Porn - Are You a Consumer?
When was the last time you consumed pornography, on your phone, laptop, or tablet? Do you find you can’t keep those images out of your mind? By 11-years-old, 51%[1] of boys have seen porn, and by 17, 79%[2] of young men have.
While some casually view pornography, many experience a real addiction to it. Society and pop culture perpetuate the belief that all men watch pornography by making jokes and crude comments about it. Pornography is treated as normal and good. But it’s not.
So, if everyone watches it, why should you stop? Pornography has consequences. There’s nothing healthy about it, which is why a growing number of young people are refusing to be consumers. There are a lot of good reasons to join the movement:
1. Pornography messes with your mind.
Pornography changes your brain. It’s addictive, decreases sensitivity to pleasure,[3] and reduces frontal brain matter.[4] It has also been found to decrease self-control[5] and it’s harmful to the mental health of those who use it.[6],[7]
2. Pornography keeps you from achieving your goals.
47% of pornography users reported consuming for 30 minutes to three hours per day.[8] In one year, that can add up to over a thousand hours! Unsurprisingly, 30% of users reported that their work performance suffered because of their pornography use.[9] Your goals matter―pornography gets in the way of achieving them.
3. You respect your body.
Pornography not only affects the way that users view themselves by worsening body image and decreasing self-esteem,[10] but it can also lead to physical problems, like sexual dysfunction.[11]
4. You refuse to fuel exploitation.
The pornography industry profits from abuse and exploitation[12] and fuels sex trafficking.[13] Even so-called “ethical” pornography shows a disrespect for the sexual integrity of others and often exploits the people involved in producing it.[14]
5. Your relationships are healthier without it.
Pornography use decreases relationship satisfaction[15] and commitment to one’s partner,[16] as well as dramatically increasing the likelihood of divorce.[17] Your current and future relationships will be much healthier without pornography.
It is possible to break the habit and there are countless people and resources to help you.
Visit fightthenewdrug.org or joinfortify.com to find resources to help you!
“For 10 years of my compulsion, I didn’t pursue my dreams.
I didn’t discover my hobbies. For 10 years I played video games, watched TV, and watched porn. That was pretty much my life. Yes, I went out with friends and did social things, but when no one was around, that’s all I did. Now that porn is out of my life, I can pursue my dreams again. I can’t begin to describe how much I want the last decade back. The relationships I could have had and the growth I could have experienced. Porn prohibited me from having any real relationships. By taking up hundreds and hundreds of hours of my life, porn stunted me from growing as a person.”
~ Derek
Breaking the Habit
Fighting against a pornography addiction can be mentally exhausting. You might feel like you’re all alone but you’re not the only one feeling guilt or shame. Pornography addiction is becoming a global epidemic that plagues too many. It is possible to create positive habits that will eventually break the addiction to pornography, but the images you viewed in the past may re-surface in your brain down the road and lead to relapses. Simple adjustments in your everyday routine will help you steer clear of pornography and keep it out of your life.
• Avoid problem websites and browsing the internet when you’re bored, tired, or stressed.
• Are there certain social media accounts that always end with you watching pornography? Avoid them.
• Block pornography sites in your browser. You could also use a text-only browser for a while.
• Don’t keep your smartphone next to your bed. If you need it for an alarm clock, get an actual alarm clock or switch your phone onto airplane mode.
• Did you just suffer a bad break-up? If so, only browse during the day.
Try to replace the habit of watching pornography with some other activity.It’s easier to replace a bad habit with a good one than to just break it. Start working out to use up excess energy and fall asleep more quickly at night.
The single most helpful thing you can do is talk about it with someone else and set up some sort of accountability system. You’re much less likely to view pornography if you have someone to help and keep you accountable. This should be someone you trust and report to frequently. It may seem like a scary thing to do; however, just the knowledge that your web activity can be seen by someone else will most likely keep you out of the darkest areas of the internet.
Have You Ever Been Asked To Send Nudes Before? Have You Ever Asked Someone Else To Send Nudes? Why Does It Matter?
You are not just a body. You are a whole and complete person with unique talents and gifts. You have a sense of humor and a personality. Nudes destroy that. A sexually explicit image of yourself treats your body like a disposable object.
