A recent study done by MedicareHealthPlans.com identified the most googled health problem in each state and West Virginia’s was porn addiction. This reveals the pervasiveness of pornography and the widening scope of its harmful effects. Like other health conditions, an addiction to pornography is a serious issue that has negative mental, physical, and emotional consequences.
Pornography is infiltrating society and affecting increasingly younger groups. It is estimated that sixty-four percent of people ages 13-24 seek out pornography weekly or more often.1 This habitual use can be extremely detrimental, especially for teenagers whose brains are not yet fully developed. In fact, pornography viewing is linked to decreased brain matter in the areas of motivation and decision-making, impaired impulse control, and desensitization to sexual reward.2
Pornography normalizes and glorifies sexual violence; a content analysis of popular pornographic videos found that 88% of scenes contained physical violence.3 It is also linked to negative body image4 and dissatisfaction with partners.5
West Virginia’s google search of porn addiction demonstrates that pornography is affecting an increasing number of people across the nation. Knowing the true facts about the harms of pornography is imperative for equipping people to combat its negative effects. For more information about the harmful effects of pornography click here.
For resources for how to deal with pornography click here.
1 Barna Group, The Porn Phenomenon: The Impact of Pornography in the Digital Age,” (Ventura, CA: Josh McDowell Ministry, 2016).
2 Simone Kühn and Jürgen Gallinat, “Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated with Pornography Consumption,” JAMA Psychiatry 71, no. 7 (2014): 827–834.
3 Ana J. Bridges, Robert Wosnitzer, Erica Scharrer, Chyng Sun, and Rachael Liberman, “Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis Update,” Violence against Women 16, no. 10 (2010): 1065–1085.
4 Julie M. Albright, “Sex in America Online: An Exploration of Sex, Marital Status, and Sexual Identity in Internet Sex Seeking and Its Impacts,” Journal of Sex Research 45 (2008): 175–186.
5 Chyng Sun, Ana Bridges, Jennifer Johnason, and Matt Ezzell, “Pornography and the Male Sexual Script: An Analysis of Consumption and Sexual Relations,” Archives of Sexual Behavior 45, no.4 (2014: 983–994.
