shown a strong connec-
getting walked on, brain pathways that don’t tion between porn use and low sex drive,
get traffic become weaker and can even be erectile dysfunction, and trouble reaching
completely replaced by stronger pathways that orgasm. [18] Many frequent porn users
get more use. reach a point where they have an easier
time getting aroused by internet porn than
As you might expect, consuming porn is a by having actual sex with a real partner.
very powerful experience that leaves a strong [19] One recent study even concluded that
and lasting impression in the brain. (See porn use was likely the reason for low sex-
How Porn Changes The Brain.) Every time ual desire among a random sample of high
someone consumes porn—especially if they school seniors. [20] Who has ever heard of
that? Low sexual desire among high school [3] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog- Amp0000059; Hilton, D. L. (2013). Pornography
seniors! raphy Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review Addiction—A Supranormal Stimulus Consid-
With Clinical Reports. Behavioral Sciences, 6, 17. ered In The Context Of Neuroplasticity. Socio-
Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017; Voon, V., Et Al. (2014). affective Neuroscience & Psychology 3:20767.
This trend of sexual problems is especially Neural Correlates Of Sexual Cue Reactivity In Doi:10.3402/Snp.v3i0.20767; Nestler, E. J., (2008)
serious for teens and young adults. Their Individuals With And Without Compulsive Transcriptional Mechanisms Of Addiction: Role
brains are particularly vulnerable to being Sexual Behaviors, PLoS ONE, 9(7), E102419. Of DeltaFosB, Philosophical Transactions Of The
rewired by porn, [21] and they are in a Doi:10.1371/Journal.pone.0102419; Kalman, T. Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 363(1507)
period where they are forming crucial P., (2008). Clinical Encounters With Internet Por- 3245-3255. Doi:10.1098/Rstb.2008.0067
nography, Journal Of The American Academy Of
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their future. [22] 593-618. Doi:10.1521/Jaap.2008.36.4.593; Doidge, Itself. New York: Penguin Books.
N. (2007). The Brain That Changes Itself. New
Young people imitate what they see in York: Penguin Books; Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: [9] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-
porn, and when teens learn about sexuality How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, raphy Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review
from porn, they are in danger of adopting Our Relationships, And Our Families. New York: With Clinical Reports. Behavioral Sciences,
Henry Hold And Co., 105.. 6, 17. Doi:10.3390/Bs6030017; Pitchers, K. K.,
the misleading, harmful biases embedded Et Al. (2013). Natural And Drug Rewards Act
there. [23] Many teens never have the [4] Love, T., Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., & On Common Neural Plasticity Mechanisms
chance to learn what a healthy relationship Hajela, R. (2015). Neuroscience Of Internet With DeltaFosB As A Key Mediator. Journal Of
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its version—which is typically filled with Behavioral Sciences, 5(3), 388-433. Doi:10.3390/ JNEUROSCI.4881-12.2013; Hilton, D. L. (2013)
Bs5030388; Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Pornography Addiction—A Supranormal Stimu-
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[24] Since most people aren’t too excited Socioaffective Neuroscience And Technology 3.
about entering a relationship with some- [5] Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2016). 20767. Doi:10.3402/Snp.v3i0.20767; Doidge, N.
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[1] Cole, G. (2011). A Stange Invitation: On The sion Underlies Rapid Drug Tolerance. Gene Brains
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Itself. New York: Penguin Books.
PORN’S HARM IS
CHANGING FAST
Skeptics of pornography’s danger point out that porn has been around
a long time. After all, the ancient Greeks painted sexual images on
their pottery. But comparing paintings on Greek vases to today’s end-
less stream of live-action, hardcore videos is like comparing apples to…
KEY TAKEAWAYS
um…kumquats. Technology is changing not only the content of porn,
• Pornography has changed with but how, when, and at what age it’s being consumed.
technology.
T
• Porn has become more intense, he year was 1953, and Hugh Heffner Between 1998 and 2007, the number of
violent, degrading, and humiliating had just published the first copy of pornographic websites grew by 1,800%.
over time. Playboy. [6] By 2004, porn sites were getting three
• People are being exposed to porn at times more visitors than Google, Ya-
younger and younger ages. Sex had just started to become a more promi- hoo!, and MSN Search put together. [7]
nent part of American’s cultural conversation, It was “big business” in a way the world
partly because of Dr. Alfred Kinsey who, five had never seen before. Thirty percent of
years earlier, had published a controversial all internet data was related to porn, [8]
but extremely popular book on sexuality. [1] and worldwide porn revenues (including
He was heralded as one of the first scientists internet, sex shops, videos rented in hotel
and writers to talk so openly about sexuality, rooms, etc.) grew to exceed the incomes of
and his books went flying off the shelves. [2] Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!,
Apple, Netflix, and Earthlink combined!
Heffner saw a chance to make money from [9]
the changing cultural views about sex. But
to maximize sales of his new magazine he As internet porn grew more popular; it
had to change porn’s image from something also turned darker, more graphic, and
your friend’s creepy relative might read to more extreme.(See Why Consuming Porn
something sophisticated and mainstream. So Is An Escalating Behavior.)With so much
Heffner put his pornographic photos next porn available, pornographers tried to
to essays and articles written by respected compete for attention by constantly push-
authors. In Playboy, porn started to look like ing the boundaries. [10] “Thirty years ago
nothing more than harmless pleasure engaged ‘hardcore’ pornography usually meant the
in by respectable and successful individuals. explicit depiction of sexual intercourse,”
writes Dr. Norman Doidge, a neuroscien-
Flash forward to the 1980s, when VCRs tist and author of The Brain That Changes
suddenly made it possible for people to watch Itself. “Now hardcore has evolved and is
movies at home. [3] For porn consumers, increasingly dominated by the sadomas-
that meant that instead of having to go to ochistic themes … all involving scripts
seedy movie theaters on the wrong side of fusing sex with hatred and humiliation.”
town, they just went to the back room at their [11] In our post-Playboy world, porn now
local movie rental place. Sure, they still had features degradation, abuse, and humil-
to go out to find it, but porn was a lot more iation of people in a way never before
accessible. seen in the mass media. [12] “[S]oftcore
is now what hardcore was a few decades
And then the internet changed everything. ago,” Doidge explains. “The comparatively
[4][5] tame softcore pictures of yesteryear …
now show up on mainstream media all day
Once porn hit the Web in the 1990s, sud- long, in the pornification of everything,
denly there was nothing but a few keystrokes including television, rock videos, soap
between anyone with an internet connection operas, advertisements, and so on.” [13]
and the most graphic material available.
[4] The online porn industry exploded. As the popularity of internet porn grew
like wildfire, so did its influence. Network Human trafficking includes any “com- Dynamic Psychiatry, 36(4) 593-618. Doi:10.1521/
television shows, pay-per-view channel mercial sex act induced by force, fraud, or Jaap.2008.36.4.593; McAline, D. (2001). Interview
On American Porn. Frontline, PBS, August.
series, and movies began to up the ante coercion.” [25] (See How Porn Fuels Sex
with more and more graphic content as Trafficking.) [4] Layden, M. A. (2010). Pornography And
they scrambled to keep the attention of au- Violence: A New Look At The Research. In J.
diences accustomed to internet porn. [14] In fact, exposure to porn has been found, Stoner & D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of
Between 1998 and 2005, the number of along with poverty, drug abuse, and home- Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 57–68).
sex scenes on American TV shows nearly lessness, to be one of the most consistent Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Institute; Kalman,
T.P. (2008). Clinical Encounters With Internet
doubled, [15] and it wasn’t just happening risk factors associated with human traffick- Pornography. Journal Of The American Academy
on adult programs. In a study conducted ing. [26] And after victims are ensnared, Of Psychoanalysis And Dynamic Psychiatry, 36(4)
in 2004 and 2005, 70% of the 20 TV shows porn is often used to desensitize them to 593-618. Doi:10.1521/Jaap.2008.36.4.593;
most often watched by teens included sex- the acts in which they will be forced to
ual content, and nearly half showed sexual engage. Quite literally, porn feeds human [5] Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: How Pornography Is
behavior. [16] And for the first time, porn trafficking and human trafficking feeds Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, And
Our Families. New York: Henry Hold & Co., 3;
was becoming a routine part of teen life porn. [27] McCarthy, B. W. (2002). The Wife’s Role In Facil-
and a major way adolescents learned about itating Recovery From Male Compulsive Sexual
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that it’s been around forever and never 275–84. Doi:10.1080/10720160216045; Schneider,
By now, porn’s effects have soaked into caused any great harm—seems pretty J. P. (2000). Effects Of Cybersex Addiction On The
Family: Results Of A Survey. Sexual Addiction
every aspect of our lives. [18] Popular silly when you think about how different
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Snowboards marketed to teens are plas- before. Porn is incomparably more acces- bersex_family.html
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it on devices they have with them 24 hours there are an unprecedented number of Visitors Each Month Than Netflix, Amazon, &
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Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use Among A [26] Countryman-Roswurm, Karen (2017).
Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black And His- Primed For Perpetration: Porn And The Per-
panic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research, 52(7), 736- petuation Of Sex Trafficking. Guest Blog For
746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960908; Paul, FTND, Retrieved From Http://Fightthenewdrug.
P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno To Porn: org/Fighting-Sex-Trafficking-Absolutely-In-
How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Stoner & D. cludes-Fighting-Pornography/
Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography:
A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20). Princeton, N.J.: [27] Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm, LMSW,
Witherspoon Institute; Carroll, J. S., Padilla-Walk- Ph.D. Interview || Truth About Porn [Video File].
er, L. M., And Nelson, L. J. (2008). Generation (2016, December 28). Retrieved From Https://
XXX: Pornography Acceptance And Use Among Vimeo.com/190317258
Emerging Adults. Journal Of Adolescent Research,
23(1), 6–30. Doi:10.1177/0743558407306348 [28] Price, J., Patterson, R., Regnerus, M., & Wal-
ley, J. (2016). How Much More XXX Is Generation
[18] Bridges, A. J. (2010). Pornography’s Effect X Consuming? Evidence Of Changing Attitudes
On Interpersonal Relationships. In J. Stoner And And Behaviors Related To Pornography Since
D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornog- 1973. Journal Of Sex Research, 53(1), 12-20. Doi:1
raphy: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 89-110). 0.1080/00224499.2014.1003773
Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Institute; Paul, P.
(2010). From Pornography To Porno To Porn:
How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Stoner And D.
A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20). Princeton,
N.J.: Witherspoon Institute; Doidge, N. (2007).
The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin
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Chicago Tribune, September 19.
[19] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno

