Boys today have access to super-stimulating porn that may lead to erectile dysfunction, social anxiety, and other problems.
About five years ago, limitless quantities of free, shocking, explicit videos became widely available to savvy Internet users with high-speed connections. Alas, some of the planet’s most talented computer wizards are youngsters (or their buddies). Passing around outrageous pornographic video clips is now a popular social activity.
Such videos are often so extreme that they dumbfound even the most free-thinking parents. According to psychiatrist Norman Doidge in The Brain That Changes Itself, porn grows more shocking because today’s porn users tend to habituate to material viewed. That is, today’s super-stimulating porn, instead of satisfying more, numbs the brain’s pleasure response. Then the user needs something even more shocking to get aroused—which the porn industry readily delivers. Who’s gonna get excited by Pac-Man when he has been playing Grand Theft Auto or Halo 3?
Increasingly, extreme porn is a problem. The more novel, startling, forbidden, or disgusting a video is, the cooler it is to pass around, and the more it excites a viewer’s brain (specifically, the reward circuitry). Climax then reinforces the “value” of the material that produces the climax. So, kids’ brains are now rewiring to value brain-jolting material, for which nothing in their (or most anyone’s) experience has prepared them. The constant flood of novel material keeps dopamine levels in the reward circuitry high while viewing continues, reinforcing the lesson that these images are valuable and important. Norepinephine released in response to shocking images also appears to reinforce this learning.
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While video games also flood the brain with dopamine, it’s evident that sexual content activates additional aspects of the brain’s reward circuitry. As kids mature, sexual reproduction signals trump video-game thrills.
The brain changes that follow repeated stimulation can have surprising effects. Young men report that their sexual tastes sometimes morph in unexpected directions, and that they become less responsive to normal flirting.
Since I began sharing the correlations men are discovering between heavy Internet porn use and symptoms like erectile dysfunction and social anxiety, I’ve been hearing from younger and younger guys struggling with such symptoms. (As an aside, users who manage to avoid extreme stimulation do not seem to report unusual erectile dysfunction problems.) Here’s a sample:
I’m hoping to recover and get aroused more around girls. I have been going insane thinking that my sex life is over. I am 15 years old and I’ve been masturbating since I was 12. It started out as just simple videos but now I have been getting into more extreme stuff. … Can you explain to me the basic steps I need to take to recover please? … I have to ask this so that my mind can rest and I can feel confident. Is there any permanent damage done to me? If I successfully quit porn will my limb stay up when I become sexually active in the future? Or will I have ED issues?
Science has not investigated or verified the answers to his questions. First, who can find porn virgins of a suitable age to test? Second, who deliberately wants to expose kids to hyperstimulating, abnormal, erotic videos to see what happens in their brains, or how it alters their sexual response? No one is measuring the ways in which extreme videos may subtly be changing brain sensitivity, thereby altering libido and sexual tastes over time.
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Again, it’s likely that the missing insights revolve around an ancient mechanism found in all mammalian brains: the reward circuit. It has long been known that overstimulating it with drugs can cause increased cravings. Now, research is revealing that non-drug, “natural” things, like junk food, can alter this part of the brain like drugs—numbing the response to normal stimuli.
If a guy has been viewing porn videos since puberty, how would he know if his (lack of) response to potential sweethearts, his kinky tastes, or his masturbation cravings are normal for him? He has nothing with which to compare. Sexologist Jakob Pastötter gives an example of how porn shapes perception:
When Kinsey did his studies in the ’40s, not even gay men practiced anal sex frequently. The first changes occurred during the ’70s in the gay scene and then, especially under the influence of the so-called gonzo pornography, also in heterosexual circles. Suddenly, anal sex seems to have become quite a common practice. And accordingly, sex counselors report that not too long ago the first boys inquired, “How can I persuade my girlfriend to have anal sex?” Then, a few years later, came the first girls: “How can I dissuade my boyfriend from anal sex?” Now, the girls come and ask the sex counselors, “What pills can I take to prevent it hurting like hell?” All this in a period of only fifteen years, which began when anal sex was introduced in pornography as a common sex variant, in the mid-’90s approximately.
Today, it is not unheard of for boys to become hooked on autoerotic asphyxiation, bondage, or rape porn. Psychologists have published accounts of otherwise straight boys who developed unsettling obsessions when desensitized to vanilla imagery—and then felt such intense, pervasive anxiety that their real-life relationships were compromised.
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What’s a parent to do?
