Pornography Addiction Can Be As Alluring As Drugs

The Internet has provided increased convenience with access to information, shopping and financial management, but there are negatives as well, including online gambling which can lead to compulsive behavior, and the same is true for pornography.

In prior decades, a minor pornographic curiosity could be quelled by the embarrassment of having a postal worker delivering a magazine subscription, or by having to purchase from a convenience store clerk. Now online pictures and enticing banner ads tempt even those that logged on to the computer with no intention of exploring pornography.

Online pornography sites are having a huge effect on teens and pre-teens. The average age at which youth are first exposed to pornography is getting younger, with current averages at 11 or 12 years old. Many of these cases involve children that logged on to a computer to do school work or something equally harmless when a suggested video pop-up appeared on the border of the web page which tempted their curiosity. A simple click led to a compulsive urge to see more of the same.

For many teens, the problem gets so out of hand that they require intervention, but shame and embarrassment prevent them from telling anyone that pornography has begun to take over. For others, the need for help may be acknowledged, but they may lack the financial resources to receive the treatment they require.

While the recognition of pornography addiction as a diagnosis has not been accepted by the medical and mental health community, the large number of individuals that are addicted to viewing pornography testify to the need for the problem to be addressed.

An earlier study appearing in Pediatrics showed that in recent years 42 percent of teens had viewed pornography online. Of those, 66 percent had not wanted to view the material. Those numbers continue to rise.

One major concern of those treating teens for pornography-related problems is the increasingly violent content that is available online. Many of the scenes in the most popular pornography videos included violence, such as spanking, gagging, kicking or hair-pulling. Most of the time that violence was against women.

Recent studies have found that when teens watch violent pornography content they are six times more likely to engage in behavior that is sexually aggressive when compared to teens that had not viewed violent pornography.

Experts note that while not all pornography is equal, both violent and non-violent types can lead to trouble for teens. The teen brain is rapidly developing, and the constant flood of dopamine that accompanies addictive behaviors can create pathways that make it difficult for the teen to redirect their behavior patterns.

Parents should no longer rely on one major talk about sex to introduce their children to the “birds and the bees.” Rather, an ongoing dialogue that addresses sexual topics on a deep level is recommended to help teens navigate the temptations that are often hovering in the margins of the Internet.