To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In J.
Stoner And D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of
Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20).
Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute.
[20] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno

To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In J.
Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20).
Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute.
[21] Bridges, A. J. (2010). Pornography’s Effect On

Interpersonal Relationships. In J. Stoner And D.
A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 89-110). Princeton,
NJ: Witherspoon Institute.
[22] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N.,

Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without
Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know
Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use
HOW PORN FUELS SEX
TRAFFICKING
In a worldview of slavery, society generally agrees that it is inhumane
and degrading, and most people are astonished that there have been
times in history where slavery was accepted as normal and acceptable.
Somehow, still, many people are accepting of a form of modern-day
KEY TAKEAWAYS
slavery: human sex trafficking. And while many people claim to be opposed
• Sex trafficking is a form of mod- to human sex trafficking, what many don’t know is that the demand for
ern-day slavery.
human sex trafficking is fueled by pornography and the porn industry.
• The TVPA defines sex trafficking as
T
a situation in which “a commercial
sex act is induced by force, fraud, hough no one knows its true origins, Timberland boots he used to stomp girls
or coercion, or in which the person The Willie Lynch Letter declares itself when they didn’t obey (pimps call it “tim-
induced to perform such act has not over three-hundred years old. [1] ming”), and of course, the tee shirt Davis
attained 18 years of age.” According to the story, Virginia colonists in was wearing when he was arrested. It said,
1712, unable to control their slaves, reached “The Beatings Will Continue.” [3]
• Porn directly informs what goes on
out to a slave owner named Willie Lynch
in trafficking.
for help. “Your invitation reached me on Why would a modern New York pimp be
• Porn is a risk factor for sex traffick- my modest plantation in the West Indies,” reading a 300-year-old set of instructions
ing. he responds, “where I have experimented for how to break a slave? Considering the
with some of the newest, and still the oldest, degree of intimidation, coercion, brain-
methods for control of slaves.” The letter is washing, and violence that that accompa-
essentially a slavery instruction manual—how nies sex trafficking today, it makes a lot of
to “break” slaves, how to organize, brainwash, sense.
and set them against one another to make
them easier to subject.
HOW BAD IS THE PROBLEM OF
MODERN-DAY SEX TRAFFICKING?
Despite questions about its authenticity, [2]
the letter has found its way into everything Sex trafficking activists occasionally have
from Hollywood scripts to political speeches, to defend their use of the word “slavery.”
and from college reading lists to Hip-Hop [4] Some people don’t believe the sex traf-
albums. It’s as if the letter takes all of the ob- ficking problems we have today rise to a
jectification, dehumanization, and inhuman- level that would merit such an emotionally
ity in the worldview of slavery and encapsu- charged word. Others feel the word some-
lates them in just a few short pages. “We will how romanticizes the problem. In fact,
use the same basic principle that we use in believe it or not, arguing about the word
breaking a horse,” the letter explains. “What “slave” is just one small part of the larger
we do with horses is that we break them from debate about sex trafficking, especially in
one form of life to another; that is, we reduce the United States. Some people question
them from their natural state in nature.” whether the problem is really as bad, or as
big, or as widespread, as the reports make
Whether or not the letter is real, it seems it sound. [5] Others question the motives
noteworthy that when Corey Davis, a New of the abolitionists and human rights activ-
York pimp, was arrested by federal investi- ists on the front lines of the fight. [6]
gators in December of 2006, a copy of The
Willie Lynch Letter was sitting in his Mer- Here at Fight the New Drug, we know
cedes. Other titles on Mr. Davis’ reading list sex trafficking is a huge global problem
included The 48 Laws of Power and Whoever and that this modern form of slavery
Said Whoring Wasn’t Easy? is inherently, inseparably linked to the
problem of pornography. Because this is an
The books weren’t the only things seized. underground issue numbers are harder to
Investigators also took his $91,000 watch, the come by, but if anything, the numbers re-
flecting what is actually happening around Of those millions of global human traf- But here’s the thing: if that “Hollywood”
the globe are bigger than what has been ficking victims, a little less than a quar- version is all you know about sex traf-
reported. And isn’t even just one person ter—about 22 percent—are trafficked for ficking, then you’re only seeing one part
being trafficked, one too many? sex acts. (Those 22 percent earn a whop- of a much more complex picture. Many
ping 66 percent of the global trafficking Hollywood depictions, and even many
Our goal is to give you the facts, so consid- profits! [9]) That’s what sex trafficking is: of the examples of sex trafficking in this
er this your one-stop read to learn all the the roughly 22 percent of human traffick- article, represent situations where women
basics about sex trafficking and its rela- ing wherein the victims are exploited for and girls were victims, but it’s important
tionship to porn. Then you’ll and have the sexual purposes. to note that men and boys are also victims
information you need to draw conclusions of human sex trafficking and part of this
and join the conversation about how porn Now, before we go any further, we know bigger, more complex picture. And to un-
fuels sex trafficking. what you’re thinking. This is the part where derstand that picture, you have to under-
most people start visualizing the Hollywood stand the TVPA.
version of sex trafficking: young boys and girls
WHAT IS SEX TRAFFICKING?
kidnapped or tricked in some Third World
WHAT IS THE TVPA AND WHY IS
The legal definitions get technical, but sex or Eastern European country, kept in chains
IT IMPORTANT?
trafficking is a type of human trafficking, and forced to perform in black market
and human trafficking is exactly what it pornography, or to work as prostitutes in In the year 2000, in response to reports
sounds like: trafficking in humans. If “traf- some massage parlor, seedy motel, or other of international human trafficking, one
ficking” means buying and selling things, makeshift brothel—or boys and girls from of the broadest bipartisan coalitions in
or moving things so they can be used for the same backgrounds, smuggled into the history came together to pass the Traffick-
profit, then “human trafficking” means United States and abused in similar ways. ing Victims Protection Act, or TVPA. [11]
buying or selling humans, or moving hu- The landmark legislation identified “severe
mans so they can be used for profit. It’s the And yes, those stories do exist. They’re not forms” of human trafficking, imposed
purest form of objectification—the literal just real; they’re closer to home than you harsh criminal penalties for offenders, and
commoditization of a person. imagine. Just read the way one police raid provided support systems for the victims.
of a quiet little house in a middle-class [12]
Whether you knew it or not, chances are New Jersey suburb was described in the
very good that, at some point in your New York Times: The TVPA defines sex trafficking as a
life, you have eaten fruit that was picked situation in which “a commercial sex act is
by a slave, worn a shirt that was made by On a tip, the Plainfield police raided induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in
a slave, used a device that was partially the house in February 2002, expect- which the person induced to perform such
produced by a slave, or stood in a building ing to find illegal aliens working an act has not attained 18 years of age.” [13] It
that was built by a slave. Estimates of the underground brothel. What the police was designed in response to international
number of slaves worldwide are between found were four girls between the ages sex trafficking like the New Jersey example
21 and 32 million. [7] The vast majority of of 14 and 17. They were all Mexican we just described, but it had an interesting
them come from vulnerable populations nationals without documentation. But result. It ended up shining a light on every
like immigrants, refugees, the impover- they weren’t prostitutes; they were sex form of sex trafficking in the United States.
ished, and children. They may be forcibly slaves. The distinction is important: Here’s how one article described the effect:
taken or lured away with promises of good these girls weren’t working for profit or
jobs, only to find themselves powerless, a paycheck. They were captives to the One positive blowback of the T.V.P.A.
in a foreign place, with nowhere to turn. traffickers and keepers who controlled was that it brought attention to domes-
Often they owe money to the people—the their every move. … The police found tic sex trafficking—pimping—which
traffickers—who brought them. Traffick- a squalid, land-based equivalent of a follows the same models and patterns
ers will hold the debt over their heads, 19th-century slave ship, with ran- as its international counterparts. “The
confiscate their immigration papers, cid, doorless bathrooms; bare, putrid logic was: if you get weepy-eyed about
threaten them with legal action or de- mattresses; and a stash of penicillin, a young girl in Cambodia, why not feel
portation, threaten them or their families ”morning after” pills and misopros- the same way about the girl trafficked
with violence, and even inflict violence tol, an antiulcer medication that can from Iowa?” [14]
if the victims do not place themselves in induce abortion. The girls were pale,
servitude. The traffickers are often the exhausted and malnourished. [10] Remember Corey Davis? The pimp with
only ones around who speak the victims’ the slavery manual in his Mercedes? His
language, and the victims find themselves Those are the types of situations most victims weren’t smuggled from other
in a foreign land, cut off from home or people envision when they hear the phrase, countries. They weren’t held in servitude
help. Working in these circumstances, they “human sex trafficking.” And you can see by complicated immigration situations
earn an estimated $150 billion every year why filmmakers would gravitate to that ver- or kept constantly imprisoned by armed
for their abusers in all kinds of industries sion. It’s viscerally disturbing. Most people guards. They were Americans. At various
and settings, from factories and farms to would be shocked just to learn that a scene times in their ordeals, they were physically
hotels and brothels—even in the United like that was possible right in the heart of a free to come and go. Davis kept them in
States. [8] modern American suburb. servitude through a combination of fraud,
physical violence, and psychological intim- There are all kinds of connections, big and wouldn’t escape, watched her through
idation to the point that they felt they had small, between pornography and sex traf- a hole when she went to the bathroom,
no choice but to obey. [15] Another pimp ficking. There are incidental connections, and listened to her phone calls with a gun
who was prosecuted under the TVPA had like the fact that exposure to pornogra- pointed at her head, was forced to appear
victims ranging from a twelve-year-old phy has been shown to make viewers less in a video that made the Sinclair Intimacy
runaway to a university coed on a track compassionate toward victims of sexual Institute’s list of “sex positive productions”!
scholarship. [16] By identifying the prac- violence and exploitation.[18] (See How [22] “Every time someone watches that
tices that constitute human trafficking, the Consuming Porn Can Lead To Violence.) film,” she said, “they are watching me be-
TVPA brought attention to all instances of There are “supply-and-demand” con- ing raped.” (See The Porn Industry’s Dark
trafficking, regardless of where the victims nections: the simple fact that pornogra- Secrets.)
were from. phy—especially when viewing habits and
fantasies involve violence or other fetish- Two more examples: The July 2007 issue
