“Pornified” Author Says Porn Users Reported Negative Feelings, Poor Sexual Experiences

When an author set out to learn more about the porn culture in the U.S., she was surprised to learn that the use of porn affects all walks of life and all societal groups. In almost every case, the use of porn destroyed personal relationships brought declining sexual satisfaction and profoundly altered the ways men and women acted upon expectations for each other.

Pamela Paul, author of “Pornified,” addresses in her book the ways that porn is altering the culture of families and personal relationships in the U.S. on unexpected and alarming levels. The author believed she would discover that Internet pornography was utilized by people who were societal outcasts or were using it as a surrogate to a dating life – but found that people of all types of occupations and status were using porn, and frequently.

Paul also said one of the most unexpected findings from writing the book was the level at which pornography, especially Internet-based pornography, was destroying people’s careers, finances and families. Many people interviewed by the author did not yet describe themselves in full-blown pornography addiction, yet their relationships and careers were hitting all-time lows. In other cases, people who were frequent users of porn didn’t even realize how deeply the materials were changing their lives and thoughts.

Contrary to what many may perceive as an aid to an improved sex life, people who used pornography, says Paul, had unsatisfactory sexual relationships and several had considered surgical alterations to their bodies. For males, problems with erectile dysfunction and a marked lack of enjoyment of sex – even with a spouse – were linked to pornography use. This may be due to people becoming conditioned to become aroused in the presence of pornography and detached from real-life settings, said the author.

The use of pornography seemed to follow a pattern of destruction, said Paul. Users began to become numb from the images they were viewing and then needed more intense images or material to get the same effect. Eventually, many became addicted – – but many began as infrequent users of pornography with no belief that it would turn into an addiction.

Some interviewees for Paul’s book admitted to the possibility of addiction to pornography in their future, which the author links to the rising accessibility of Internet pornography. The pornography user from years ago, says Paul, may have purchased a magazine on an infrequent basis. Today, many pornography users spend an hour or more viewing images or videos online.

Pornography addiction symptoms can include neglecting work or school responsibilities, depression and social withdrawal. Strong feelings of shame, fear and of the situation moving beyond their control are also reported by people with the addiction. As the addiction progresses, many report seeking more severe or extreme types of pornography.
Pornography was estimated to be a $96 billion industry across the globe in 2006, and it is believed that the number of Internet sites containing pornographic material rose 17 percent between 2009 and 2010.