Adolescent Brain Meets Highspeed Internet Porn (2013)

In 2013 Your Brain on Porn made a video called Adolescent Brain Meets Highspeed Internet Porn. Here is the science we used to make it.

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SCIENCE RELATED TO THE PRESENTATION

(Note – our articles contain multiple citations)

Sections containing supporting studies

Sexist views

The goal of this review was to synthesize empirical investigations testing effects of media sexualization. The focus was on research published in peer-reviewed, English-language journals between 1995 and 2015. A total of 109 publications that contained 135 studies were reviewed. The findings provided consistent evidence that both laboratory exposure and regular, everyday exposure to this content are directly associated with a range of consequences, including higher levels of body dissatisfaction, greater self-objectification, greater support of sexist beliefs and of adversarial sexual beliefs, and greater tolerance of sexual violence toward women. Moreover, experimental exposure to this content leads both women and men to have a diminished view of women’s competence, morality, and humanity.

Aggression

22 studies from 7 different countries were analyzed. Consumption was associated with sexual aggression in the United States and internationally, among males and females, and in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Associations were stronger for verbal than physical sexual aggression, although both were significant. The general pattern of results suggested that violent content may be an exacerbating factor.

“But hasn’t porn use reduced rape rates?” No, rape rates have been rising in recent years: “Rape rates are on the rise, so ignore the pro-porn propaganda.” For much more, see this page for an extensive critique of the often-repeated assertion that an increased availability of porn has resulted in decreased rape rates.

Adolescents

Increased access to the Internet by adolescents has created unprecedented opportunities for sexual education, learning, and growth. Conversely, the risk of harm that is evident in the literature has led researchers to investigate adolescent exposure to online pornography in an effort to elucidate these relationships. Collectively, these studies suggest that youth who consume pornography may develop unrealistic sexual values and beliefs. Among the findings, higher levels of permissive sexual attitudes, sexual preoccupation, and earlier sexual experimentation have been correlated with more frequent consumption of pornography…. Nevertheless, consistent findings have emerged linking adolescent use of pornography that depicts violence with increased degrees of sexually aggressive behavior.

The literature does indicate some correlation between adolescents’ use of pornography and self-concept. Girls report feeling physically inferior to the women they view in pornographic material, while boys fear they may not be as virile or able to perform as the men in these media. Adolescents also report that their use of pornography decreased as their self-confidence and social development increase. Additionally, research suggests that adolescents who use pornography, especially that found on the Internet, have lower degrees of social integration, increases in conduct problems, higher levels of delinquent behavior, higher incidence of depressive symptoms, and decreased emotional bonding with caregivers.

Causation studies

Sections with numerous studies

Studies specific to this presentation on highspeed internet porn use

Surveys: use and sexual dysfunctions

DeltaFosB & sensitization articles

Porn-induced sexual problems articles

Adolescent brain vulnerabilities articles & studies

Desentization articles

Highspeed internet porn is different

Studies of DeltaFosB and sexual conditioning

DeltaFosB sensitization and addiction studies

Epigenetic effects

Animal studies on sexual conditioning

Erection physiology studies

Basic science on libido and erections

Addiction experts proclaim sexual behavior addiction exists