Watching porn is a very easy way to satisfy your own sexual needs. With the wide range of different types and genres on free porn sites, there’s something out there for everyone. But is watching too much porn harmful? Well, it’s hard to say. After all, when can we say that something is too much?
What happens when we watch porn?
Much research has been done on the effects of watching porn. Studies generally look at two different things: the effect on our brain and the effect on our behaviour. To determine whether it can be harmful, it is useful to first understand what exactly happens when we watch porn.
The effect on the brain
The need for ‘novelty’
If a male rat is around a female rat, they’ll mate a lot at first. After some time, this activity decreases: the male loses interest. If the female is replaced with a new female, the male will again want to mate as much as possible with the replacement.
This is called the Coolidge effect: an automatic response to new partners, or erotic ‘novelty’. And we also see this effect in regular porn viewing: to stay interested, we constantly need new stimuli.
Also read: How to make an open relationship open for discussion with your partner?
The influence of dopamine
Every time you feel that craving and start watching porn, the brain releases a large amount of dopamine. This substance makes us feel happy, which means that we see watching porn as some sort of reward. All in all, we can say that dopamine stimulates our reward system.
We’re in constant need of something new. To stay satisfied, we eventually need more and more of it. And that’s exactly where the danger of addiction lies, and in this case, we’re talking about a porn addiction.
Also read: What is sex addiction?
Sexuality in the brain
Sexuality is formed early on in our brains as a kind of ‘template’. This sexual circuitry says something about how we think about sex, what we get aroused by, and so on. An orgasm is the ultimate reward in this circuit. Every time we encounter sex – including porn – this circuitry is stimulated. Thus, watching porn regularly can even change our sexual ‘template’.
“Watching porn regularly can change our perception of sex.”
Negative effects of porn on your behaviour
You subconsciously develop a (new) view of sex through porn that is more satisfying for your reward system. This means we start wanting to see the images from porn in our daily lives. After all, that’s what will gives us this feeling of reward.
However, what you see online is not realistic. And that can lead to problems in your sex life. The sex you experience in real life does not match the image in your brain formed by the porn you watch, which means the sex you have will no longer be satisfying enough for you.
Did you know that… if porn films show the use of condoms more often, viewers are more likely to have safe sex?
Sexual and relational problems
Studies show that men with a porn addiction are more likely to suffer from erection problems and a lowered libido. They are also less satisfied with their sex lives. In addition, watching porn can lead to problems in a relationship. For instance, the partner may start to feel rejected and insecure when you watch porn (often). Subsequently, this leads to all kinds of negative emotions, such as shame, guilt, and fear.
Also read: How to solve erection problems
Why do you watch porn?
However, many researchers believe that porn addiction is often a symptom of an underlying problem, such as depression. In other words, you start looking at porn more often when you feel down just so that you feel better afterwards. Eventually, you’ll need more porn again to keep feeling good. Watching porn too much can also be a sign of relationship problems.
“A porn addiction is often the symptom of an underlying problem, such as depression. It can also be a sign of a malfunctioning relationship.”
The effects of porn
- If you watch porn often, you’ll need more and more porn to get the same blissful feeling. This is how an addiction develops.
- You may find your real sex life boring and unsatisfying because you have unconsciously created a new image of sex and arousal.
- You develop an unrealistic idea of sex.
- You may suffer from erectile dysfunction and low libido.
- It can have detrimental effects on your relationship if your partner feels insecure or rejected because you don’t feel satisfied by your sex life with them.
My advice
Watching porn often can certainly have negative consequences, but that doesn’t mean you should stop watching porn altogether. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What does watching porn do to me?
- Why and when do I watch it?
- Do I feel like I really need it (e.g. do I watch it to feel better)?
- What would happen if I didn’t watch porn?
When you gain insight into your own behaviour, you can determine whether your habits are harmful or not. If you find that it has a negative impact on your sex life and relationship, it might be better to stop watching porn.