The Problem with Porn

There are an estimated 500 million pages of sexually explicit porn on the Internet, and they cater to every conceivable turn-on. A report by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy estimates that between 20 and 33 percent of Internet users in the United States go online for sexual purposes—either to view pornographic images or to engage in some sort of interaction. Most of these people are married men.

As a marriage and family therapist, I have become increasingly aware of the problem with porn and the adverse effect of porn on intimate relationships. The problem with porn (in addition to moral considerations) is that it is impersonal, anti-romantic, and objectifying. The object of desire is no longer an intimate partner but rather an object, and almost any “object” will do.

It is not surprising; therefore, research indicates habitual porn use hurts the nature and quality of sex in relationships—particularly when (as is usually the case) a partner is viewing porn alone and not as part of a couple’s mutual sexual enjoyment. The impact of habitually masturbating to porn includes:

Less frequent sex. When one partner is a habitual porn user, the couple will have less sex. This is not so when masturbation is used without porn; in that case, couples are likely to have sex more often.

 Michael Brown, MSC, LMFT, Certified Gottman Therapist, Couples Workshop Leader, Master Trainer, & Consultant - CoupleStrong Collaborator

Michael Brown, MSC, LMFT, dba Happy Couples Healthy Communities