Pornography addiction
Pornography addiction is the scientifically controversial application of an addiction model to the use of pornography. Pornography may be part of compulsive behavior with negative consequences to one's physical, mental, social, or financial well-being. While the World Health Organization's ICD-11 (2022) has recognized compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) as an "impulsive control disorder",[1] CSBD is not an addiction,[2][3][4][5][6][7] and the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 (2013) and the DSM-5-TR (2022) do not classify compulsive pornography consumption as a mental disorder or a behavioral addiction.[2]
Problematic Internet pornography viewing is viewing of Internet pornography that is problematic for an individual due to personal or social reasons, including the excessive time spent viewing pornography instead of interacting with others and the facilitation of procrastination. Individuals may report depression, social isolation, career loss, decreased productivity, or financial consequences as a result of their excessive Internet pornography viewing impeding their social life.[8]
Epidemiology[edit]
A 2017 study using a representative sample of Australians researched distress about sex video use.[57] It found that of 10,131 women surveyed, 0.5% of women agreed with the statement that they were "addicted" to pornography; 1.2% (of 4,218 who viewed) when limited to women who say they viewed sex films. The comparable figure limiting to men who view sex films was 4.4%. This was without any clinical screening that should eliminate primary disorders (e.g., depression) or religious-based concerns, so these should be considered high-end estimates for potential disorders, if any exist.
Most studies of rates use a convenience sample. One 2000 study of a convenience sample of 9,265 people found that 1% of Internet users have concerns about their Internet use and 17% of users meet criteria for problematic sexual compulsivity, meaning they score above one standard deviation of the mean on the Kalichman Sexual Compulsivity Scale.[58] A survey of 84 college-age males found that 20–60% of a sample of college-age males who use pornography found it to be problematic.[59] Research on internet addiction disorder indicates rates may range from 1.5 to 8.2% in Europeans and Americans.[60]
A 2019 study found that the average frequency of use for those self-describing as addicted to porn was about ten times per year.[61] The study found this identification correlated with male gender, higher frequency of use, and belief that pornography was morally wrong (whether for religious or other reasons).[62]
Society and culture[edit]
Support groups[edit]
Several support groups exist for people who wish to quit pornography use and/or believe themselves to be addicted to pornography. Twelve-step programs such as Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA), Sexaholics Anonymous (SA), Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA), Sexual Recovery Anonymous (SRA), and Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA) are fellowships of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so they may overcome their common problem and help others recover from addiction or dependency by using the twelve-step program borrowed from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other recovery tools.[63]
NoFap is website and community forum founded in 2011 that serves as a support group for those who wish to give up pornography and masturbation.[64] It serves as a support group for those who wish to avoid the use of pornography, masturbation, and/or sexual intercourse.[64][65][66] Recent peer-reviewed data highlighted considerable levels of misogyny along with a poor understanding of human sexuality and relationships within this online community.[67] Sociologist Kelsy Burke, author of The Pornography Wars, believes that this misogyny arises from blaming the female-dominated profession of pornography for men's personal problems.[61] The Daily Dot and Der Spiegel linked NoFap to recent gender-based murders and breeding domestic terrorism.[68][69]
Fight the New Drug, a Salt Lake City-based non-profit organization founded by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,[70] is a non-legislative organization which claims to seek to inform and educate individuals regarding pornography usage with science and personal stories. It is aimed at the youth demographic. There is also a PornFree reddit group which focuses on giving up porn rather than masturbation.[71][72]
Celebrate Recovery is a Christian inter-denominational twelve-step program with about 35,000 available groups and is open to any person who is struggling with life's bad habits, hurts, and hang-ups.[73] Celebrate Recovery was started in 1991 at Saddleback Church in California, and their program is based on the Beatitudes from the biblical Sermon on the Plain and the twelve-step program from Alcoholics Anonymous.[74]