But there’s more. Look again at the TVPA’s es—increases the demand for sex traffick- of Taboo, a publication owned by Hustler,
definition of sex trafficking: “a commercial ing, as more and more viewers want to act featured a multi-page feature of a young
sex act induced by force, fraud, or coer- out what they see. There is the “training woman being held prisoner and severely
cion.” That last word, coercion, is import- manual” connection: the well-documented sexually abused by her captors. They took
ant. It means that a commercial sex act can fact that porn directly informs what goes photos and videos of her and sold them
be sex trafficking, even if no one was phys- on in trafficking. Traffickers and sex buyers as porn. [23] In another case, a Miami
ically assaulted, even if no one was tricked get ideas from porn, and then make their jury convicted two men of luring women
or defrauded. All it takes is coercion. The victims watch as a way of showing them to Florida to audition for modeling jobs,
moment a victim is coerced or intimidated what they’ll be expected to do, so that the drugging them, filming them being raped,
into a commercial sex act against his or her violent fantasy concocted by some porn and selling the footage as porn online and
will, sex trafficking has occurred. director and his or her actors becomes the to stores across the U.S. This went on for
reality for some trafficking victim. [19] five years. [24] How many of those videos,
Once again, this aspect of the TVPA cast And then there is the risk factor connec- in five years, were viewed by individuals
new light on all the little forms of pimp- tion: the fact that, along with poverty and who would never dream of contributing to
ing and exploitation that might otherwise substance abuse, a child growing up in human trafficking, who assumed they were
fly under the radar. An individual bullies a home where pornography is regularly watching the work of consenting perform-
their spouse into prostituting themselves. consumed is far more likely to be trafficked ers?
Trafficking. A boyfriend or girlfriend pres- at some point in his or her life. [20]
sures their partner into stripping on a live But “consent” is a slippery word in the
webcam show and then threatens to show But what’s the biggest, most surprising world of porn. And of all the ways por-
the partner’s family and friends if they connection between pornography and nography and sex trafficking overlap, the
don’t do it again. Trafficking. A porn per- trafficking? It’s this: they’re often the same darkest, most surprising secret of all might
former shows up on set to discover that the thing. We can spend hours and hours be this: even in the production of main-
scene is much more degrading than they’d pointing out these cause-and-effect, sym- stream porn, sex trafficking is a regular
been told, and their agent gets them to go biotic relationships between trafficking occurrence. Remember, it doesn’t require
through with it by threatening to cancel and porn. Those connections are real, and kidnapping or threats of violence. All it
their other bookings. Again: trafficking. that’s an important conversation to have. requires is coercion:
But let’s not allow that to entrench the idea
And this is where the connections to that porn and sex trafficking are always “I was threatened that if I did not do the
pornography begin. separate. Far more often than people scene I was going to get sued for lots of
realize, they’re not. money.”
HOW IS SEX TRAFFICKING CON-
“[I] told them to stop but they wouldn’t
NECTED TO PORNOGRAPHY? HOW ARE SEX TRAFFICKING
stop until I started to cry and ruined the
AND PORN THE SAME THING?
“I was in California and I had a blow- scene.”
job scene. […] I go there and he’s like, To begin with, nearly half of sex trafficking
“Oh yeah, it’s a forced blowjob,” And victims report that pornography was made “He told me that I had to do it and if I
I’m like, “What?” Just one guy, one of them while they were in bondage. [21] can’t, he would charge me and I would
little camera on a tripod. […] I was The victim is not going to turn to the cam- lose any other bookings I had because I
scared. I was terrified. I didn’t know era and announce they are being trafficked, would make his agency look bad.” [25]
what to do. I didn’t know if I could tell and these images and videos make their
him no. Or the fact that we already way onto mainstream porn sites, where None of those quotes is from someone
recorded 15 minutes of it, if I could they are indistinguishable. In fact, even who was chained in a room. None of them
just f—ing leave. Then what? That’s if the victim does register their distress, are from victims who were beaten into
when I understood that’s how rape it’s still impossible to know, because rape submission or held at gunpoint in some
victims feel. Like, they feel bad about and abuse-themed porn have now become dingy brothel. Each of those actors drove
themselves.” [17] mainstream. One female survivor, whose home at the end of the shoot and collected
captor slept on top of her at night so she a paycheck. But does it sound like consent?
Or does it sound like coercion? (See The She continues, “Not everything is slavery, the demand for sex trafficking through
Porn Industry’s Dark Secrets.) and that’s okay. […] This doesn’t mean that pornography.
the activities just outside of slavery aren’t
This aspect of the porn world is so as horrendous.” [27]
common, you don’t even have to go to Citations
anti-pornography websites, or talk to ex- So what is slavery and what is merely hor-
[1] Willie Lynch Letter: The Making Of A Slave.
porn performers, to hear about it. Current rendous? How long does a person have to (N.d.). Retrieved From Http://Www.finalcall.com/
porn performers tell the same stories. It exploit the body of another human being Artman/Publish/Perspectives_1/Willie_Lynch_let-
speaks volumes about the culture and ex- before it qualifies as slavery? A decade? A ter_The_Making_of_a_Slave.shtml
pectations of the porn industry that often, year? An hour? How awful do the victims’
when you hear these same complaints experiences have to be? [2] Ampim, M. (2014, May 1. ) Death Of The
Willie Lynch Speech. Retrieved From Http://Www.
from people still inside the business, they
lb7.Uscourts.gov/Documents/13-28441.Pdf;
frame them in terms of an “unprofes- In the old days of the unimaginable Atlan-
sional” agent, director, or actor. As a legal tic Slave Trade, slave traders used to scatter Willie Lynch Is Dead (1712?-2003). (N.d.).
matter, under the TVPA, these aren’t just trinkets and bright red scraps of fabric Retrieved From Http://Web.archive.org/
people being bad at their jobs; these are along the beaches of West Africa and right Web/20031003153215/Http://Www.africana.com/
potential sex trafficking crimes, punishable up the ramps of their ships. Their victims Articles/Daily/Ht20030929lynch.asp
by up to twenty years in prison. In fact, walked up the ramps and into slavery,
[3] Cowan, A. L. (1216397989). What A Pimp
according to the United Nations definition lured by luxuries and shiny charms beyond Reads. Retrieved From Https://Cityroom.blogs.
of human trafficking, it doesn’t even matter anything they had ever seen. [28] nytimes.com/2008/07/18/What-A-Pimp-Reads/
whether the victim said no: “the consent
of the trafficked person becomes irrelevant What are the lures today? [4] Talking About Trafficking: Should We Use The
whenever any of the ‘means’ of trafficking Words Slave And Slavery? | Human Trafficking
Center (N.d.). Retrieved From Http://Human-
[coercion, fraud, threat of force, etc.] are “Come to Florida to start your modeling traffickingcenter.org/Talking-Trafficking-Using-
used.” [26] career!” Words-Slave-Slavery/
“Come to America for a better life!” [5] Human Trafficking Evokes Outrage, Little
CONCLUSION Evidence. (2007, September 23). Retrieved From
“I’ll make you a star!” Http://Www.washingtonpost.com/Wp-Dyn/Con-
Is sex trafficking modern-day slavery?
tent/Article/2007/09/22/AR2007092201401.Html
Sex trafficking is the experience of being
We’ve seen that the term “sex trafficking,” lured away from safety and into a situation [6] Graham, R. (2015, March 5). How Sex Traf-
as a legal matter, can apply to all kinds of where a person can be dominated and ficking Became A Christian Cause Célèbre. Slate.
situations, from the dungeon-like con- exploited by another human being. The Retrieved From Http://Www.slate.com/Articles/
ditions of a black market brothel to the victimization may last years, it may last Double_x/Faithbased/2015/03/Christians_and_
sex_trafficking_how_evangelicals_made_it_a_
simple coercion and intimidation that can minutes, but that common thread remains
cause_celebre.html
take place on the set of a modern porn the same.
shoot. With such a broad range of offenses, [7] Facts About Modern-Day Slavery | Anka
it’s understandable if it seems heavy-hand- Long before the American Civil War, Rising. (N.d.). Retrieved From Http://Www.
ed stamping the word “slavery” across the millions of Americans had come to the ankarising.org/Slavery/Facts-About-Modern-Day-
whole thing. Even in the ugliest examples, realization that slavery was evil. They Slavery/
the abusers don’t “own” their victims. condemned it. They preached sermons [8] The Facts. (2015, October 12). Retrieved From
Governments don’t sanction the behavior. about it. They published abolitionist books, Https://Polarisproject.org/Facts
One could reasonably ask: Why even make pamphlets, and tracts. They rescued slaves.
the comparison? They went to Congress. So why did the [9] International Labour Organization. (2014).
problem persist for decades? Profits And Poverty: The Economics Of Forced
Labour. Retrieved From Http://Www.ilo.org/
But then again, why does a modern-day
Wcmsp5/Groups/Public/—Ed_norm/—Declara-
pimp have a slavery manual sitting on the Because all while they were condemning, tion/Documents/Publication/Wcms_243391.Pdf
back seat of his car? preaching, and publishing about the evils
of slavery, they were also wearing the cot- [10] The Girls Next Door – The New York Times.
Survivor’s advocate, Minh Dang, makes ton shirts it produced. (2004, Jan 25). Retrieved From Http://Www.
an interesting point. Sometimes we have a nytimes.com/2004/01/25/Magazine/The-Girls-
Next-Door.html
tendency to define human trafficking only Modern sex trafficking shares a variety of
in the legal terms of what the perpetrator symbiotic connections to pornography. [11] Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)
does, instead of what the victim experi- Often they’re one and the same. You can Of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106–386, Section 102(A), 114
ences: “If we compare slavery and human hate a thing. You can be outraged by it. But Stat. 1464.
trafficking, we need to be clear about if you continue to sustain and engage with
whether we are talking about slavery as an the industry that helps give it life, what [12] Trafficking Victims Protection Act. (2009,
November 29). Retrieved From Https://Fightslavery-
institution, slavery as an economic activity, is your outrage worth? Make it count, be now.org/Why-Fight-There-Are-27-Million-Reasons/
or slavery as the condition of the person a voice against modern-day slavery. Be a The-Law-And-Trafficking/Trafficking-Victims-Pro-
being enslaved.” voice against sexual exploitation and stop tection-Act/Trafficking-Victims-Protection-Act/
[13] Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) [25] Hughes, D. (2010). “Sex Trafficking Of Wom-
Of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106–386, Section 102(A), 114 en For The Production Of Pornography,” Citizens
Stat. 1464. Against Trafficking.
[14] Collins, Amy. (2011). Sex Trafficking Of [26] FAQs. (N.d.). Retrieved From Https://Www.
Americans: The Girls Next Door. Vanity Fair. unodc.org/Unodc/En/Human-Trafficking/Faqs.
Retrieved From Http://Www.vanityfair.com/ html#What_if_a_trafficked_person_consents
News/2011/05/Sex-Trafficking-201105
[27] Language Matters: Defining Human Traf-
[15] United States Department Of Justice. (2008, ficking And Slavery – End Slavery Now. (N.d.).
May 14). Leader Of New York-Connecticut Retrieved From Http://Endslaverynow.org/
Sex-Trafficking Ring Pleads Guilty. Retrieved Blog/Articles/Language-Matters-Defining-Hu-
From Https://Www.justice.gov/Archive/Opa/ man-Trafficking-And-Slavery/
Pr/2008/March/08_crt_208.Html
[28] National Humanities Center. (N.d.) Capture
[16] Collins, Amy. (2011). Sex Trafficking Of In West Africa, Accounts From The Narratives
Americans: The Girls Next Door. Vanity Fair. Of Former Slaves, WPA Narratives, 1936-1938.
Retrieved From Http://Www.vanityfair.com/ Retrieved From Http://Nationalhumanitiescenter.
News/2011/05/Sex-Trafficking-201105 org/Pds/Maai/Freedom/Text6/Capturenarratives.
pdf
[17] Hot Girls Wanted. Netflix
[18] Zillmann And Bryant, “Effects Of Massive

