Our culture is becoming increasingly comfortable with pornography as a “normal” lifestyle choice, just as scientific research is becoming clear on the dangerous effects that pornography has on the body, the brain, and our relationships.
Pornography is considered a sin against the Sixth Commandment. God gave us the Commandments to lead us away from evil (what is bad for us physically and spiritually) and toward what is good. Science is showing why God warns us against abusing our sexuality. Below are some links from the Marriage and Religious Research Institute. Most of these links go to short study reports that show the negative effects of pornography. We encourage you to browse through these and get educated on the negative effects of pornography. Then spread the word!
The Pornography Market
Pornography is a $10 billion industry. In 2017, PornHub (a popular porn site) received 28.5 billion visits.
“I Quit Watching Porn to Have More Sex”
Frequent pornography use increases sexual dysfunction, re-conditions neurological appetite, alters sexual expectations, and lowers arousal, sexual self-esteem, and satisfaction(especially for men).
Porn Hinders Intimate Relationships
Pornography diminishes the quality and stability of dating and marital relationships. It increases the risk of infidelity, aggression, divorce, lowers personal happiness, commitment, the likelihood of marrying, sexual and relationship satisfaction, and positive communication. These effects are especially strong for men.
Demographic Attributes of Young Porn Users
Adolescent porn users are male, lack social ties, have weak family relations, and are not religious(religious involvement counters porn use).
Pornography Augments Risky Sexual Behaviors
Pornography does not satisfy sexual desires, it amplifies sexual needs. Adolescents who use porn regularly initiate sex earlier and have twice as many partners (five or more partners).
Neurological Consequences of Porn Use
Frequent pornography use decreases grey matter and right striatum volume and reduces activation in the left putamen. This deteriorates sexual content processing, reactions to sexual stimuli, and reward formulation.