Standing up to someone else’s demands on the other side of the screen shows that you value and respect yourself. More often than not, people who send nudes regret it, and those that don’t send them rarely do.
In the groundbreaking NY Times article, journalist Nick Kristoff shines light on the reality of sexting… “In the eighth grade she developed a crush on a boy a year older, and he asked her to take a naked video of herself. She sent it to him, and this changed her life… He had shared the videos with other boys, and someone posted them on Pornhub.” At the time, Savannah was 14 years old.
Before you send a nude, think about what it might mean for you in the future. Will this be the only person you ever sext? What happens to those pictures after you break up? Sharing an explicit image of yourself can open you up to assault and abuse by more than just one person.
If you’re thinking, “it’s just a little innocent fun,” picture your nudes on the web forever—nothing is ever fully removed from the internet. And future schools and employers will check the internet to see what they can find about you before looking at your application or resume.
Sending, having, and distributing explicit images or videos of people under 18 is illegal. Many teens have gotten into serious legal trouble for it, both the sender and the one who asked for it. It’s scary, but it’s important to think about future consequences before requesting or sending a nude.
[1] “Children See Pornography as Young as Seven, New Report Finds.” BBFC, 26 September 2019, https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-us/news/children-see-pornography-as-young-as-seven-new-report-finds.
[2] Robb, Michael B, and Supreet Mann. “Teens and Pornography.” Ed. Jennifer Robb, Common Sense Media, 2023, https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2022-teens-and-pornography-final-web.pdf.
[3] “Why Porn Can Be Difficult to Quit.” Fight the New Drug, https://fightthenewdrug.org/why-porn-can-be-difficult-to-quit/. Accessed 27 February 2025.
[4] Kuhn, S., & Gallinat, J. “Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated With Pornography Consumption: The Brain on Porn.” JAMA Psychiatry, vol. 71, no. 7, 1 July 2014, pp. 827-834. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.93.
[5] Negash, S., et al. “Trading Later Rewards for Current Pleasure: Pornography Consumption and Delay Discounting.” Journal of sex research, vol. 53, no. 6, 25 August 2015, pp. 689–700. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2015.1025123.
[6] Harper, C., & Hodgins, D. C. “Examining Correlates of Problematic Internet Pornography Use Among University Students.” Journal of behavioral addictions, vol. 5, no. 2, 9 May 2016, pp. 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.5.2016.022.
[7] Koletić G. “Longitudinal associations between the use of sexually explicit material and adolescents’ attitudes and behaviors: A narrative review of studies.” Journal of adolescence, vol. 57, 20 April 2017, pp. 119–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2017.04.006.
[8] Szittner, Katie. “Study exposes secret world of porn addiction,” Sydney.edu, 10 May 2012. http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=9176.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Smith, Samantha, and LeSueur, Jamie. “Pornography Use in the United States” Ballard Brief, 2023, https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/pornography-use-among-young-adults-in-the-united-states. Accessed 27 February 2025.
[11] Park, B. Y., et al. “Is Internet Pornography Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review with Clinical Reports.” Behavioral Sciences, vol. 6, no. 3, 2016, pp. 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs6030017.
[12] “How Porn Can Fuel Sex Trafficking” Fight the New Drug, https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-fuel-sex-trafficking/. Accessed 27 February 2025.
[13] Ibid.
[14] “How Ethical Is ‘Ethical Porn,’ Really?” Fight the New Drug, https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-ethical-is-ethical-porn-really/. Accessed 27 February 2025.
[15] Tylka, T. L., & Kroon Van Diest, A. M. “You Looking at Her “Hot” Body May Not be “Cool” for Me: Integrating Male Partners’ Pornography Use into Objectification Theory for Women.” Psychology of Women Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 1, 6 February 2014, pp. 67–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684314521784.
[16] Minarcik, J., Wetterneck, C. T., & Short, M. B. “The Effects Of Sexually Explicit Material Use On Romantic Relationship Dynamics.” Journal Of Behavioral Addictions, vol. 5, no. 4, 2016, pp. 700-707. https://doi.org/10.1556/2006.5.2016.078.
[17] Smith, Samantha, and LeSueur, Jamie. “Pornography Use in the United States” Ballard Brief, 2023, https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/pornography-use-among-young-adults-in-the-united-states. Accessed 27 February 2025.