Exposure To Pornography” In Pornography And
Sexual Aggression, Eds. Neil M. Malamuth And
Edward Donerstein (New York: Academic Press,
1984 And J. V. P. Check And T. H. Guloien, “The
Effects Of Repeated Exposure To Sexually Violent
Pornography, Nonviolent Dehumanizing Por-
nography, And Erotica,” In Pornography: Recent
Research, Interpretations, And Policy Consider-
ations, Eds. D. Zillmann And J. Bryant (Hillsdale,
N.J.: Erlbaum, 1989)
[19] Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm, LMSW,

Ph.D. Interview || Truth About Porn [Video File].
(2016, December 28). Retrieved From Https://
Vimeo.com/190317258
[20] Countryman-Roswurm, Karen (2017).

Primed For Perpetration: Porn And The Per-
petuation Of Sex Trafficking. Guest Blog For
FTND, Retrieved From Http://Fightthenewdrug.
org/Fighting-Sex-Trafficking-Absolutely-In-
cludes-Fighting-Pornography/
[21] Thorn, “A Report On The Use Of Technology

To Recruit, Groom, And Sell Domestic Minor
Sex Trafficking Victim (2015). Retrieved From
Https://Www.wearethorn.org/Wp-Content/Up-
loads/2015/02/Survivor_Survey_r5.Pdf
[22] Catharine A. MacKinnon, Are Women

Human? (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press, 2007
[23] U.S. Attorney’s Office For The Western

District Of Missouri, “Victim Tortured As Slave,
Forced Into Sex Trafficking And Forced Labor,”
Press Release, March 30, 2011.
[24] U.S. Department Of Justice, “Two Men

