Before stating porn is bad, good or even has no effect in our community, we have to acknowledge that there are limited Long Term studies on its effects. But I have found very interesting scientific  journals that gives insights on both the positive and negative impacts of consuming porn.

Negative Impacts

When address the negative impacts of porn, most studies start with Addiction and it's the major negative effect but there are more, Impacts in Relationships and Intimacy Issues are also a concern. The Social, cultural and Ethical effects are also highly rated. So lets dive into them one by one;

• Addiction

Based on the study done by Cambridge University and studies published on Journal of Behavioral Addictions, there are a significant correlations between a person who's addicted to porn and a person who's addicted to drugs or alcohol. By using MRI scans of the brain, scientist have confirmed this correlations by analyzing how the reward center of the brain reacts to seeing explicit material by a porn addict to other substance addicts and a normal person.

Taken form Cambridge University study (Comparing a healthy person's and an addict's reaction to explicit material)

This study proved that a person who is addicted to porn has similar brain response to consuming explicit material as to a cocaine addict looking at a bag of coke.

But there are more behaviors that a porn addicts exhibit just like other forms of addicts which includes increase impulsiveness, mood swings, problem navigating relationships and anxiety.

• Impacts in Relationships and Intimacy Issues

Some studies argue that the consumption of porn may lead to the objectification of people which results in the breakdown of most relationships. Unhealthy perception of sexuality or the other gender can significantly hinder a persons ability to form or maintain a relationship throughout that person's life.

A compulsive porn consumer may also have intimacy issues as that person may prioritize the consumption of explicit material over actual sextual and emotional connection.

• Social, cultural and Ethical effects 

One of the crucial point to raise in this category is the exposure of adult contents to the youths of our community. The ease and the online availability of porn made it easy for young people to encounter these material in their early ages when they can't understand it in a healthy context. This can lead to a distorted view of sex and relationships in their lives. Additionally, teenagers are more likely to get addicted to porn as the reward center of their brain is 2 to 4 times responsive than an adults brain.

This era of sexual liberation also comes with social and cultural challenges. Unhealthy sexual standards and the pursuit of multiple sexual partners may lead to the breakdown of the traditional and culturally accepted relationships between partners.

Positive Impacts

As most studies focus on the negative potential of porn, there are few that explored the possible benefits of porn. These studies argue that moderate consumption of porn has its benefits.  

• As potential treatment for Sexual Dysfunctions

There are studies that mentioned the use of porn helped people with erectile dysfunction as its consumption boosted arousal ultimately achieving erection.

Furthermore, people with sexual anxiety found it helpful in relieving their sexual inhibitions.

• To help with stress and sexual tension

For some, porn can be useful to relax and be used as a method to cope with stress. People who don't have partners also use porn as an outlet for their sexual desires.

Some people in long-distance relationships also found porn helpful in dealing with their sexual tension.

• Sexual liberation and expression

Advocates of porn argue that porn helps with dealing with sensitive issues like sexual orientation, body types and gender identities. It helps with the understanding of different sexual practices and promotes body positivity. 

• Financial benefits

The porn industry brings billions of dollars every year which is no surprise that some are using it as a source of income either as a part-time or full-time job.

It is estimated that the average onlyfans model make form $1000 to $10,000 a month while the top 1% makes over $100,000 a month. At what cost are these creators making this money is a question for another day but these financial gains can be seen as a positive by some people.

• Exploration

Some couple use porn to enhance intimacy and to explore sexual desires. It helped them open communication regarding their sexual fantasies, desires and overall improvement in their sexual activities.  

 Conclusion

In my opinion, I'm not really sold on the benefits of porn but if people are finding it beneficial who am I to tell them it's not. But one thing is for certain, any excessive use of anything can have a negative impact and porn is no different. It is easily accessible, it's available in large quantity and a lot of it is free which makes it very dangerous as people can easily be hooked. I think we should take porn addiction very seriously as we can lose our precious communities without noticing it.

I would really like to hear your thoughts so please comment below!