Over 100 quick stats and findings from an ever-growing body of research that details the effects of porn for individuals, relationships, and society.
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.
In a 2016 study, researchers found that 46.9% of respondents reported that, over time, they began watching pornography that had previously disinterested or even disgusted them.
Approximately 91.5% of men and 60.2% of women report consuming porn in the past month, according to a 2020 study.
Research shows that while feeling guilt can motivate healthy change, feeling shame actually fuels problematic porn habits.
Some experts have determined four major brain changes common to addicted brains—sensitization, desensitization, hypofrontality, and a malfunctioning stress system— all of which can be found in cases of pornography consumption.
Research assessing the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in treating porn addiction found that “over 95% of clients were able to manage symptoms at the end of the twelve weeks and 78% sustained recovery six months following treatment.”
Problematic porn consumers who are treated using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy show a 92% reduction in porn consumption, and an 86% reduction three months later.
Because of desensitization, many porn consumers find themselves consuming more porn, consuming more often, or consuming more extreme forms of pornography.
Even quitting porn for a short time can lessen its negative effects and have positive effects on consumers' lives and relationships.
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