Sentenced To Multiple Life Sentences For Enticing
Women To South Florida To Engage In Commer-
cial Sex Acts And Distributing Date Rape Pills,”
Press Release, February 17, 2012.
HOW CONSUMING PORN
CAN LEAD TO VIOLENCE
It’s no secret that much of porn is violent, but many people don’t un-
derstand the extent to which porn’s underlying messages influence
behavior. Porn is full of people, particularly women, being disrespected,
coerced, and physically and verbally abused, and that’s shaping how
KEY TAKEAWAYS
society thinks and acts.
• Most mainstream porn contains vio-
A
lent sexual behavior against women.
few years ago, a team of researchers that exposure to both violent and nonvi-
• Consuming violent porn can change looked at 50 of the most popular porn olent porn increases aggressive behavior,
attitudes and leads individuals to films—the ones purchased and rented including both having violent fantasies and
think violent sex is normal and most often. [1] Of the 304 scenes the movies actually committing violent assaults. [8]
acceptable. contained, 88% contained physical violence
• Studies show that after consuming and 49% contained verbal aggression. On In 2016, a team of leading researchers
porn, even non-violent, consumers average, only one scene in 10 didn’t contain compiled all the research they could
are more likely to use verbal coer- any aggression, and the typical scene averaged find on the subject. [9] After examining
cion, drugs, and alcohol to coerce 12 physical or verbal attacks. One particularly twenty-two studies they concluded that
individuals into sex. disturbing scene managed to fit in 128! the research left, “little doubt that, on the
average, individuals who consume por-
The amount of violence shown in porn is nography more frequently are more likely
astonishing but equally disturbing is the to hold attitudes conducive [favorable] to
reaction of the victims. In the study, 95% of sexual aggression and engage in actual acts
the victims (almost all of them women) either of sexual aggression.”
were neutral to the abuse or appeared to
respond with pleasure. [2] If you’re wondering how sitting in a chair
consuming porn can actually change what
In other words, in porn, people are getting a person thinks and does, the answer goes
beaten up and they’re smiling about it. back to how porn affects the brain (See
How Porn Changes The Brain). Our brains
Of course, not all porn features physical have what scientists call “mirror neu-
violence, but even non-violent porn has been rons”—brain cells that fire not only when
shown to have effects on consumers. The vast we do things ourselves, but also when we
majority of porn—violent or not—portrays watch other people do things. [10] This is
men as powerful and in charge; while women why movies can make us cry or feel angry
are submissive and obedient. [3] Watching or scared. Essentially, mirror neurons let
scene after scene of dehumanizing submission us share the emotion of other people’s
makes it start to seem normal. [4] It sets the experiences as we watch. So when a person
stage for lopsided power dynamics in couple is looking at porn, he or she naturally
relationships and the gradual acceptance of starts to respond to the emotions of the
verbal and physical aggression against wom- actors seen on the screen. As the consum-
en. [5] Research has confirmed that those er becomes aroused, his or her brain gets
who consume porn (even if it’s nonviolent) to work wiring together those feelings of
are more likely to support statements that arousal to what is seen happening on the
promote abuse and sexual aggression toward screen, almost as if he or she was actually
women and girls. [6] having the experience. [11] So if a person
feels aroused watching a man or woman
But porn doesn’t just change attitudes; it get kicked around and called names, that
can also shape actions. Study after study has individual’s brain learns to associate that
shown that consumers of violent and nonvi- kind of violence with sexual arousal. [12]
olent porn are more likely to use verbal coer-
cion, drugs, and alcohol to coerce individuals To make matters worse, when porn shows
into sex. [7] And multiple studies have found victims of violence who seem to accept or
enjoy being hurt, the viewer is fed the mes- Saying no to porn is helping to build a Adolescent Health, 27, 2: 41–44. Retrieved From
sage that people like to be treated that way, less violent world; one that’s more loving, Https://Www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Pubmed/10904205
giving porn consumers a sense that it’s connected, humane, sexy, and safe.
[5] Layden, M. A. (2010). Pornography And
okay to act aggressively themselves. [13] Violence: A New Look At The Research. In J.
Consumers might tell themselves that they Citations Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 57–68).
aren’t personally affected by porn, that they Princeton, NJ: Witherspoon Institute; Berkel,
[1] Bridges, A. J., Wosnitzer, R., Scharrer, E., L. A., Vandiver, B. J., & Bahner, A. D. (2004).
won’t be fooled into believing its underly- Sun, C. & Liberman, R. (2010). Aggression Gender Role Attitudes, Religion, And Spirituality
ing messages, but studies suggest other- And Sexual Behavior In Best Selling Pornog- As Predictors Of Domestic Violence Attitudes
wise. There is clear evidence that porn raphy Videos: A Content Analysis Update. In White College Students. Journal Of College
makes many consumers more likely to Violence Against Women, 16(10), 1065–1085. Student Development, 45:119–131. Doi:10.1353/
support violence against women, to believe Doi:10.1177/1077801210382866 Csd.2004.0019 ; Allen, M., Emmers, T., Geb-
that women secretly enjoy being raped, hardt, L., And Giery, M. A. (1995). Exposure
[2] Bridges, A. J., Wosnitzer, R., Scharrer, E., To Pornography And Acceptance Of The Rape
[14] and to actually be sexually aggressive Sun, C. & Liberman, R. (2010). Aggression Myth. Journal Of Communication, 45(1), 5–26.
in real life. [15] The aggression may take And Sexual Behavior In Best Selling Pornog- Doi:10.1111/J.1460-2466.1995.Tb00711.X
many forms including verbally harassing raphy Videos: A Content Analysis Update.
or pressuring someone for sex, emotional- Violence Against Women, 16(10), 1065–1085. [6] Hald, G. M., Malamuth, N. M., And Yuen, C.
ly manipulating them, threatening to end Doi:10.1177/1077801210382866. See Also Whis- (2010). Pornography And Attitudes Supporting
nant, R. (2016). Pornography, Humiliation, And Violence Against Women: Revisiting The Relation-
the relationship unless they grant favors,
Consent. Sexualization, Media, & Society, 2(3), ship In Nonexperimental Studies. Aggression And
deceiving them or lying to them about sex, 1-7. Doi:10.1177/2374623816662876 (Arguing Behavior, 36(1), 14–20. Doi:10.1002/Ab.20328;
or even physically assaulting them. [16] That “Pornography’s Berkel, L. A., Vandiver, B. J., And Bahner, A. D.
(2004). Gender Role Attitudes, Religion, And
And remember that porn use frequently [3] DeKeseredy, W. (2015). Critical Crimino- Spirituality As Predictors Of Domestic Violence
escalates over time, so even if consumers logical Understandings Of Adult Pornography Attitudes In White College Students. Journal Of
And Women Abuse: New Progressive Directions College Student Development, 45(2), 119–131.
don’t start out watching violent porn, that In Research And Theory. International Journal Doi:10.1353/Csd.2004.0019; Zillmann, D. (2004).
may change. (See Why Consuming Porn Is For Crime, Justice, And Social Democracy, 4(4) Pornografie. In R. Mangold, P. Vorderer, & G.
An Escalating Behavior.) The longer they 4-21. Doi:10.5204/Ijcjsd.v4i4.184; Rothman, E. F., Bente (Eds.) Lehrbuch Der Medienpsychologie
consume, the more likely they’ll find them- Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N., Jansen, E., & Baugh- (Pp. 565–85). Gottingen, Germany: Hogrefe
selves seeking out increasingly shocking, man, A. (2015). “Without Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Verlag; Zillmann, D. (1989). Effects Of Prolonged
Half The Things I Know Now”: A Qualitative Consumption Of Pornography. In D. Zillmann &
hardcore content. [17]
Study Of Pornography Use Among A Sample Of J. Bryant, (Eds.) Pornography: Research Advances
Urban, Low-Income, Black And Hispanic Youth. And Policy Considerations (P. 155). Hillsdale, N.J.:
Not surprisingly, the more violent the porn Journal Of Sex Research, 52(7), 736-746. Doi:1 L. Erlbaum Associates.
