Lust OR Life: Is Porn Making You Depressed?

Debunking the myths and realities of the modern-day phenomena.

Derived from the Greek word porni (“prostitute”) and graphein (“to write”), the term pornography was first established as an art form or literature that depicted the life of prostitutes.

Nowadays, online pornography has become a norm, so much so that in 2009 when professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse tried to conduct a study to analyze the impact of porn, he was at a loss in finding college-age males who weren’t consuming it!

By the age of 10, most boys will have sought pornography online.

In an age where social media has become a hot topic in the rising of anxiety and depression, can the same be said about online pornography?

On the surface, it may not appear as damaging in comparison to other potential addictions out there, but when everyone is doing it does that necessarily mean it’s a good thing either?

Here are the truth and realities of online porn.

Porn in the Internet Age

According to the author of Our Brain on Porn Gary Wilson, online porn is not sought after to search for nudity, but rather the novelty of it in order to trigger arousal.

This filtering process is known as the Coolidge Effect, a biological phenomenon where a males' sexual interest with the same female decreases over time, however, when a new female comes along it heightens.

Each time a person scours the internet for the potential novel ‘mate’, they are simulating the search for a new genetic opportunity, releasing the neurochemical dopamine which keeps them scouring for longer.

‘‘With internet porn, a guy can see more hot babes in 10 minutes than his ancestors could see in several lifetimes’’.

— Gary Wilson, The Great Porn Experiment, Ted Talk.

The old hunter-gatherer mindset is still there, however, nowadays it’s transfixed on voyaging through a sea of multiple tabs and scouring for new surprising novelties to up the ante in the dopamine release it produces.

Chasing the Dragon: Dopamine

Pornography triggers dopamine a neurotransmitter that is responsible for the urge and wants for rewards, providing us our incentive to act as a species.

Whether it’s craving junk food, going on a swiping frenzy on dating apps, or scrolling through hours and hours on social media, the surge of dopamine we get through these forums is what keeps us hooked.

Without dopamine we wouldn’t have motivation to do or be anything.

Recent studies revealed that when scientists removed the dopamine receptors from mice they found that the mice had become so lethargic and so unmotivated, that they would die of starvation despite having food in their cage.

Class A drugs such as cocaine are known to stimulate the dopamine receptors at an extreme rate, however, because the brain cannot handle the overload of dopamine, the number of dopamine receptors decreases, thus decreasing the amount of dopamine released in the brain.

The side effects of low dopamine include:

• fatigue/insomnia
• low libido
• stress
• mood swings
• memory loss
• social anxiety
• sugar cravings
• inability to focus and connect with others.

Among the newest findings reveal that there is a correlation between low dopamine with symptoms of depression.

NOFAP

Adopted from the word ‘fap’ (masturbate), the NOFAP community started on Reddit in 2011 as a community that promoted abstinence from pornography, even as far as abstaining from sexual activity altogether.

According to NOFAPpers, the benefits of doing NOFAP include:

• increased happiness.
• boosted confidence.
• increased motivation and willpower.
• lower levels of stress and anxiety.
• heightened spirituality.
• self-acceptance.
• improved attitude and appreciation toward the opposite sex

Studies have shown that in just 7 days of applying NOFAP, without ejaculating whatsoever, male testosterone levels increased by 45.7%.

In addition to this NOFAPpers claim to have experienced physical benefits such as:

• higher energy levels
• muscle growth
• better sleep
• improved focus and concentration
• better physical performance and stamina
• improved or cured erectile dysfunction
• improved sperm quality

However, these claims have not been backed by science, whereas on the other hand, studies have also shown that porn consumption has provided positive effects for both men and women, many in line with what NOFAPpers claimed to experience from abstaining from porn and masturbation entirely.

Relationships and Expectations

Porn may have some positive benefits, but it can also severely impact the expectation of what sex is.

According to a leading relationship charity counselor, Sharon Chapman when asked about the effect of porn on relationships:

“As porn has become more accessible, this distorts a person’s view of what a normal sex life should and could be like. I think it has also made sex more extreme. When you look at a sexual image that is incredibly graphic and exaggerated in terms of sexual performance, it takes away the mystery and the element of experimentation between two people.”

Emotional intimacy plays a vital role in sex, and it plays an integral part in how a couple builds trust, communication, and feelings of security, but this need is not being met through porn.

With porn now filling the role as the go-to forum for sexual education, expectations are being warped, particularly within young men and women, misleading what a sexual relationship should entail.

So Is it Bad or Not?

In his book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, author Robert B. Cialdini Ph.D. makes note of how advertisers throw descriptions such as ‘‘best-selling’’ or ‘‘fastest-growing’’ because it’s the social validation of others that creates the perception that the product is good.

History has shown us how far ideas can go in brainwashing us if we are not careful and just because something is regarded as popular through social proof, we shouldn’t automatically jump to the conclusion that it actually means it’s good.

This isn’t to say that porn is bad per se, but it’s important to identify the reason behind someone pursuing it, especially if there is a deeper-rooted problem at hand that is being neglected making that person feel compelled to pursue porn in the first place.

Ultimately, it comes down to the relationship a person has with it.

When pleasure is sought as a goal, it can lead to destructive consequences.

As I mentioned in my article The Backwards Law of Addiction:

Pleasure has no ceiling. Once one becomes accustomed to something, no matter who they are, it is human nature to want to up the ante, the dosage, forever chasing that allusive dragon that simply cannot be caught.

When we over-stimulate our dopamine levels, we decrease the dopamine receptors we have, making the normal world look less and less intriguing to us because our expectations have become distorted.

Porn may not be unlike other forums out there vying for your attention but it is by far the most addictive.

Clinical psychologist, Dr. Jordan Peterson offers that if anyone is looking to quit porn or at the very least alleviate the urge they have for it, they should focus on having a better life outside of it, by giving themselves a more compelling vision so that the urge of consuming pornography does not enter their mind in the first place.

“When a person can’t find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure.”

― Viktor E. Frankl, neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor

Pleasure, whether good or bad, is still a distraction.

It may give us relief from the tensions of life, (which we most definitely need) but when we seek it as a primary goal, as our main driving force in life, we do so at the expense of who we could be.

The conversation shouldn’t be about demonizing nor defending porn but rather focusing our attention on building a life of the highest quality, to the point where we won’t feel the need to search for something outside of us in order to feel happy.

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