Watching pornography changes how men think, their attitude, commitment to relationships, sexuality,  and the likelihood to be aggressive towards women. According to recent research, pornography has multiple adverse effects on users.

In this article, we’ll only discuss the effects of pornography on men. Women, in contrast, are not so much involved in pornography, and the impact of their use is less clear.

Hostile sexism

Pornography affects men’s attitude towards women negatively. Besides, pornography users have been shown to have less egalitarian views. Still, it’s unclear whether pornography use is causing this difference or if it’s just that less egalitarian men are more likely to use pornography.

However, researchers randomly chose men to watch pornography and then examined where they landed on the “hostile sexism” scale. The men who watched pornography got higher rankings on the scale than those who didn’t. This research finds pornography to cause men to become more sexist in their attitude.

Of course,  this research would not surprise many people out there since many consider pornography diminishing and objectifying women. Generally speaking, what people believe will naturally become consistent with their behaviour. So even if a non-sexist man begins watching pornography, he will typically start thinking it’s right to objectify and diminish women.

More affairs

The use of Pornography reduces commitment towards a relationship. Men who regularly watch pornography are more likely to be unfaithful to their spouses. It isn’t just that unfaithful men are likely to use pornography, but pornography seems to cause cheating.

In another study,  researchers chose men randomly and shown them pornography. Afterwards, these men were more likely to see other women as an alternative to their romance. In another research,  a group of regular porn users stopped watching pornography for three weeks. After three weeks, these men were more committed to their relationship.

Several other exciting studies have been done examining how pornography affects relationships. In certain research, porn users are more likely to flirt when chatting online. In another study, couples were to finish a task together, and their interactions were videotaped. The observers then rated the couples’ interactions on how committed they seemed to be. The couples whose men used porn were rated lower on commitment than the non-porn couples.

Changed sexuality

According to research, porn in males predicts lower sex quality for both men and women. Men usually report their spouses as not attractive to them when they use pornography, explaining why the lowered quality. Sexuality, like any other behaviour, can be modified to an extent by reward and punishment. If a man regularly has rewarding sexual experiences with pornography, he will always require porn for stimulation to achieve orgasm.

Additionally, adolescents exposed to pornography have shown uncertainty in their sexual beliefs and orientation as well. It’s impossible to tell whether pornography is causing this uncertainty or it’s just uncertain youths seeking out pornography, but the connection is worrying. If your child involves themselves with pornography, it’s helpful to discuss sexuality and pornography to help them manage potential feelings of uncertainty.

Brain function

Recent research shows that pornography users experience more difficulty with attention and working memory. These differences not only occur during the use of pornography but also continue throughout the day. Porn users seem to support this, signifying they think better after ending porn usage.

Violence

Pornography appears to cause men to be more physically abusive towards women. In an exciting study, researchers showed random men pornography, and some were not. The researchers brought them a week later and paired them with females who were part of the research. At the start of their meeting, the woman would mildly reject the man by saying the man wasn’t attractive.

The man had the option to physically punish the lady if she got the answer wrong when they played a guessing game.  It was clear that men exposed to pornography were more likely to punish their women than those who were not exposed.

It’s insinuated that pornography makes men be more likely violent against women. This type of research is unethical, as it has no proof.

Couples Therapy for Porn Addiction

While for some couples, pornography is an issue, for others, it’s not. When couples visit a  therapy professional because of a pornography issue, therapists differ in approaching the problem. Some encourage the woman to accept pornography then will try to help her solve the problem.  Other therapists will assess the problem and begin treating the usage of pornography. Usually, in such a situation, porn usage is already an addiction to the man. If it weren’t an addiction, he would have likely stopped immediately he realized it was an issue for his partner.

Pornography as infidelity

When pornography is a problem, it can feel like infidelity. If the woman is not happy with it, it will usually either stop or be a secret. When a man does this in secret, the relationship will be full of lies,  feelings of these “other women,” and the loss of intimacy.  The fact that the man is seeking comfort from another source makes the dynamics in the relationship very similar to those created by cheating. Sometimes, a man can have a stronger relationship with pornography than with his partner. Couples therapy helps in these instances by assisting the couple to be a team in the fight against pornography addiction.

Conclusion

There are many adverse effects of pornography, but one of the most worrying aspects is that users seem oblivious to how it changes them. In fact, pornography users usually report feeling more optimistic about their porn usage. Unfortunately, this leaves users as the last to recognize how pornography has negatively affected their relationships and psyche. Pornography usage is growing every day. Technology is making it even more accessible to teenagers.

As pornography grows, it’s more important for society to understand its dangers so that everyone can make informed decisions and actions.

By Dr. Syras Derksen
Winnipeg Psychologist

References:
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