they consume, the more likely they will be 0.1080/00224499.2014.960908; Layden, M. A.
to support violence and act out violently. (2010) Pornography And Violence: A New Look [7] Boeringer, S. B. (1994). Pornography And
[18] In fact, one study found that those At The Research. In Stoner, J. & Hughes, D. (Eds.), Sexual Aggression: Associations Of Violent And
The Social Cost Of Pornography: A Collection Nonviolent Depictions With Rape And Rape
with higher exposure to violent porn were
Of Papers (Pp. 57-68). Princeton, N.J.: Wither- Proclivity. Deviant Behavior 15(3), 289–304; Do
six times more likely to have raped some- spoon Institute; Ryu, E. (2008). Spousal Use Of i:10.1080/01639625.1994.9967974; Check, J. &
one than those who had low past exposure. Pornography And Its Clinical Significance For Guloien, T. (1989). The Effects Of Repeated Expo-
[19] Asian-American Women: Korean Woman As An sure To Sexually Violent Pornography, Nonviolent
Illustration. Journal Of Feminist Family Therapy, Dehumanizing Pornography, And Erotica. In D.
Of course, not every porn consumer is 16(4), 75. Doi:10.1300/J086v16n04_05; Shope, Zillmann & J. Bryant (Eds.) Pornography: Re-
J. H. (2004). When Words Are Not Enough: The search Advances And Policy Considerations (Pp.
going to turn into a rapist. But that doesn’t Search For The Effect Of Pornography On Abused 159–84). Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Asso-
change the fact that pornography is hitting Women. Violence Against Women, 10(1), 56-72. ciates; Marshall, W. L. (1988). The Use Of Sexually
us with a tidal wave of dehumanizing Doi:10.1177/1077801203256003 Explicit Stimuli By Rapists, Child Molesters, And
violence. It makes no sense for our society Non-Offenders. Journal Of Sex Research, 25(2):
to accept the messages of porn, while [4] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N., 267–88. Doi:10.1080/00224498809551459
Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without
at the same time calling for full gender
Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know [8] Wright, P.J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A.
equality and an end of sexual assault. A Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use (2016). A Meta-Analysis Of Pornography Con-
large portion of the porn consumed by Among A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black sumption And Actual Acts Of Sexual Aggres-
millions of people every day is reinforcing And Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research, sion In General Population Studies. Journal Of
the message that humiliation and violence 52(7), 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.9609 Communication, 66(1), 183-205. Doi:10.1111/
are normal parts of what sex is supposed to 08; Weinberg, M. S., Williams, C. J., Kleiner, S., & Jcom.12201; DeKeseredy, W. (2015). Critical
Irizarry, Y. (2010). Pornography, Normalization Criminological Understandings Of Adult Por-
be. [20] It’s wiring the minds and expecta-
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and leaving both women and men feeling Of Research. Computers In Human Behavior, Emmers, T., Gebhardt, L., & Giery, M. A. (1995).
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(2016). A Meta-Analysis Of Pornography Con- Pornography: Research Advances And Policy Tb00711.X
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sion In General Population Studies. Journal Of rence Erlbaum Associates; Check, J. & Malamuth, [19] oeringer, S. B. (1994). Pornography And
Communication, 66(1), 183-205. Doi:10.1111/ N. M. (1985). An Empirical Assessment Of Some Sexual Aggression: Associations Of Violent And
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The Context Of Neuroplasticity. Socioaffective A New Look At The Research. In J. Stoner & D. The Brain That Changes Itself. New York: Penguin
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THE PORN INDUSTRY’S
DARK SECRETS
Would you support a business if you knew that they abused some (but
not all) of their female employees? Pornographers don’t want you to
think about it, but even if some of the humiliation, degradation, and
sexual violence you see in porn is consensual, some is not.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Consumers have no way of knowing I got the &*%$ kicked out of me …. she gave her consent. [3] But what if she
whether or not individuals in por- Most of the girls start crying because didn’t? What if she really didn’t want to
nography gave their consent. they’re hurting so bad …. I couldn’t be painfully dominated, humiliated, and
• Many victims of human sex traf- breathe. I was being hit and choked. I sexually used for the world to see? The
ficking are used in the production of was really upset and they didn’t stop. truth is, there’s often much more going on
pornography. They kept filming. [I asked them to turn than what you see on the screen. That is,
the camera off] and they kept going. perhaps, the porn industry’s biggest, dark-
REGAN STARR est secret: it’s not all consensual.
FORMER PORN ACTOR [1]
In the spring of 2004, during the American There is a tendency to believe that “human
occupation of Iraq, the world was shocked to trafficking” refers to a Third World prob-
learn that US soldiers were abusing prisoners lem: forced prostitution or child pornog-
in Abu Ghraib. Hundreds of leaked photos raphy rings in some far-off, developing
showed Iraqi prisoners being made to crawl country. The truth is, sex trafficking is
on the floor wearing leashes, wear panties on officially defined as a “modern-day form
their heads, masturbate for the camera, touch of slavery in which a commercial sex act
other men’s naked bodies, and even more de- is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or
grading behaviors that we are not comfortable in which the person induced to perform
mentioning here. What horrified the public such an act is under the age of 18 years.”
was not only the human rights violations [4] That means any instance in which the
themselves, but the fact that the soldiers re- individual on screen was forced, tricked,
corded the abuse with obvious glee. In many or pressured. By that definition, human
of the photos, soldiers grinned and flashed a trafficking is everywhere. [5] (See How
“thumbs up” to the camera as they stood over Porn Fuels Sex Trafficking.)
their victims. After an investigation, several
soldiers were dishonorably discharged from The examples are chilling. In 2011, two
the military and others served time in prison Miami men were found guilty of spending
for what they had done at Abu Ghraib. [2] five years luring women into a human
trafficking trap. [6] They would advertise
That same year, pornographers video-record- modeling roles, then when women came
ed and photographed thousands of women to try out, they would drug them, kidnap
enduring nearly identical treatment and them, rape them, videotape the violence,
worse. Those images were published on the and sell it to porn stores and businesses
internet and viewed by millions of porn con- across the country.
sumers. There was no public outcry.
That same year a couple in Missouri was
Comparing porn to what happened in Abu charged with forcing a mentally handi-
Ghraib will ruffle some people’s feathers. A capped girl to produce porn for them by
knee-jerk reaction is to say, “Those are totally beating, whipping, suffocating, electrocu-
different! In porn, women give their consent!” tion, drowning, mutilating, and choking
her until she agreed. One of the photos
But do they? Do we know for sure that they forced her to make ended up on the
anyone in any porn content gave their con- front cover of a porn publication owned by
sent? Defenders of pornography make this Hustler Magazine Group. [7]
argument all the time, that no matter how a
woman is treated in porn, it’s okay because So sure, you could say the handicapped
girl “agreed” to participate. You could How can it be ethical to say that “porn is Http://Www.collectiveshout.org/The_sex_fac-
argue that the women voluntarily respond- okay because participants give their con- tor_mainstreaming_and_normalising_the_abuse_
and_exploitation_of_women
ed to an ad. But do you really think those sent,” when we know for a fact that some—
victims gave their consent? We all know probably much more than you think—
that’s not real consent, that’s coercion. do not?
In porn, the question of consent can be

