Whether you’re done with hours flicking through scenes or your habits are starting to impact your dating life, problematic porn use can be tough to quit. It’s not just a case of lacking willpower —there are factors at play that make it difficult to close the browser. To understand why porn is so hard to quit, you need to understand the three As — accessibility, affordability and anonymity. And how these have changed enormously over time.
A brief look at porn of the past
Have you ever watched a porn film from the 1970s? Films from this era had detailed plots and made use of common filming techniques, like cutaway scenes. The sex scenes themselves could last for 20 to 30 minutes, generously showing all aspects of the experience. There were a variety of body types on show, with pubic hair and flaccid dicks. You might even be treated to a random musical number or a drag queen performance halfway through. Creativity was key.
Prior to VHS, you would be required to venture to an adult cinema to view these epic films of adult entertainment. Adult cinemas weren’t on every corner, and you ran the risk of being seen by someone you know. You also had to sit through it; you couldn’t skip scenes or jump to another video. Accessibility increased with the development of VHS and DVD; however, consumers would still be required to locate and visit a shop stocking this genre. Adult films were not a standard item in every video store, and the fear of being seen purchasing a film could certainly deter some consumers.
Today, we exchange memes about viewing porn on our phones during our morning commute. Adult content is not only a click away on our PCs, but also in the palm of our hands. It is unavoidable — Facebook and Instagram are flooded by both influencers and companies alike, as sex continues to sell. Explicit material is readily available on X (formerly Twitter), and consumers can access millions of videos on PornHub, XHamster, XnXX and many other porn sites. We have “dating” apps, where people can engage freely in explicit conversations via text or voice notes, further adding to the complex relationship many people have today with technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world in many ways, and early research reveals a sharp increase in daily screentime. For example, Zoom, the video conferencing platform, had 10 million daily users in 2019. By the end of 2020, that number had increased to 300 million users per day. Research conducted during and after the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that individuals were not only using various forms of technology more for work purposes, but they were also becoming increasingly dependent on them for leisure as well. Individual screentime hours have remained high since the pandemic. This increased use may have contributed to an increase in problematic online porn use. One study found that following the nationwide restriction orders enforced in many countries, online searches for porn increased, including COVID-themed pornography. Some studies have revealed links between increased screen time and negative physical and mental health, leading to addictive behaviours, and permanent or long-term impacts on the reward centres of the brain, as well as our executive functioning.
Today, porn has become more accessible, very affordable (often free) and offers a level of anonymity that has not been available in previous years. It is imperative to keep the ‘three As’ in mind when discussing the challenges of addressing porn addiction.
How porn rewires your brain
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) describes addiction as a “chronic brain disease” that impacts the “neurotransmission and interactions between cortical and hippocampal circuits and brain reward structures”. They refer to “addictive behaviour” as a behaviour that is “commonly rewarding” and is seen as a main feature of many addictions. The ASAM definition does not limit addiction to substance use, and takes into account behaviours that can lead to addiction that are often referred to as “naturally rewarding”; in this case, sex-related behaviours.
Sex is naturally rewarding for the purposes of procreation and the survival of our species; orgasms activate the reward centre in our brain, encouraging us to go back for more. Online porn hijacks this reward path in the brain. Why is this? Norman Doidge explains in his book ‘The Brain That Changes’, that when we expose the reward centres of our brains to dopamine (i.e. through watching porn), this causes the brain to physically change. This change is referred to as neuroplasticity, and as a result, to maintain that high level of excitement, an individual who regularly consumes online porn will eventually seek increasingly explicit and graphic porn, similar to the Coolidge Effect.
When we delve further into the brain of the online porn addict, we discover Delta-FosB, a transcription factor that accumulates in a specific brain region, “that plays an essential role in long-term adaptive changes in the brain associated with diverse conditions, such as drug addiction”. Individuals who overuse online porn may experience cravings because their brain has become sensitised to what they are viewing. Sensitisation is different from tolerance. As tolerance develops, the individual needs more and more of a substance, or in this case, online porn, to get a pleasant effect, while, as sensitisation develops, the viewer needs less and less online porn to crave it intensely. As a result, sensitisation leads to increased wanting, aka cravings, though the individual may not necessarily like the experience. Research in other areas of addiction has shown that it is the accumulation of DeltaFosB, caused by exposure to an addictive substance or activity, that leads to sensitisation. While changes in the brain are gradual, we must consider that the average age of exposure to porn for males is 13 years.
Based on animal studies, and given that online porn consumption repeatedly activates the same reward pathways as both substance addiction and natural reward learning, it could be hypothesised that by the age of 21, the average male has had eight years of exposure, with levels of Delta-FosB increasing gradually over that time. That is, the brain has already begun to rewire itself. Furthermore, future generations are likely to be impacted in new ways through the recent introduction of highly customisable, AI-generated porn. However, further studies into humans and Delta-FosB are needed to further understand its impact on the human brain.
How porn impacts your sex life
Chronic porn use can cause problems with real-world sexual experiences. Some studies show that people who experience porn addiction have an increased risk of erectile dysfunction. When engaging in sexual activities with a partner, they may not reach a level of arousal necessary to get an erection. These issues may be caused by a lack of sufficient stimuli. For example, while our visual cortex is overstimulated while viewing porn, this part of the brain only plays a small part in real-world sexual experiences. When someone watches a lot of porn, they may also unintentionally develop a very specific and individual way of masturbating (using a very specific grip, pressure or technique) and become reliant on sensations that are difficult for a sexual partner to replicate. There might also be a loss of sensitivity to the nerves of the penis. As a result, the individual goes back to porn to achieve sexual gratification, and the pattern continues.
Sex is a communal experience; porn use is a solitary one. It is possible for an individual struggling with porn use to return to having a full and healthy sex life, but it is not without its challenges. An individual abstaining from porn may be triggered by sexual arousal; in these cases, it is worth consulting a professional who can provide you with tools and strategies to assist.
Cit Carney
Cit Carney is an experienced psychosexual therapist who specialises in treating anxiety and depression, PTSD and trauma, grief and loss, relationship and couples counselling, sex therapy, coming out and transitioning support, porn and sex addiction, stress management and HIV/STI counselling.
