Maybe you’re a regular porn consumer, but you know something just isn’t quite right. You’re starting to watch more porn than you’d prefer, but you can’t seem to stop. It may feel like your porn habit is controlling your life. That’s because porn addiction is very real, and it’s not good for you or anyone else. In fact, it can ruin your life if you let it. Don’t believe us? Check out these porn addiction statistics that reveal porn’s devastating impact—and let this be your wakeup call to take action and get the help you need to heal.
Porn Addiction Statistics You Need to Know
Stat #1 – Society’s Growing Porn Consumption (and the Fallout)
According to a study by Cureus, pornography consumption and solo masturbation have increased by over 91% since the year 2000. This study and its pornography addiction statistics suggest that people as a society are “becoming increasingly dependent on pornography as a source of sexual gratification, decreasing the frequency of sexual encounters with partners.” Cureus also pulled porn addiction stats from other papers over the years that reveal the consequences of rising pornography consumption, including:
- Increased anxiety, depression, and stress
- Greater association with risky sexual behavior and extramarital affairs
- Increased divorce rates
- Increased isolation
With the rise of technology and internet-based devices, it’s no wonder that porn’s consumption has increased. Gone are the days of limited access through late-night television, hard-to-find magazines, and strip clubs. Because you can view porn any time or anywhere thanks to that cell phone in your pocket, it makes you all the more susceptible to developing porn addiction symptoms, as well as hurting those you love most.
Stat #2 – Porn Consumption and Erectile Dysfunction
It’s usually not talked about much, but there’s actually a strong connection between porn and erectile dysfunction. Everyday Health shares that 45% of young men with a porn addiction also have erectile dysfunction, based on porn addiction statistics research by the European Association of Urology (EAU). In other words, the more porn you watch, the greater the chance that you could have trouble getting and keeping an erection. This is because porn addiction can really mess up your sexual gratification. Not only can it reduce your brain’s ability to appreciate real sex, but increased porn watching can make the physical sex experience less arousing.
Stat #3 – The Objectification of Women Among Male Partners Who Watch Porn
While it’s easy to think that watching porn doesn’t affect other people, in reality it’s just the opposite. A study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly found that women with previous male partners who watched porn were more likely to feel interpersonal sexual objectification. In fact, the more a male partner viewed porn, the more likely he was to transfer over the sexual objectification of women in the porn he’d watched onto his female partner. As a result of having partners who consume porn, women also tend to experience more psychological distress, have poorer body image, and can even increase their chances of developing eating disorder symptoms.
Stat #4 – Pornography’s Connection to Feeling Depressed and Lonely
Watching porn regularly may be appealing for the feel-good experience it provides at the moment. But porn addiction statistics indicate consistent porn watching can actually lead to poor mental health outcomes. According to the Institute for Family Studies, nearly 1 in 3 young adults who watch porn at least once a day feel “down, depressed, or hopeless” most or all of the time. Their studies also conclude that over 1 in 3 young adults who watch porn on a daily basis report feeling lonely most or all of the time. And when you’re depressed and lonely, it’s easy to turn to more porn to cope, and the vicious cycle continues.
Stat #5 – Porn’s Negative Impact on Relationships
FighttheNewDrug.org reports that research has shown that people who consume porn are twice as likely to later experience a breakup or divorce. In other words, the quality of your relationships will tank if porn enters the picture. Porn addiction stats show that earlier pornography use significantly predicts future relational instability, especially among men. And just think about the betrayal trauma your porn addiction can cause on your partner. The more porn you watch, the less chance you have at a healthy, successful relationship.
The Affliction Behind These Porn Addiction Statistics
These pornography addiction statistics show that porn’s growing influence on your life can hurt both you and your loved ones, hands down. As you watch more porn, you’re putting yourself in the position to develop a porn addiction, which is both a hypersexual disorder and a form of compulsive sexual behavior. That’s because over time, your brain on porn can build a chemical dependence on the dopamine released when you watch it—so you start needing porn in order to function.
Don’t Become Another Porn Addiction Statistic. It’s Time to Take Action
When you’ve developed a porn addiction, sheer willpower and behavior modification alone won’t get you out of this mess. So what action can you take? You need to seek professional help at a porn addiction treatment facility if you truly want to heal.
If you’re ready to learn how to stop porn addiction for good, we’re ready to partner with you at Integrative Life Center in Nashville, TN. Our holistic, personalized porn addiction treatment program directly addresses the root causes of your addiction, not just your symptoms. With our help, you can reverse these statistical outcomes and reclaim the healthy life you deserve. Contact us now to get started.