Is Porn Really That Bad?

[OnlyWithJesus]

I started a Bible study today to help me quit porn, and after day 1, I expect it to be incredibly helpful

Day 1 asked the question: Is porn really that bad?

Here's how that was scientifically investigated:


Dr. Mary Anne Layden and Dr. James B. Weaver had this to say about pornography:

• "Pornography, by its very nature, is an equal opportunity toxin. It damages the viewer, the performer, and the spouses and the children of the viewers and the performers. It is toxic miseducation about sex and relationships. It is more toxic the more you consume, the 'harder' the variety you consume, and the younger and more vulnerable the consumer... There are no studies and no data the indicate a benefit from pornography use.. Society is awash in pornography and so in fact the data are in. If pornography made us healthy, we would be healthy by now." -Dr. Mary Anne Layden
• "I have not found one case of violent sex crimes in over ten years of practice as a psychotherapist that did not involve pornography." -Dr. Mary Anne Layden
• "The findings of numerous studies suggest that pornography consumption promotes sexual deviancy, sexual perpetration, and adverse sexual attitudes... In men, prolonged exposure to pornography creates and enhances sexual callousness towards women... Prolonged exposure to pornography... results in both a loss of respect for female sexual autonomy and the disinhibition of men in the expression of aggression against women." -Dr. James B. Weaver

Clearly, porn is that bad, for men and women. It distorts the way we see ourselves, the way we treat others, and the way we interact with the world. It trains us to see others as objects to be used rather than people to be loved (if this isn't dehumanization, I don't know what is). The farther away from porn we go, the better off we'll be. (I got this from a life.church Bible plan, I just want to credit them for most of the information and wording I used).

I hope this motivates/helps someone as much as it motivated me!

 

[Yearzero]

I think porno is horrible. It has ruined a large part of my life experience.

 

[Sean Edie]

Great points. It's also is filled with human trafficking and illegal uploads

 

[OnlyWithJesus]

I think porno is horrible. It has ruined my life experience.

I agree, I was exposed when I was 8 years old and it has ruined a lot of my childhood.

 

[OnlyWithJesus]

Great points. It's also is filled with human trafficking and illegal uploads

That's true! Pornhub removed 80% of its videos (10 Million) that were either rape or underage (or both) and that's beyond disgusting

 

[wangkaiquan]

Our ancestors hunted and protected their families every day. Now we can watch the mating video every day. At home, in the car, or even on the road, this is obviously abnormal. We don't need to watch other people mate.

 

[skaterdrew]

It's worse if you're PMOing like an addict. So edging, searching and flicking about hundreds of different content while masturbating at the same time, but then stopping your self from ejaculating so the pleasure lasts longer, then continuing to masturbate again, edging while searching and flicking about tons of different content. Basically doing this so you can keep raising dopamine higher and higher.

This behaviour is completely different from a guy that once in a while ends up on some porn for 5 minutes, masturbates and ejaculates within 5 minutes.

These two behaviours are completely different.

It's like saying is alcohol bad? Yes, but it is going to be worse depending on how you use it. A guy that goes out once in a while and has a few drinks, not really a big deal. A guy that goes out on a regularly basis and gets drunk out his mind, it is a big deal.

But the difference here is one guy is not behaving like an addict, and the other guy is behaving like an addict. It's the same with PMO.

Yes we think alcohol is bad, drugs are bad, cigarettes are bad, PMO is bad. But depending on how you use these things makes a big difference on how bad they actually are.

 

[OnlyWithJesus]

But depending on how you use these things makes a big difference on how bad they actually are.

Hmm, I never thought about it like that. I always knew edging was worse than just relapsing and moving on, but now I see that it's all about behavior. Thanks for sharing

 

[skaterdrew]

Hmm, I never thought about it like that. I always knew edging was worse than just relapsing and moving on, but now I see that it's all about behavior. Thanks for sharing

But also remember it is near impossible for an addict to try to use it moderately. Because the conditioning and wiring in their brain from years of abusing PMO probably never 100% truly heals, and then when they engage in this behaviour even a little again, it heavily activates those old pathways, and what they find is before they know it they're back to their old ways.

