Why You Should Stop Watching Porn

Context

When I was a teenager, I watched pornography and know many others do the same. I do not recall how or why I started watching it, but I've been sober for quite a long time. Quitting was hard and I certainly relapsed when I tried quitting the first time, but I have no regrets about quitting porn besides the fact I didn't do it sooner. So here's why you should consider quitting porn...or maybe you're already considering and want to know more information.

Also, this list focuses on problems specifically related to pornography, so I'm not gonna be including the generic stuff like "it's a waste of time" or "it's unproductive", which are true but can really apply to any vice.

The problems with porn...

Pornography corrupts your mind

By consuming pornography, you are hooking your brain on graphically-suggestive content, which can influence how you see other people. Perhaps you see a pretty girl on the street who you have no sexual/emotional chemistry with, and you're imagining what she looks like naked.

Avid porn consumption has also been linked to mental health problems such as increased rates of depression and loneliness, with addicts experiencing negative withdrawal symptoms. For others, porn can also be a source of insecurity as it can give people unrealistic expectations. Unsurprisingly, the way people look and act in porn vids is not the same as how they act in real life.

I'm sure many of you have heard of the "dopamine detox" trend on social media. Watching porn releases dopamine. When you watch porn, dopamine makes you feel good so you want more, but over time your brain becomes desensitised to dopamine and you need a bigger hit to feel the same high. If you then get to a stage where you feel you literally cannot function without porn, then it's an addiction, and that is a problem.

The Porn Industry is Criminal

Whether intentional or not, sites like The Hub have hosted explicit content involving minors before, with "teen" being a common genre on porn sites. How do you as the viewer know if the actor is of legal age? (Even if the actor is 18 or 19, don't you think it's a bit weird that adults in their 30s, 40s, or even 50s are watching this stuff?)

There are also videos on porn sites which appear to have been taken using hidden cameras (in places like toilets), you are potentially watching people who have not consented to being recorded. The porn industry has also been linked to sex trafficking and it also has the potential to lead to violence (particularly against women and arguably LGBT people as well).

It ruins relationships

Porn has been known to cause problems in relationships, with many addicts preferring to spend time watching other people being intimate instead of being intimate with their own partner.

Unsurprisingly, this can make an addict's partner feel very insecure. For more information about this, click here.

Pornography is sinful

A 2013 study suggests that religious people are more likely to consider themselves porn addicts than non-religious people. This doesn't mean religious people are objectively more addicted to porn, it could simply mean atheists are not as likely to think their porn consumption is a problem.

However, this is significant as most religions have some ruling that either prohibits or heavily discourages watching pornography. In the case of Christianity, porn isn't explictly labelled as a sin in the Bible (the Hub obviously didn't exist back in Jesus' time), but we can infer that pornography is a sin because pornography is rooted in lust, lust is adultery, and adultery is a sin.

Excuses

"Watching porn isn't illegal."

Maybe not where you are, but most countries around the world either prohibit or heavily restrict pornography, even in some of the more liberal parts of the world like Europe. It's illegal for under 18s to visit porn sites in most countries, but of course people can just lie about their age.

Also, legal doesn't mean moral. An 18 year old can marry and be intimate with an old-age pensioner, but most people would find this repulsive and morally wrong.

"Sex work empowers women!"

Considering most porn depicts women submitting to men, I strongly disagree with this. Some women are very successful from the sex industry, but many are bribed into it or do it due to poverty. However, most OF models will probably become irrelevant and having a background in the sex industry makes future employment difficult.

It's easy to shame women because of the sex industry, but who's creating the demand for the industry?

How can I stop?

Open up about it to a friend, a former addict, a professional, or God (if you believe in Him). You've probably told yourself you can quit on your own accord before, but it hasn't worked because you're letting your ego get the better of you. If it were that simple, you would've already quit. It takes true courage and humility to open up about any addiction and admit you need help. Once you do that, the hard part is over.

Don't make perfect the enemy of good. If you relapse, don't beat yourself up over it, just accept what you did and move on. Feeling ashamed isn't necessarily a bad thing, as long as you're using that feeling constructively rather than destructively.