Is Pornography A Threat To Our Society?

Is Pornography A Threat To Our Society?

The relationship between pornography and society has undergone significant changes over the past few years. Though it was once condemned as taboo – both as a subject of discussion and a product for consumption – today, pornography has managed to transgress an array of traditionally-held societal and cultural borders, becoming widely accepted across Western society. With mainstream culture having so readily adopted pornography into the fold as a socially acceptable norm, many experts have likened pornography to a debilitating disease with serious physical, emotional, and psychological ramifications.

Emerging research has linked this noticeable increase in exposure to pornography during our everyday lives with rising prevalence rates of addiction to pornography itself – as the number of pornography addicts in Australia continues to steadily increase. The fact that vast quantities of porn are so easily available – an instantly gratifying stimulus that varies in its degrees of graphic, explicit, and violent natures – can be seen as a highly influential factor contributing to these rates. Due to the brain’s own incredibly adaptive nature, pornography can – with its sudden, intense neurological reward – foster a powerful sense of dependency within an individual. As a potent stimulus, pornography – much like any other drug – can manipulate the brain into needing more gratifying stimuli of greater strength. If left unsatisfied in either the frequency or the intensity of their porn use, an addict can experience various withdrawal-type symptoms including:

  • persistent cravings for pornography
  • unwanted sexual thoughts and compulsions
  • concentration difficulties/blurred/foggy/confused
  • frequent mood swings
  • feelings of hopelessness and despair
  • anxiety and low self-esteem
  • anger, guilt, and shame
  • difficulties in sleeping
  • difficulty in performing daily demands
  • progressing intimacy difficulties
  • development of pornography induced erectile dysfunction, (PIED)

A pornography addiction can also put an increased strain on both individuals in a relationship –  interfering with a couple’s ability to develop and maintain a strong sense of intimacy between each other. A romantic relationship without affection, trust, and desire is unlikely to last.