tricky (and the growing phenomenon of Citations
amateur porn makes it even trickier). For
example, if one of the participants doesn’t [1] Amis, M. (2001, March 17). A Rough Trade.
The Guardian (U.K.), March 17. Retrieved From
know there’s a camera running, then the Https://Www.theguardian.com/Books/2001/
porn is not consensual, even if the sex is. Mar/17/Society.martinamis1
Right? What if a person consented to be
filmed, but not to have the film shown to [2] Whisnant, R. (2016). Pornography, Humil-
anyone else? What if someone manipulat- iation, And Consent. Sexualization, Media, &
ed their partner into being filmed in the Society, 2(3), 1-7. Doi:10.1177/2374623816662876
first place, like making him or her worry [3] Whisnant, R. (2016). Pornography, Humil-
that they’d blackmail them if they didn’t iation, And Consent. Sexualization, Media, &
cooperate? Or what if a person agreed to Society, 2(3), 1-7. Doi:10.1177/2374623816662876;
have sex, but in the middle, their partner Dines, G., (2010). Pornland: How Porn Has Hi-
suddenly started doing something that the jacked Our Sexuality. Boston, MA: Beacon Press;
Dworkin, A., (1980). Pornography: Men Possess-
person who initially gave consent didn’t
ing Women. New York, NY: Penguin Books.
expect? Did he or she still give consent?
[4] Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) Of
The point is, when you consume porn, 2000. Pub. L. No. 106-386, Section 103 (8) (A).
there’s no way to know what kind of
“consent” the actors have given. You can’t [5] Peters, R. W., Lederer, L. J., And Kelly, S.
(2012). The Slave And The Porn Star: Sexual
assume, just because someone appears in Trafficking And Pornography. In M. Mattar &
a porn video, that they knew beforehand J. Braunmiller (Eds.) Journal Of Human Rights
exactly what would happen or that they And Civil Society 5: 1-21. Retrieved From Http://
had a real choice or the ability to stop what Www.protectionproject.org/Wp-Content/Up-
was being done. loads/2012/11/TPP-J-HR-Civ-Socy_Vol-5_2012-
W-Cover.pdf; Malarek, V. (2009). The Johns: Sex
For Sale And The Men Who Buy It. (Pp. 202-204)
“I’ve never received a beating like that be- New York, NY: Arcade; Farley, M. (2007). Renting
fore in my life,” said Alexandra Read after An Organ For Ten Minutes: What Tricks Tell Us
being whipped and caned for 35 minutes. About Prostitution, Pornography, And Trafficking.
“I have permanent scars up and down the In D. E. Guinn & J. DiCaro (Eds.) Pornography:
backs of my thighs. It was all things that I Driving The Demand In International Sex Traf-
ficking, (P. 145). BLoomington, IN: Xlibris. D. M.
had consented to, but I didn’t know quite
Hughes. (2000). “Welcome To The Rape Camp”:
the brutality of what was about to happen Sexual Exploitation And The Internet In Cambo-
to me until I was in it.” [8] dia. Journal Of Sexual Aggression, 6(1-2), 29-51.
Doi:10.1080/13552600008413308
Did you catch what Alexandra said there?
“It was all things that I had consented to.” [6] U.S. Department Of Justice. (2012). Two Men
Sentenced To Multiple Life Sentences For Enticing
That’s the problem with treating consent Women To South Florida To Engage In Commer-
like it’s “all-or-nothing.” She consented to cial Sex Acts And Distributing Date Rape Pills.
do X. She didn’t consent to do X, Y, and Z². Press Release, Feb. 17.
We’re not claiming that all porn is [7] Peters, R. W., Lederer, L. J., And Kelly, S.
non-consensual. We’re just pointing out (2012). The Slave And The Porn Star: Sexual
Trafficking And Pornography. In M. Mattar & J.
that some of it is and some of it isn’t, and Braunmiller (Eds.) Journal Of Human Rights And
when you watch it there’s no way to know Civil Society 5: 1-21; U.S. Attorney’s Office For
which is which. The Western District Of Missouri. (2010). Woman
Tortured As Slave, Victim Of Trafficking And
So, would you buy from a company if you Forced Labor. Press Release, September 9. Http://
Www.justice.gov/Usao/Mw/News2010/Bagley.ind.
knew that some, but not all, of their prod-
htm
ucts were made with child labor? Would
you support a store that abused some, but [8] Collective Shout (2014, July 24) The Sex Fac-
not all, of their employees? tor: Mainstreaming And Normalising The Abuse
And Exploitation Of Women. Retrieved From
HOW PORN WARPS IDEAS
ABOUT SEX
Whether they want to or not, the majority of teens are getting some
of their sex education from porn. Researchers have repeatedly found
that people who have seen a significant amount of porn are more likely
to start having sex sooner and with more partners; and to engage in
KEY TAKEAWAYS
riskier kinds of sex, putting them at greater risk of contracting sexually
• Porn has become a fictional version transmitted infections.
of sexual education for most young
I
people.
magine what would happen if your of brutal anal sex and women being humil-
• Sexual preferences of porn viewers
school’s health class was taught by a ciga- iated and degraded by two or more men at
have become heavily in influenced
rette salesman. Chances are, you wouldn’t any one time are the new norms.” [5]
by pornography.
hear much about lung cancer or how much
• The porn industry becomes increas- shorter the typical smoker’s lifespan is. He Researchers are finding that porn’s influ-
ingly more extreme in a competitive might even try to tell you that smoking could ence can and does find its way into teen-
market. boost your sprint time. Sounds ridiculous, ager’s sexual behaviors. [6] For example,
• Porn edits out the consequences of right? But that’s the kind of education mil- people who have consumed a significant
unhealthy sex practices. lions of teens are getting about sex every day. amount of porn are more likely to start
having sex sooner and with more partners,
While porn is often called “adult material,” to engage in riskier kinds of sex that put
many of its viewers are well under the legal them at greater risk of getting sexually
age. [1] In fact, the majority of teens are get- transmitted infections, and to have actually
ting at least some of their sex ed from porn, contracted an STI. [7]
whether they mean to or not. [2] And just like
cigarette commercials show healthy people Sociologist Dr. Michael Kimmel has found
puffing away instead of the cancer-causing that men’s sexual fantasies have become
reality, porn is offering a completely warped heavily influenced by porn, [8] which gets
idea of what partners, sex, and relationships awfully tricky when their partners don’t
are really like. [3] want to act out the degrading or dangerous
acts porn shows. [9] As a result, individu-
Studies show that people who consume porn als who consume pornography have been
are far more likely to believe that things like shown to be more likely to go to prosti-
group sex or dangerous sex acts are more tutes, [10] often looking for a chance to
common than their non-porn-consuming live out what they’ve seen in porn. [11] In
peers. [4] Why? Because that’s what they’ve one survey of former prostitutes, 80% said
seen in porn. In one study of popular porn that customers had shown them images of
videos, the average number of sexual partners porn to illustrate what they wanted to do.
in a scene was three, although the number [12]
ranged as high as 19. Today’s mainstream
porn sites include whole categories of unpro- But just as harmful as the things porn
tected sex with strangers, brutal gang rape, shows is what it doesn’t show. Pornography
and other dangerous and violent sex acts. doesn’t give an accurate picture of what
healthy sex is like; they cut out things like
And porn keeps getting worse. talking, cuddling, bonding touch, and
other ways partners are responsive to each
“A competitive market means that pornogra- other’s needs and preferences. [13] They
phers are trying to outdo each other to come also cut out the consequences of the kinds
up with the most extreme images,” explains of sex portrayed in porn. [14] No one ever
Dr. John Wood, a therapist who works with contracts sexually transmitted infections in
youth addicted to pornography. “This contest porn. There are no unplanned pregnancies,
to push the boundaries means that straight no cervical cancer, no intestinal parasites,
intercourse is considered too boring. Images and no skin tearing or bruises.
In porn, no matter how rough a person And Sexual “Reality” Of Contemporary Pornog-
treats their partner, nearly everything Citations raphy. Journal Of Sex Research, 30(2), 161–70.
Doi:10.1080/00224499309551697
looks like it feels good. [15] In fact, in
[1] Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P. M. (2016). Adoles-
the study of popular porn videos, in nine cents And Pornography: A Review Of 20 Years [4] Weinberg, M. S., Williams, C. J., Kleiner, S., &
scenes out of 10, a woman was being hit, Of Research. Journal Of Sex Research, 53(4-5), Irizarry, Y. (2010). Pornography, Normalization
beaten, yelled at, or otherwise harmed, and 509-531. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.114344 And Empowerment. Archives Of Sexual Behavior,
the result was almost always the same: the 1; Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N., 39 (6) 1389-1401. Doi:10.1007/S10508-009-9592-
victim either responded with pleasure or Jansen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without 5; Doring, N. M. (2009). The Internet’s Impact
Porn…I Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know On Sexuality: A Critical Review Of 15 Years
had no response at all. [16] Now”: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use Of Research. Computers In Human Behavior,
Among A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black 25(5), 1089-1101. Doi:10.1016/J.chb.2009.04.003;
Not only does porn offer a warped version And Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research, Layden, M. A. (2004). Committee On Commerce,
of sex education, it also delivers that 52(7), 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.96 Science, And Transportation, Subcommittee On
education in a way perfectly tailored to 0908; Sun, C., Bridges, A., Johnason, J., Ezzell, Science And Space, U.S. Senate, Hearing On The
M., (2014). Pornography And The Male Sexual Brain Science Behind Pornography Addiction,
how our brains learn. [17] (See How Porn
Script: An Analysis Of Consumption And Sexual November 18; ; Zillmann, D. (2000). Influence Of
Changes the Brain.) Images are especially Relations. Archives Of Sexual Behavior, 45, 1-12. Unrestrained Access To Erotica On Adolescents’
powerful teachers since they can pack in Doi:10.1007/S10508-014-0391-2 (Finding That And Young Adults’ Dispositions Toward Sexuality.
a whole lot of information that the viewer Nearly Half Of College-Age Men Report Having Journal Of Adolescent Health, 27(2), 41–44.
can understand very quickly. And while Been First Exposed To Internet Porn Prior To Age Doi:10.1016/S1054-139X(00)00137-3
words are often interpreted as mere opin- 13)
[5] Woods, J. (2012). Jamie Is 13 And Hasn’t Even
ions, our brains are more likely to accept
[2] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N., Jan- Kissed A Girl. But He’s Now On The Sex Offender
images as facts. After all, it’s a lot more sen, E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without Porn…I Register After Online Porn Warped His Mind.
difficult to argue with something you’re Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know Now”: A Daily Mail (U.K.), April 25.
seeing happen in front of you. [18] Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use Among A
Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black And His- [6] Peter, J. & Valkenburg, P. M., (2016) Adoles-
And what messages are young people panic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research, 52(7), 736- cents And Pornography: A Review Of 20 Years
746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960908; Paul, Of Research. Journal Of Sex Research, 53(4-5),
learning so effectively from porn? A recent P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno To Porn: 509-531. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1143441;
study of adolescent porn use concluded How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Stoner & D. Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N., Jansen,
that the major messages presented by porn Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: E., & Baughman, A. (2015). “Without Porn…I
are male domination, hypermasculinity, A Collection Of Papers (Pp. 3–20). Princeton, N.J.: Wouldn’t Know Half The Things I Know Now”:
and making male sexual pleasure the top Witherspoon Institute; Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: A Qualitative Study Of Pornography Use Among
How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, A Sample Of Urban, Low-Income, Black And
priority. [19]
Our Relationships, And Our Families. New York: Hispanic Youth. Journal Of Sex Research, 52(7),
Henry Hold And Co., 16-17; Prigg, M., & Sims, 736-746. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2014.960908
What kind of education is that? P. (2004). Truth About Dangers Of Net As Half
Of Children Are Exposed To Porn. The Evening [7] Morgan, E. M. (2011). Associations Between
“It’s sad,” says Dr. Gary Brooks, a psychol- Standard (London), September 3; U.S. Govern- Young Adults’ Use Of Sexually Explicit Materials
ogy professor who studies the effects of ment Accountability Office. (2003). File-Sharing And Their Sexual Preferences, Behaviors, And
Programs: Peer-To-Peer Networks Provide Ready Satisfaction. Journal Of Sex Research, 48(6), 520-
porn. “Boys who are initiated in [to] sex
Access To Child Pornography. Washington, D.C.: 530. Doi:10.1080/00224499.2010.543960; Layden,
through these images become indoctrinat- GAO, February. M. A. (2010). Pornography And Violence: A New
ed in a way that can potentially stay with Look At The Research. In J. Stoner & D. Hughes
them for the rest of their lives.” [20] And [3] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno (Eds.) The Social Costs Of Pornography: A
think about it, what messages does that To Porn: How Porn Became The Norm. In J. Collection Of Papers (Pp. 57–68). Princeton, NJ:
send to young women and girls who are Stoner & D. Hughes (Eds.) The Social Costs Witherspoon Institute; Carroll, J. S., Padilla-Walk-
Of Pornography: A Collection Of Papers (Pp. er, L. M., & Nelson, L. J. (2008). Generation XXX:
consuming this content as well? 3–20). Princeton, N.J.: Witherspoon Institute; Pornography Acceptance And Use Among Emerg-
Carroll, J. S., Padilla-Walker, L. M., And Nel- ing Adults. Journal Of Adolescent Research 23(1),
That’s what porn is: indoctrination, the son, L. J. (2008). Generation XXX: Pornography 6–30. Doi:10.1177/0743558407306348; Hagg-
process of teaching a person or group to Acceptance And Use Among Emerging Adults. strom-Nordin, E., Tyden, T., & Hanson, U. (2005).
accept a set of beliefs uncritically. It isn’t Journal Of Adolescent Research, 23(1), 6–30. Associations Between Pornography Consumption
Doi:10.1177/0743558407306348; Layden, M. A. And Sexual Practices Among Adolescents In Swe-
just entertainment. It isn’t just titillating.
(2004). Committee On Commerce, Science, And den. International Journal Of STD & AIDS, 16(2),
It teaches a detrimental message from Transportation, Subcommittee On Science And 102–7. Doi:10.1258/0956462053057512; Wingood,
a specific worldview. We can limit the Space, U.S. Senate, Hearing On The Brain Science G. M., Et Al. (2001). Exposure To X-Rated Movies
advancement of porn’s ideals by spreading Behind Pornography Addiction, November 18; And Adolescents’ Sexual And Contraceptive-Re-
the truth, especially to young people. And Marshall, W. L. (2000). Revisiting The Use Of Por- lated Attitudes And Behaviors. Pediatrics, 107(5),
for those who feel caught up in porn’s web, nography By Sexual Offenders: Implications For 1116–19. Retrieved From Https://Www.ncbi.nlm.
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it’s never too late to stop and even turn
sion, 6(1-2), 67. Doi:10.1080/13552600008413310;
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out how. Men And Women Respond To X-Rated Videos Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, And
Intended For Male Or Female Audiences: Gender Our Families. New York: Henry Hold And Co., 27.
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G E T T H E FA C T S

