12 is the average age of first porn exposure among youth.
71% of teens who intentionally view pornography report watching it weekly.
79% of teens who have seen pornography say they use it to learn how to have sex.
91.5% of men and 60.2% of women report consuming pornography in the past month.
Pornography use is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety.
- Journal of Behavioral Addictions: Examining Correlates of Problematic Pornography Use Among University Students
- Clinical Characteristics of Individuals With Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder – Journal of Behavioral Addictions
- Harper, C., & Hodgins, D. C. (2016). Examining correlates of problematic pornography use among university students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(2), 179–191.
Pornography use is linked to increased loneliness and psychological distress.
Pornography use is associated with lower life satisfaction and poorer self-esteem.
Pornography use is associated with impaired emotional regulation and avoidance coping.
Engineered for constant novelty and escalation, repeated exposure can strengthen habit loops and turn them into an escalating behavior.
What begins as curiosity or stress relief can, for some, lead to isolation, emotional avoidance, and diminished well-being.
Research shows the brain can recover from compulsive pornography use through neuroplasticity.
Pornography use is associated with lower relationship satisfaction and lower sexual satisfaction.
- Human Communication Research: Pornography Consumption and Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis
- Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., Kraus, A., & Klann, E. (2017). Pornography consumption and satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Human Communication Research, 43(3), 315–343.
- Perry, S. L. (2017). Does viewing pornography reduce marital quality over time? Evidence from longitudinal data. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 46(2), 549–559.
Pornography use predicts declines in marital quality over time.
Pornography use is associated with a higher likelihood of breakup or divorce.
One in four young adults reports pornography is the most helpful source for learning how to have sex.
Over 40% of adolescents report trying sexual behaviors they first saw in pornography.
Approximately 45% of popular pornography contains physical aggression or violence.
64% of college-aged women report having been strangled during sex.
Frequent pornography use has been linked to erectile dysfunction and other sexual performance difficulties in young men.
Porn is the 2nd-most common form of sex trafficking.
One in three teens have received a sext and nearly one in four have sent one.
One in three minors report seeing nonconsensually shared nude images of other minors.
98% of all deepfake videos online are pornographic.
Deepfake pornography has increased by more than 550% since 2019\.
Pornography consumption is linked to increased objectification and greater acceptance of sexual violence.
Exposure to pornography is associated with greater engagement in risky sexual behaviors.
