Over 100 quick stats and findings from an ever-growing body of research that details the effects of porn for individuals, relationships, and society.
One review of 20 studies on the topic found that pornography consumption negatively impacts adolescents’ self-esteem and mental health.
Porn consumption is associated with lower self-esteem.
A 2026 longitudinal study found that people who watched pornography more frequently consistently reported more depressive symptoms over two years, even after accounting for age, gender, and moral disapproval of pornography.
A review of 26 studies found that greater exposure to pornography was associated with more negative perceptions of body image and sexual body image among both men and women.
Research routinely shows that consuming porn is connected to poorer mental health.
Porn consumption is linked to increased loneliness.
People who use porn as a self-soothing technique tend to have some of the lowest reports of emotional and mental wellbeing according to a 2017 study.
According to a 2018 study of "child porn" victims, survivors reported that the images of their abuse caused different problems than the sexual abuse itself, including distress over being recognized from the images.
Women whose partners consume porn tend to experience more psychological distress, feel more objectified, have poorer body image, and are even more likely to develop eating disorder symptoms.
Research shows that while feeling guilt can motivate healthy change, feeling shame actually fuels problematic porn habits.
According to one survey of nonconsensual pornography victims, 51% reported having suicidal thoughts due to the image-based abuse, and 93% reported experiencing severe emotional distress.
A 2014 brain-imaging study found that men who reported watching more pornography had less gray matter in a brain region involved in reward processing, reduced responses to sexual cues, and weaker connectivity with the prefrontal cortex.
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