BRAIN HEART WORLD

[17] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-

[18] Satinover, J. (2004). Senate Committee On

[19] Pitchers, K. K., Et Al. (2013). Natural And

[20] Banca, P., Et Al. (2016). Novelty, Condition-

[21] Angres, D. H., & Bettinardi-Angres, K.

[19] Volkow, N. D., Koob, G. F., & McLellan, A.

Porn is just watching people have

[20] Frith, H. (2015). Visualizing The ‘Real’ And

[21] Flisher, C. (2010). Getting Plugged In:

[22] Park, B. Y., Et Al. (2016). Is Internet Pornog-

[16] Layden, M. A. (2004). Committee On Com-

[17] Weinberg, M. S., Williams, C. J., Kleiner, S.,

[18] Hald, G. M., Malamuth, N. M., & Yuen, C.

[19] DeKeseredy, W. (2015). Critical Crimino-

[20] Wright, P., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A.

[15] Paul, P. (2007). Pornified: How Pornography

[16] Interview With Dr. Gary Brooks, Oct. 23,

[26] Kalman, T. P., (2008). Clinical Encounters

[27] Doidge, N. (2007). The Brain That Changes

[19] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno

[20] Paul, P. (2010). From Pornography To Porno

[21] Bridges, A. J. (2010). Pornography’s Effect On

[22] Rothman, E. F., Kaczmarsky, C., Burke, N.,

[18] Zillmann And Bryant, “Effects Of Massive

[19] Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm, LMSW,

[20] Countryman-Roswurm, Karen (2017).

[21] Thorn, “A Report On The Use Of Technology

[22] Catharine A. MacKinnon, Are Women

[23] U.S. Attorney’s Office For The Western

[24] U.S. Department Of Justice, “Two Men

In porn, the question of consent can be

[15] Frith, H. (2014). Visualizing The ‘Real’ And

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