Regularly viewing pornography contributes to feelings of depression and hopelessness among young adults, a new Family Studies/YouGov survey found.
One-third of adults aged 18 to 39 who watch porn daily report feeling “down, depressed or hopeless” most or all of the time, compared to 19 percent of young adults who rarely or never view porn. Additionally, 36 percent of young adults who are daily porn watchers say they are lonely most or all of the time, compared to 20 percent who rarely/never view it. Roughly one in 10 adults ages 40 and younger said they view pornography at least once a day, and men are twice as likely as women to watch porn.
Researchers Wendy Wang and Michael Toscano of the Institute for Family Studies said the survey should be a wake-up call for society.
“Considering these findings, addressing the mental health risks associated with frequent pornography use, particularly its link to depression and loneliness, should be a priority for health professionals and American policymakers,” they said. “Amid America’s ongoing mental health crisis, especially among young adults, it is crucial to understand and mitigate the addictive nature of online pornography. Widespread use of porn has the potential to negatively affect individual well-being, as well as social relationships and overall community health.”
Pornography is not only prevalent in modern society but also addictive, they said. The research underscores the need for age-verification laws protecting minors, Wang and Toscano said. As of June, 19 states had such laws to try to block children from accessing porn.
“Studies indicate that frequent porn use can affect the brain’s reward system, leading to desensitization and an increased need for more extreme content to achieve the same level of stimulation, similar to drug addiction,” researchers wrote. “Moreover, pornography sites use similar techniques as social media platforms, such as infinite scroll, autoplay, and personalized content, to keep users engaged. Like social media companies, rapt attachment is central to the business model of online pornography providers.”
A 2023 poll by the American Principles Project (APP) found that 83% of American voters would support nationwide legislation requiring age verification to access porn sites.
“It should come as no shock that Americans don’t want their kids watching porn,” APP President Terry Schilling said in response to the poll data. “Beyond being simple common sense, the evidence is overwhelming that early exposure to sexual content can lead to many terrible consequences for a child’s mental and even physical health. Keeping them off porn sites is clearly a no-brainer.”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice