Is Watching Porn will Damage Your Sexual Wellbeing?

Many find pleasure, relief and sometimes comfort in watching porn. Be it videos, audios or reading magazines to inspire masturbation and sex ideas for lovers to try out.

Besides, whether you’re single or in a relationship and looking to spice things up – you could also add sex toys to the routine. Nowadays, anyone can easily purchase sex toys online. There’s a wide range to choose from too. The best part is, it caters to all preferences.

Sex toys can become a holy grail when you least expect it.

What if you happen to be feeling horny but your partner is out of town so log on to your favourite porn site – you’ll be thirsty for pleasure. So why not treat yourself to a masturbation cup while you’re at it? Masturbation cups are known to elevate the overall sex experience with its high tide liquid.

It’s during times of such crisis that makes sex toys an ever-reliable essential. The only maintenance needed is to change its batteries every now and then.

Is Masturbate to Porn Killing Your Sex Drive?

A 2019 review found that the majority of men (64 to 70 percent) and a smaller percentage of women (23 to 33 percent) use pornography.

Dwulit D & Rzymski P. (2019)

With that said, as pleasurable as it is to masturbate to porn… Is it healthy?

After reviewing many articles and various research on the topic, it seems to always result in a debate between:

1. Why watching porn moderation is healthy
2. How one engages with porn after watching it may be unhealthy
3. How porn affects one’s ability to interact with the opposite sex is unhealthy

Basically, these studies ended up with contradicting responses such as, how watching porn in moderation is healthy but it’s about how the watcher behaves after that may be unhealthy, in general, can impact an individual’s social relationships.

Well, agree to disagree. Porn itself isn’t bad, it all depends on how the user uses it. Generally speaking, too much of anything can be unhealthy.

How Does Porn Affect Sex?

Likewise, too much consumption can lead to negative consequences such as false ideation of sex. If an individual happens to be a heavy viewer of porn, it may leave them feeling dissatisfied when they actually have sex because it’s so different from what was exhibited.

For others, watching it is considered cheating. This comes with the impression that their partners ‘prefer’ an adult star’s physical appearance and capabilities, causing them to become insecure about themselves.

As we dive deeper into the topic, bear in mind that there is no discrimination against those who do and do not watch adult sex videos. It is all about personal preference at the end of the day.

When it comes to porn, it’s crucial not to mistake sex education. Movies have the element of exaggerated/ unrealistic scenes that lead people confused fantasy with reality. Just like every other movie, porn is directed by actual producers and performed by actors, released by its own production company. Any regard to sexual health should be dealt with by a doctor or certified sex therapist.

The main concerns were about the creation of unrealistic expectations, links with gender-based violence, and the potential for addiction.

However, some teachers have spoken up about introducing porn literacy as an extension of sex education. It’s much easier for children to be exposed to such content, accidental or not. The trouble with this is, some types of porn can cause confusion about critical issues such as consent and objectification. Teens may get the wrong idea and subconsciously develop a bad habit from exposure without a proper guidance.

In 2017, about 75% of 2,000 adults in Britain support the idea of including the impact of porn in sex education classes.

This doesn’t go without saying that there’s a lot of taboo surrounding porn.

The idea of porn itself differs between people even though it’s common for anyone to watch it. Yes, that includes those who are in relationships.

Nowadays, it’s really easy to access it. A 2018 study found that 98% of men and 73% of women from the 1,036 participants between the ages of 18 to 35, have engaged with internet sex videos within the previous 6 months and videos were the common option.

You may be wondering: “Shouldn’t that make it easier for porn to be openly discussed?” Unfortunately not. You’d be surprised by how many people are still unwilling to admit that they watch it.

When it comes to self-exploration, you can count on it to keep you at ease.

It’s not easy for people to open up about their sexuality or desires with the fear of embarrassment and judgement. Over time, it’s become normal for young adults to turn to porn, especially during college years, where they’ll be exposed to the idea of sex.

Speaking of which, a study on college students found that 92% of men and 50% of women have come across some form of sexually explicit materials. Apparently, men tend to use more of all types of sex videos compared to women, with the exception of sexually explicit books.

Another study found that 75% to 90% of people would search internet porn because of:

• curiosity,
• sexual enjoyment and interest
• improve sexual knowledge and skills – otherwise to improve sexual health

Watching porn isn’t exactly easy to bring up as a casual aside between Netflix episodes, so the lack of communication may lead to suspicion and negative feelings in a relationship. A couple can resolve many of these, erm… stickier situations through honest, open conversation. However, you’re unlikely to see the other side of the tension unless you make a concerted change to communicate honestly and openly about the function of porn in your life.

Get more intimate with some sex toys to have more exploration.

Draw a Line on Consumption

If you find that you’re unable to separate reality from fantasy, it’s a sign that your regular porn consumption is slowly affecting your overall well-being and surrounding relationships.

Personally, you’ll find yourself struggling with insecurities. You’d compare your bodily features to porn stars and even begin to overthink your appearance, which then affects self-esteem. When it comes to your sexual relationship, you may expect more from your lover when things get intimate. For example, you’d ask them to perform similar acts to porn stars or do things they aren’t interested in.

Due to the ever-changing results of porn consumption on the human brain, research remains ongoing to find out more about the true impact of porn on one’s wellbeing. Nonetheless, it all depends on your personal perspective to decide on whether or not it’s good or bad.