Does watching porn affect how we have sex?

Whether or not we realize it, sex is everywhere. From sexy women on magazine covers to hot men in TV ads to online pornographic videos, we are exposed to sexually explicit images nearly every day. After all, as advertisers have realized for decades, sex sells—it grabs our attention. Pornography is also an attention-getter, and it has come a long way in a short time.

Pornography as we know it today hasn’t been around for very long. When most people think of porn, they think of adult erotic videos. These only began being sold in the late 1970s, and people had to get them at an adult video store, in person—imagine how embarrassing that could have been! Since then, the Internet was created and has saved many people the risk of embarrassment of having another person see you enter or leave that store. Sex, masturbation, and porn use are still taboo subjects in Western society, but the Internet allows people to have accessible, affordable (often free), and anonymously-obtained porn right at their fingertips. With this ease of access, porn is now viewed more than ever before. It’s no secret that most people will watch porn at some point in their lives. In a 2017 U.S. study, 73% of women and 98% of men reported viewing Internet porn in the last 6 months (Daspe et al., 2018). Clearly, watching porn is common, at least in North America, but how does watching others have sex affect our own sex lives? Or does it affect us at all?

Researchers have been trying to answer this question for years. Back in 1968, the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography decided that pornography was not harmful to society, and therefore few restrictions should be placed on it (Gorman, 2014). Psychologists were skeptical of this ruling and began researching the effects of porn on its viewers. Though they found no evidence of harm at the time, psychologists were adamant to continue research in the area, and they began looking at the impacts of porn exposure over time. Studies focusing specifically on aggressive pornography had varied results, with some research reporting little impact on the viewers, whereas others reported negative impacts on the attitudes and behaviours of viewers (Gorman, 2014). As time has passed, researchers have continued to hypothesize about and research the effects of porn use on viewers, with a particular interest on how it impacts adolescents and young adults.

As a result of the easy access to online porn, adolescents in the U.S. begin viewing porn at a median age of 14, which means that the current generation of youth is exposed to a high volume of diverse and explicit porn before they even have the chance to test and develop their own sexuality and sexual interests (Lim, Carotte, & Hellard, 2015). Flood (2009) believed that viewing pornography could be especially harmful for young children and adolescents because of how sexually explicit it was compared to other sexual media. In addition, the content in pornographic videos is often more sexist and hostile towards women than other sexual media. Studies have shown that young people do incorporate ideas that they have seen in porn into their own real-life sex experiences (Lim et al., 2015). This typically just serves as a form sexual exploration, giving viewers new ideas for things to try in a sexual context (Gorman, 2014). However, it can result in unhealthy behaviours if the porn videos are the person’s primary source of sexual education and the individual does not recognize that porn is just a fantasy. Increased porn viewing has been associated with younger sexual debut, a higher number of sexual partners, and a higher number of casual sex partners (Lim et al., 2015). Morgan (2011) found that there is a correlation between what is depicted in porn and what preferences porn viewers have for sexual situations and sexual partners. For example, 15-42% of scenes in heterosexual porn depict anal sex (Lim et al., 2015). Potentially as a result of this, anal sex is becoming a more popular act for heterosexual couples, despite many women reporting to dislike anal sex. Only 2-3% of heterosexual online porn includes condom use. Knowing how acts in porn can influence real-life sex acts, this is of concern to some researchers, as it may reduce the likelihood that individuals use condoms in real-life sexual encounters. This is especially possible due to the fact that what is seen in porn contributes to the development of an individual’s and society’s sexual script (i.e., ideas of how typical romantic and sexual situations unfold). If someone is not taught proper condom use and how it fits into a healthy sexual interaction, it is less likely to become a part of their sexual script. Therefore, adolescents who watch porn online may be less likely to use condoms.

Interestingly, when women in a relationship view porn, it is associated with increased sexual satisfaction for both partners, whereas when men in a relationship view porn, the exact opposite is found (Lim et al., 2015). This may be because of the common complaint that young heterosexual women have of feeling pressured or expected to do things that their male partners have seen in porn (Lim et al., 2015). However, multiple studies have found that adults believe porn has more positive than negative effects including improved sex life, increasing open-mindedness about sex, and being more attentive to their partner’s pleasure (Lim et al., 2015). Online porn also allows LGBTQ+ individuals to explore and learn about their sexuality in more depth than may be possible from mainstream culture.

With regards to adult porn-viewers, there is some concern surrounding the development of virtual reality (VR) porn. This style of porn video allows the viewer to wear a VR headset and be immersed in the scene. They are able to view the sexual scene from different angles, which can give them the feeling of being present or participating in the scene. A study on the impacts of VR porn on sexual behaviour found that men had higher subjective sexual arousal from the VR porn than from regular, 2D porn (Elsey et al., 2019). Men also had a higher subjective arousal from VR porn than did women. This was likely because male arousal responses are driven much more strongly by the attractiveness of the actresses in scenes, which was likely enhanced in the VR porn (Elsey et al., 2019). In general, the study found no indications that VR porn has any worse impacts on viewers than regular porn. However, there is concern that VR porn may be especially troubling for those who are addicted to viewing porn, as it is an even more realistic and immersive viewing experience. It should also be noted that VR porn might be considered a form of infidelity, and conversations about what is and isn’t infidelity should always be had between any individuals in a sexual and/or romantic relationship.

Despite many of these concerns surrounding porn viewing, most studies have found inconclusive evidence about the real impacts of porn on its viewers. Although there is potential for adolescents to be significantly affected by porn consumption, there are ethical issues surrounding asking minors about their porn use. In addition, watching porn is so common in Western society, that there is no good control group for any experimental studies, which reduces the quality of any research done. Lastly, it is hard to tell whether porn viewing affects sexual behaviours or whether attitudes towards sex affect porn viewing and sexual behaviours, or if other variables come into play in this relationship. In general, people who watch it report that it simply enhances their arousal, gives them new ideas for what to try with their partners, and helps them explore their sexuality (Gorman, 2014). Though porn seems to be harmless to most, it seems to impact different people in different ways; it is possible that it can negatively affect people who are vulnerable . This means that porn isn’t inherently good or bad, it’s just good to be aware of what healthy porn use is to ensure that it doesn’t begin to negatively impact your life or relationships.

Silvi Raud, 4th Year BScH Biology, Queen's University

References

Daspe, M.-È., Vaillancourt-Morel, M.-P., Lussier, Y., Sabourin, S., & Ferron, A. (2018). When Pornography Use Feels Out of Control: The Moderation Effect of Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 44(4), 343–353. doi: 10.1080/0092623x.2017.1405301

Elsey, J. W., Andel, K. V., Kater, R. B., Reints, I. M., & Spiering, M. (2019). The impact of virtual reality versus 2D pornography on sexual arousal and presence. Computers in Human Behavior, 97, 35–43. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2019.02.031

Flood, M. (2009). The harms of pornography exposure among children and young people. Child Abuse Review, 18(6), 384–400. doi: 10.1002/car.1092

Gorman, S. (2014). Porn Sex vs. Real Sex: Exploring Pornography’s Impact on Sexual Behaviors, Attitudes, and Relationships. ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University.

Lim, M. S. C., Carrotte, E. R., & Hellard, M. E. (2015). The impact of pornography on gender-based violence, sexual health and well-being: what do we know? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 70(1), 3–5. doi: 10.1136/jech-2015-205453

Morgan, E. M. (2011). Associations between Young Adults Use of Sexually Explicit Materials and Their Sexual Preferences, Behaviors, and Satisfaction. Journal of Sex Research, 48(6), 520–530. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2010.543960