Most parents cross their fingers, remind themselves that they survived encounters with Playboy, and hope their kids will figure things out for themselves.
But today’s porn is nothing like Playboy. It’s video, so the viewer can more easily imagine himself in a role—especially in modern, envelope-pushing “gonzo”-style films, where the actors hold the cameras. It’s always novel, and there’s no limit to how much can be viewed. In other words, not all masturbation is equal.
Masturbation based on imagining affectionate contact with a real potential mate is stimulating enough, especially for a teenager. But masturbation based on shocking stimuli, by gradually numbing the brain, can shift the user’s priorities away from real potential mates.
Should caregivers shame kids or imply they are bad people for watching today’s porn? Certainly not. But caregivers should tell kids to avoid Internet porn as much as possible, and why. Even if science is lagging behind in reliable research, anecdotal evidence of Internet porn’s risks is increasing. It’s also becoming clear that there are unmistakable benefits from leaving it behind.
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So, what do you tell kids?
1. Find a balance. Tell kids that masturbation is normal, and that it’s beneficial to work out a schedule that doesn’t escalate. Tell them to experiment with different intervals of say, once or twice a week, or even less. Point out that sometimes less frequent masturbation actually results in less overall frustration. Sticking with a schedule will require some self-discipline, a skill kids will use throughout life. Consider teaching your child one of the many ancient techniques for redistributing sexual energy.
2. Understand the escalation problem. Point out that our brains are generally calibrated for genitals achieving normal degrees of stimulation and arousal. Once we move to new thresholds of stimulation (today’s super-porn or sex toys), we risk making our brains temporarily less sensitive to subtler, ordinary stimuli.
3. Stick to natural stimuli. Tell kids to masturbate based on their own imaginings of real potential mates and realistic, affectionate sexual encounters. If that isn’t getting them to climax, it’s probably because their brains haven’t returned to full sensitivity since their previous climax. Nonetheless, it is better to wait than to turn to today’s porn to get the job done.
4. Porn is unrealistic. Point out that a partner’s satisfaction is not dependent upon the huge, unflagging erection or other characteristics of a porn star. Nor is a man’s pleasure dependent upon the hairless genitals, breast implants, or degradation of his partner. Paint a mental picture of normal sex for your child.
5. Masturbation is not the ideal mood medicine. Because climax offers temporary relief, it seems like a cure for anxiety. Kids can easily get in the habit of masturbating to regulate mood. Unfortunately, too frequent climax can make tension worse over the following days. Kids need other ways to regulate mood. Vigorous exercise, friendly interaction with others, trusted companionship, time in nature, affectionate touch/hugs, doing something creative, singing, time with pets, meditation, and service to others have all been shown to help reduce stress and/or regulate mood—probably because they improve brain balance.
6. Avoid threats and shaming. Risky activities release extra adrenaline and dopamine into the brain, and are therefore paradoxically perceived as more “valuable.” (The brain’s primitive reward circuitry assesses value based upon how much exciting dopamine is released in connection with an activity.) Threats of future punishment and warnings against “sin” therefore increase porn’s power to overstimulate the brain, making subsequent porn binging more likely.
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If you cannot think of a good way to open the porn discussion with your child, you may want to watch this free YouTube series together: Things You Didn’t Know About Porn. It helps kids distinguish between the urges coming from the reward circuitry and the self-control available from the analytical part of their brain.
Research shows that a strong, supportive parental relationship can protect kids against risky behavior, even in those who are genetically vulnerable. So, whether or not you find the above suggestions helpful, do find a way to discuss today’s gonzo-porn videos with your child without shaming or threatening. Encourage your child to ask questions. Accept that ultimately he will have to make his own decisions. All you can do is offer solid information, your loving support, and a healthy example. That may be all your child needs to steer toward sexual balance.
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On rereading this, I’m pretty much on-board with Gary and Marina. I do also feel, though, that we’ve entered a repressive era in which second wave feminism also participates. I’d say, make society more erotic, but only in a real sense. The obvious metaphor of men at computers being like Vegas visitors at one-armed bandits has a lot of meaning for me.
Very obviously she doesn’t want men using sexual ‘substitutes’ because it dilutes female sexual leverage.
