Effects of pornography

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 Effects of pornography
Does porn have a negative impact? Does it have negative effects on your mental
and physical health and the overall health of our society? Did you know that 91.5%
of men and 60.2% of women globally consume porn? Well, now you know. Recent
research estimates that there are more than sixty million porn websites and the
industry generates more than sixty - five billion dollars in earnings annually.
Internet users spend an average of 40% of their total working time on the internet.
This leaves me with another berating question, how much of this time is spent
consuming porn? Pornography is the explicit depiction of sexual subject matter
through video, picture, text or audio forms, created and consumed with the intent
of arousing or enhancing sexual feelings and actions. Effects elaborated below are
in no particular order.

Addiction is the first effect of consuming porn. Symptoms of addiction to porn

include intense, frequent urges to view porn, willingness to risk negative
repercussions to the behavior and inhibition of functioning in other important areas
of life. Addiction to porn is also indicated by a dependency on it. Consumers may
find it difficult for example to go to bed without consuming the content. This is
why consuming porn can cause an individual’s life to crumble apart. According to
research the addiction occurs because the habit causes the brain to produce an
amount of dopamine that’s more than usual. The brain becomes extremely excited
by the high amount of dopamine. It therefore forces the user to consume the same
content again and again to reach the dopamine amount demand by the brain.

Consuming porn also leads to perversion. Perversion means participating in sexual

acts that are contrary to the order of nature in order to satisfy sexual urges. Forms
of perversion include masturbation, homosexuality, bestiality, oral sex and
necrophilia. This also involves all activities revolving around the LGBTQ
community. These forms of perversion have dangerous effects to the physical,
social and mental health of the victim. Such activities disrupt the natural order of
things in society. Perversion is an attack to the family system since it insists that a
family can consist of two members of the same x]gender or of different species.
The dangers of masturbation cover a wide range from social to physical and even
to mental negative effects. They include infertility, impotence, birthing children
with physical defects, depression and anxiety, loneliness and irresponsible
behavior.

Pornography has also led to an increased rate of promiscuity. Promiscuity is the

practice of engaging in sexual activities with multiple partners. Victims of
pornography practice promiscuity as they seek partners who can satisfy the ever-
increasing sexual urges that war them. This mostly comes when the individual has
continued in the habit for a while. Promiscuity exposes the individual to increased
risks of contracting STIs such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV/AIDS. This is also
contributed by the fact that victims try to copy what they consume especially in
videos and paste it in real life. Research has shown that porn is acted and the
materials are crafted after false fantasies in order to easily snare people and rarely
express what occurs in reality.

Majority of individuals who consume porn also go through depression. Several

factors contribute to this. First, the victim experiences guilt and self-hatred which
automatically leads to depressive symptoms. The individual may also feel lacking
in their sexual appeal and prowess. This may lead the person to engaging in
procedures that seek to modify their physical appearance such as surgeries and
taking of medications. These barely yield the desired results and may plunge the
victim into a health crisis thereby causing depression. Again, individuals in this
snare find it difficult to maintain positive relationships, they break up with their
lovers and get separated from close friends. This directly sends them into
depression resulting from loneliness.

Porn consumption fuels sexual abuse and irresponsible sexual behavior. This
occurs as a result of uncontrollable sexual urges that consume the victims.
Majority of individuals convicted of rape and other forms of sexual violence were
found, according to research, to have consumed porn. Research has also indicated
that consumers of porn have a tendency to objectify and dehumanize others. Its
was also found out that the consumers are less likely to intervene during a sexual
assault, more likely to victim – blame survivors of sexual assault, more likely to
support violence against women, more likely to forward sexts without consent,
and more likely to commit acts of sexual violence. Porn consumption thus,
increases the crime rate in society by a substantial degree.

In addition to all of the above, the habit causes our brains to mutate.
Neuroplasticity is the process by which our brains are constantly changing. When
we engage repetitively, and with focus, in a pleasurable activity our brains mutate
so that they become better at doing the activity next time. Supernormal stimulus
which is an overexaggerated form of what is normal can overwhelm the
neuroplasticity process. For instance, porn can take our natural desire for intimacy
and connection and amplify it. That is; more quantity, more exaggerated, more
supernormal versions of that desire. Through neuroplasticity porn changes what
we view as normal, distortions what we find exciting and make real intimacy feel
less interesting by comparison. These changes are the primary cause of sexual
abuse and other sexual misconduct.

In conclusion, porn watching has adverse implications on our physical, social,

psychological, mental and spiritual health. This industry is feeding poison to our
generation. Millions of individuals are feasting on this hazardous meal. Some
innocently and others arrogantly. Don`t even think for a minute that victims only
involve those whose browse erotic content on the internet, no. It covers many
areas such as the movies we watch, the pages we follow on social media, the
magazines and novels we read, the pieces of art we have in our homes, the texts
we send to people and many other affected media. There are many more effects
of porn beyond the few I`ve mentioned. Take care.
This article is not written to condemn anyone. Its main aim is to bring us to the
consciousness of what we are feeding our souls with. The bible says in 1
Corinthian 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to
man…” this means that all human beings are vulnerable to falling into the snare
you are in. Self-condemnation, suicide, isolating yourself and drug abuse are not
the solution. JESUS IS THE ANSWER FOR THE WORLD TODAY. In Luke 19:10 He
said, “For the son of man has come to seek and save that which is lost.” Jesus did
not come for the sake of the righteous but for the lost, to bring them to salvation
(Matthew 9:13b). He also said, “…it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick.” Are you sick? Are you tired of the burden that comes with porn addiction?
Do you need a doctor? JESUS IS HERE FOR YOU. In Matthew 11:28 he says, “Come
to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Take his
hand and allow him to wash your soul with his love. He will forgive, heal and
restore you and set your life on a path of everlasting victory.