 

[ElderStatesman]

It's worse if you're PMOing like an addict. So edging, searching and flicking about hundreds of different content while masturbating at the same time, but then stopping your self from ejaculating so the pleasure lasts longer, then continuing to masturbate again, edging while searching and flicking about tons of different content. Basically doing this so you can keep raising dopamine higher and higher.

This behaviour is completely different from a guy that once in a while ends up on some porn for 5 minutes, masturbates and ejaculates within 5 minutes.

These two behaviours are completely different.

It's like saying is alcohol bad? Yes, but it is going to be worse depending on how you use it. A guy that goes out once in a while and has a few drinks, not really a big deal. A guy that goes out on a regularly basis and gets drunk out his mind, it is a big deal.

But the difference here is one guy is not behaving like an addict, and the other guy is behaving like an addict. It's the same with PMO.

Yes we think alcohol is bad, drugs are bad, cigarettes are bad, PMO is bad. But depending on how you use these things makes a big difference on how bad they actually are.

Might be a slippery slope, skater. We don't really know if so-called moderate PMO is comparable to moderate alcohol use or other possibly habit forming behavior (like gambling).

I'll make the leap that anyone who has chosen to check out these forums has at least some concern about their porn use. If they're at that point, I'd say why keep using?

 

[skaterdrew]

Might be a slippery slope, skater. We don't really know if so-called moderate PMO is comparable to moderate alcohol use or other possibly habit forming behavior (like gambling).

I'll make the leap that anyone who has chosen to check out these forums has at least some concern about their porn use. If they're at that point, I'd say why keep using?

Did you see my other comment? I don't think it is a good idea for addicts to ever try to use it moderately.

But I think we can't deny the fact that PMOing quickly, no edging, is completely different to edging, while masturbating, constantly searching and looking at more and more, constantly raising dopamine higher and higher in our brain. I don't think we can deny the fact that these two behaviours are completely different. I don't think we can deny the fact that one probably causes very little damage, and the other probably causes extreme damage.

The thing is addicts don't want to PMO the first way. They only want to PMO the second way. That's how you know they're addicts.

 

[skaterdrew]

Apparently the average time spent at "p site" is 10 minutes, so no, its not bad for most people Id say. If you're using it to escape something and it becomes an addiction then yes there is a problem, but there was a whole website dedicated to the benefits of porn. Obviously talk of that nature isn't going to go down well in this forum. People will only tell you its the worst thing in the world, and yes it can be, but only 50% here are really addicted anyway. We have guys who fap once after 76 days and wanna kill themselves. Lets not forget that coming to this forum will change your views on porn to being some type of monster which yes it can be but some people take 3 weeks to months to recover from one porn viewing and that tells me that its largely psychological, brain washing and religious. Having said that, if you're in this forum for whatever reason you should try to avoid porn because at least in your mind its really bad and is therefore bad and to the people who don't see it as bad don't get the negative affects of it being bad. Nothing is good or bad, thinking only makes it so. If we were just watching DVD porn then porn wouldn't be a problem.

See I noticed your age. So you grew up long before high speed internet. So it should be really clear to you how much less damaging porn was before high speed internet. I mean how many guys could even be bothered constantly buying new porn back then? I doubt many, and even if some did constantly buy new porn back then, this still isn't on anywhere near the same level of novelty and delivery as high speed internet.

High speed internet blows the old ways of seeing and viewing porn out the water.

 

[Deleted Account]

I don't understand people who think porn is bad. I think of porn as a light drug. If you don't treat it right. You get addicted to it. I understand wanting to have a good time, to relax. Then I'll turn on porn or ebony cam live. I understand that I will be able to relax and have a good time.

If porn doesn’t affect you badly, great! More power to you. I can’t consume porn and masturbate moderately, which is why I do NoFap.

 

[OnlyWithJesus]

I think of porn as a light drug.

I totally understand where you're coming from. The thing with porn is that it is so accessible and so addictive that it's seen to be worse than drugs. Most people I talk to watch it once and get hooked for life. Plus, it is way harder to stop using porn than drugs. Porn is totally behavioral and habitual, which is a lot harder to change than drugs and alcohol, where there is a way to totally cut it out. If you have a phone, then you have access to porn. Honestly, you could be alone in a room and be able to PMO by fantasizing. That's why porn is sometimes seen to be worse than drugs, but I get what you're saying. Some people aren't hooked and just use it to unwind (even though it's likely teaching them to objectify other people).