It’s remarkable really, how puritanism reinvents itself. The Second Wave of Feminism was, of course, openly a revival of the “Zeroth Wave” social purity movement, a direct descendant of religious puritanism. Now, it wears a rather slipshod “liberal” hat, but it is all the same thing. So now we have again the terror of masturbation. If this stuff weren’t so influential, I would be laughing out loud at some parent with furrowed brow advising their adolescent son to try just masturbating once a week. Oh, go out for some vigorous exercise to purge those dirty thoughts! And, we have the… Read more »
To Ian B: What’s truly remarkable is your hysterical rant that our work is “pseudoscience”, without having anything specific to say other than ad hominem nonsense. Everything we say is backed up by the latest neuroscience. Instead of shouting “pseudoscience,” as if you know something, argue the neuroscience of addiction, and explain how Internet porn cannot cause addiction. Here’s one expert who understands a few things. Dr. Nora Volkow, Head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and one of the top addiction researchers in the world – in recognition of the change in the understanding of natural addiction,… Read more »
“Who’s gonna get excited by Pac-Man when he has been playing Grand Theft Auto or Halo 3?”
*Raises Hand*
Pac-Man is still fun despite the fact that I have GTA and FPS’s to play with.
Great. Hopefully you won’t habituate to Internet porn either. *smile* But if you do, you’ll know what happened.
I think we could add drugs and even love to this article and simply call it Obsessions. Obsessing about anything isn’t healthy. People obsess over violence, drugs, love, sex, driving fast, etc. This is really about obsessing over visual stimuli, porn being this particular stimuli.
Let’s get on with educating kids about sex and even porn. Stop making it so ‘bad” and mysterious and it won’t be as desirable. I do not mean to make it more easily available.
I think that’s a good way to describe the problem. The challenge, however, is that Internet porn is a lot easier to “obsess” over than most things for various reasons we’ve outlined here and elsewhere.
Thank you for the well crafted essay. It clarified a few things for me regarding the type of pornography that is widely available and its impact on the psyche. I remember reading about a young man who is unable to have sex with his girlfriend, and yet masturbated furiously to porn; something that puzzled me. Now I understand why this could happen. Whenever I teach the human reproductive part of my health care classes, the kids are dumbfounded when I tell them that watching porn is like watching Spiderman. I tell them that sex is not like what they watch… Read more »
“Spiderman” ha ha! Excellent. When guys on our forum get freaked about the weird tastes they develop as porn use escalates, which aren’t “them,” we (my husband and I) tell them the same thing. “Think of the content of porn as you would cartoons, because, honestly, the primitive part of your brain that’s calling the shots doesn’t care about content…it just cares about the neurochemical buzz of getting off. The only way to rewire, is to give the brain circuits involved a long rest.” Then we tell them to read Doidge’s book The Brain That Changes Itself, so they grasp… Read more »
Maybe I’m the only one here who found the article too liberal. The author states that “accept that your child will have to make his/her own decisions”. Er, not. Parents make final decisions for their kids up until they are adults and on their own. Til that time parents train their kids in good decision making and allow them to participate in the process of making decisions – but the final say rests with the parents. As far as not “shaming” your child – why not? Who says a dash of shame here and there is unhealthy? I know that… Read more »
Thanks for your thoughts. Helping kids to develop a strong inner compass is indeed a prime role for parents. The risk of shaming a child when it comes to something like porn viewing, however, is that it makes the behavior more exciting (and neurochemically “rewarding”) when the child does happen to engage in it. This neurochemical reality increases an activity’s addictive potential, as explained in the article. I don’t think this discounts your points. I just wanted to mention why shame is risky when it comes to guidance about sexual behavior.
