Is porn bad for your brain? The question often haunts porn watchers. 50% of internet users indulge in porn, but most of them sulk at admitting it.
It has become easy to access porn thanks to the growing Internet and easy access.
According to a survey conducted in a college, 70% of the males and about 50% of the females admit that they have watched sexually explicit videos at some point in their lives, not to mention those who may have watched but didn’t confess. Pornography is now the top internet activity, according to this study.
Table of Contents
The Link between Porn and Quality of Life
Your daily routine has an impact on your quality of life. Porn is no different. No matter how you incorporate it into your life, it will profoundly affect your quality of life.
Pornography addiction can negatively impact your life. Whenever you discuss porn, you can either seek help or learn about its positive and negative aspects. However, when you keep something to yourself, you cannot determine how healthy it is. Though the internet is there to help you, it cannot do what a human can.
Porno becomes routine for anyone who incorporates it into their daily lives, soon becoming an obsession without them realizing it.
This urge will gradually drive you out of your social network since you’ll keep on watching these videos regardless of your surroundings. Well, that’s how addictions work, whether it’s to drugs or pornography.
Your productivity will decrease as you grow lonelier. As a result, you’ll become more withdrawn, and your mind will always be preoccupied with thoughts.
Porn will always be in your head, which is not a quality of life anyone wishes to experience. An all-consuming virtual world can ruin your life.
Common Myths about Porn
Many myths can be attributed to the virtual world. Those are often thrown around the web to advertise porn, and some may be a reflection of your mindset. The following myths have been debunked:
#1. The best sex comes from trying different extreme positions
There is no doubt that a single position can become monotonous after a certain period of time, so it is often recommended to try new roles within reason. There is no need for everyone to feel comfortable with such extreme positions, as exhibited in the videos, which is not how sex works.
#2. Having sex for less than half an hour is bad
The most common myth people believe is this one. No, you do not need 30-minute sex. The reality is quite different. Creating porn is similar to making a movie; there are actors, directors, and many other things.
#3. You get an erection as soon as you think about sex
In most porn films, foreplay is given little importance, but it actually makes sex more exciting in real life. By just thinking about sex, you cannot get an erection, so foreplay helps. As a result, it improves your relationship and can lead to better sex. The idea is to have fun with sex, not just do it because you have to.
#4. Only the privy parts are important
Porn movies generally ignore the rest of the body while focusing primarily on the genitalia. Arousing your partner sexually is touching and kissing other body parts, such as the neck and back of your partner.
#5. Only fast sex works
Of course, unless you are in a hurry and need a quickie. The best sex is not always slow or always fast, but a mixture of both. You can still have an orgasm while having slow romantic sex as well.
#6. You will have to match their level
Porn is a movie, and the actors get paid behind the camera. Arousal involves breaks and drugs. The type of sex we experience in real life is very different from what we see in porn, and in fact, much better. Do not expect yourself or your partner to be what they show on the internet.
So, what does porn do for the brain?
Everything you do will have a direct impact on your brain. Healthy habits improve your brain’s function, whereas unhealthy ones negatively affect it. When it becomes an addiction, porn is not good for your health.
According to a study at the Max Planck Institute of Berlin, porn could shrink a pleasure-related part of your brain. The study exposed 60 men to pornographic images and videos. As a result, the brain called the striatum was found to become smaller in those men who watched more porn. This part of the brain is responsible for producing reward signals, and as it gets smaller, more graphic stimulation is needed to get it aroused. This is the way porn affects your brain.
As you watch too much porn, it becomes harder to become aroused day by day, and that will lead you to consume more of these sexually explicit videos or images. As you begin to live in a virtual world more and more, you will be unable to enjoy real sex.
Ways Porn is harmful to the brain and body
Addiction becomes harmful when it forms. Porn is no exception. The consumption of too much of it can have adverse effects on our overall health and well-being. Below are five ways that porn can harm you both mentally and physically.
Increases unrealistic expectations
We expect our partner to act the same way, to perform the same positions, to show those faces, to be super-fast, and to perform the same act for hours on end. When these things do not happen, there is no more good sex for you.
As time passes, you will find it more difficult to interact with people because you wish to spend your time watching sexually explicit videos.
When it comes to pornography, the laws of consent, cheating, and other such issues are often neglected and ignored, which leads to people thinking they are okay with what they do.
May cause erectile dysfunction
As you watch more porn, your expectations increase, causing the brain’s striatum to shrink. In other words, you may need more graphic material to get aroused.
Makes you less productivity
During pornographic movies, it is difficult to focus on your everyday life. Porn will make you forget about your real life, and you will find pleasure in it. In the workplace or at school, this will automatically lower your productivity.
Can ruin the relationship with your partner
This statement does not imply that you cannot enjoy good porn because your partner would not want you to see someone else naked. Together, many couples enjoy watching porn. Porn addiction will lead you to seek something else from your partner. Like what they show in the film, you’ll want your sex with your partner to be similar to that. Over time, real sex will no longer interest you, and you may drift apart from your partner.
Can make you feel inferior about yourself
It won’t surprise you that whatever you are into makes you feel bad, but you also feel trapped and helpless since you are embarrassed to discuss it.
Tips to gradually stop watching porn
There is nothing you cannot overcome. With repeated efforts and willpower, you can slowly but eventually, stop the addiction to porn. The following tips may help:
- Having someone you trust and who knows you and understands you without judging you is a crucial step.
- Realize that whatever you are doing is degrading your mind, body, and overall quality of life.
- You will feel inspired to stop the addiction after you realize this.
- Get professional help. With professional help, you are more likely to quit porn and be supportive, helpful, and trustworthy.
- Get rid of everything related to porn. Disconnect your internet connection for a couple of days if possible. Don’t start immediately, but rather gradually.
- Reward yourself, for example, set an aim that if you do not watch porn for a day, you will give yourself something precious. At this point, nothing would seem more valuable than porn, but eventually, you will learn the value of many other things, too.
- Try switching your quitting methods. Spend time with friends, drive, have a meal out, exercise, or meditate.
- Installing a porn blocker will make the process of visiting a porn site more complicated.
Lack of sex education and awareness can lead to porn addiction. Until it becomes an addiction and changes the way you view sex, porn is not bad. Therefore, it is essential to know the myths around it and the way it affects an individual. As you realize its impact on your life, you are already one step closer to recovering from the addiction.
