From steamy nights with a lover to solo scrolls under the covers — Americans are watching more porn than ever before.
In 2024, the US once again topped the global charts for traffic to Pornhub, racking up more than 3 billion visits to the free adult film site in January alone.
But while porn might offer a moment of pleasure, too much screen time can come with some not-so-sexy side effects. Danielle Sukenik, a licensed marriage and family therapist, broke down the potential risks in The Conversation — and spoiler alert: they’re not exactly a turn-on.
The digital age has revolutionized the adult entertainment industry, making porn more accessible than ever.
Research suggests that around 40 million Americans visit porn sites regularly, with a staggering 28,258 people tuning in every second.
Young people are no exception. A 2023 survey by Common Sense Media found that 73% of teens aged 17 and under have watched online pornography, with 12 being the average age of first time exposure.
The impact of porn on the brain
For many, pornography can serve as a harmless tool for sexual exploration and education. But for others, it can turn problematic, taking a toll not only their relationships, but their brains as well.
A 2015 study found that men who frequently viewed porn had less gray matter in the brain’s area responsible for motivation and decision-making. Heavy consumers of X-rated content were also less responsive to sexual stimuli overall, likely due to desensitization.
“This in turn leads to increased cravings and impulsivity in order to achieve the previous levels of reward in the brain,” Sukenik wrote.
Pornography can also scramble your brain’s reward system.
Dopamine, the brain’s feel-good neurotransmitter, is released whenever we experience pleasure. But when dopamine is constantly flooding the brain due to repetitive porn use, the reward center builds up a tolerance.
The outcome? You need more intense stimulation to feel the same satisfaction.
Research shows this can lead people to seek out content they would’ve never considered before. A 2016 study found that 49% of participants ended up exploring content that was once off-putting or even repulsive to them.
“Because pornography can affect brain changes and subsequent pleasure responses, porn users may eventually feel the need to seek more extreme content,” Sukenik wrote.
As this desensitization continues, it can also diminish the pleasure of real-world sex. Some experts suggest this happens because users’ sexual arousal becomes conditioned to certain aspects of porn that don’t translate to real-life experiences.
For some, this can lead to problems below the belt.
A 2020 study found that 23% of men under 35 who regularly watch porn reported some level of erectile dysfunction with real-life partners. It also showed that heavy porn users took significantly longer to reach orgasm with a real-world partner.
These effects often creep into the bedroom, too — with porn use linked to lower relationship satisfaction and emotional disconnect.
“Higher rates of infidelity, lower levels of commitment, increased emotional detachment and loss of trust are also evident in relationships affected by problematic porn use,” Sukenik wrote.
The toll on personal lives, combined with changes in the brain’s reward system, can take a serious hit on a person’s mental health.
Research shows that regular porn users often report higher rates of depression, diminished quality of life and overall worse mental health compared to those who steer clear of it.
“Pornography use could have even more profound effects on the developing brain,” Sukenik wrote. “This is because adolescent brains are undergoing rapid development, and connections are being formed and reorganized at a high rate of speed during the teen years.”
A 2021 study found that more than 20% of students who compulsively consumed X-rated content experienced severe or extremely severe levels of depression, anxiety and stress.
Other research indicates that early exposure to pornography is linked to higher rates of personality and impulse disorders.
A separate 2021 study of almost 11,000 European adolescents between the ages of 14 and 17 found those exposed to pornography were more likely to engage in rule-breaking and aggressive behaviors.
Further studies suggest that early exposure to pornography can lead to delinquent behavior, high-risk sexual behavior, and even substance use.
Can porn ever be good for you?
While porn can have a dark side, not all of it is doom and gloom. For some, it’s actually a boost in the bedroom.
Porn is commonly used for masturbation — which comes with its own list of health benefits. Experts say flying solo can help people feel more in tune with their bodies, their sexuality and even their fantasies. It’s also been linked to reduced stress and anxiety.
And it’s not just a solo sport. For some couples, watching porn together can actually bring them closer.
A 2021 study found that partners who viewed porn together reported higher levels of sexual satisfaction, communication and interpersonal closeness than those who watched alone.