What I am sensing is some impatience with what I thought was a spirited but rational, impersonal debate. Perhaps it would help if I summarized where I see the main agreement and disagreement between us. 1. Agreement: I have no doubt that there are measurable, physiological changes in the brain associated with viewing internet porn. Real, factual biological changes, independent of the observer. Disagreement: Showing there is change is not the same thing as showing that the change is from normal and healthy to abnormal and unhealthy. The conclusion that a particular physiological dynamic is inherently abnormal and unhealthy is… Read more »
What you are sensing is my inability to take you seriously when you claim to be addicted to urination and oxygen. So you are requiring more and more oxygen to get the same effect? You are hiding your use of oxygen? You are trying to quit breathing unsuccessfully? Breathing is interfering with social activities? QUOTE: Disagreement: Showing there is change is not the same thing as showing that the change is from normal and healthy to abnormal and unhealthy. This is the third time you have said the same thing. The third time you are completely wrong. No offense, but… Read more »
It is correct that I don’t have any specialized knowledge in the addiction realm. I was responding as a critical reader of this blog. My responses to what I have read on this blog have been based on what I consider common sense and logic, and based on the basics of what I understand about the scientific method. I make no claim from academic authority. I freely concede that what I have said may be wrong, a concession I think is central to having a rational discussion. Would you be willing to join me in this by conceding that you… Read more »
QUOTE: Would you be willing to join me in this by conceding that you could also be wrong? Wrong about what? That porn addiction is real? That there are objective neurological measures for brain changes associated with addiction? That Internet porn addiction is a growing phenomenon? No I won’t join you. I stand 100% behind these points. QUOTE: Even a non-specialist could have a valid point. The fact that someone does not take a statement seriously is not actually proof that the statement is untrue. I’m still not sure what your point is – that addictions do not exist? If… Read more »
“Once you analyze the brain of an addict, the debate is over.” Yeah, I was afraid of this. I was afraid that “science” defined contrary to the nature of the scientific method would be used to shut down debate. All conclusions from objective scientific and/or clinical study are subject to further testing and investigation, if they are being examined under the light of science. From what I understand, this is why scientific studies are peer-reviewed and vetted from several angles. Most professional scientists would agree that theories are tentative, “as best we can tell given the evidence so far,” subject… Read more »
Dude, you are the one who first used “normal” and “abnormal.” Check the dictionary. “Normal” has two, very different definitions. It can refer to what is common, and this is how you’re using it. People can certainly differ about how common they think a behavior is or should, be (which is not what we write about). However, “normal” is also used in pathology to define homeostasis. If markers are outside a certain range, they are “abnormal,” as in the case of addiction. So for example, Internet porn use is “normal” under the first definition, and can still cause abnormalities under… Read more »
I respect a vigorous defense of an intellectual position. I admire confidence in others. I envy the certainty that other people feel about what they know. Here is how I am paraphrasing the most recent message: “Dear Galileo, Until you and Copernicus show a basic understanding of how the universe works, there is really nothing more to say. Read some books written by the experts and you will see that the sun goes around the earth. That is just basic science. If you want to take on Aristotle, the Church fathers, and the Inquisition, be my guest. They all agree.… Read more »
PS Dear Gallileo,
Suggest you remove the cover from your telescope.
Sincerely,
Father Guido Sarducci
Good one! 🙂 Thanks for being good sports.
Wait a minute. Was that a euphemism for masturbation? Very clever with the double entendre…..
I have to disagree with the comments that say the author is telling everyone what ‘normal’ sexuality is. I think this article has the opposite problem, actually. There’s such a huge gray area here, I wonder how much of ANY sexuality is acceptable under this analysis. If the problem is the fact that we have powerful reward systems in the brain and therefore pleasure centers are dangerous, then really anything that is pleasant is dangerous. If porn masturbation creates dangerous brain chemicals, then we will also need to limit falling in love, good food, sentimental movies, really anything that may… Read more »
The problem isn’t “powerful reward systems in the brain.” The problem is stimulation that is way more intense / frequent then the human brain evolved to handle without becoming dysregulated. The extreme novelty of rapid-fire Internet porn is like nothing our ancestors’ brains ever confronted, and it has the potential to change users’ brains. Your examples of other pleasures are irrelevant—unless their use rises to the level of abnormal stimulation. For instance, the brain evolved to “fall in love.” We agree that everything is reflected in brain chemistry moment-to-moment, but that’s not the point. The issue with today’s porn is… Read more »
I do appreciate there is a qualitative difference, along a spectrum, among different intensities of pleasure. Perhaps it was extreme of me to suggest the article is critical of all pleasure. I guess what I’m trying to figure out, from the article and for my own perspective, is where to draw the line, where exactly the “normal” threshold ends and the “abnormal” begins (assuming that’s a useful or appropriate distinction.) I admit to having very little background in neuroscience, but from what I understand the brain is already changing permanently from moment to moment to some degree. What I hear… Read more »
If you truly want to understand how Internet porn can alter the brain watch: Your Brain On Porn Series http://yourbrainonporn.com/your-brain-on-porn-series You have pinpointed the main problem: not understanding neuroscience. Most sexologists, therapists, and sex researchers know very little about neuroscience. In other words they know virtually nothing about what they are truly studying – the brain. Desire, lack of desire, orgasm, compulsion, and bonding all arise in conjunction with neurochemical events. Behavior and neurochemistry are circular; each affects the other to a degree. So behavior matters. Many experts study sociological behavior without understanding the basic mechanisms driving the behavior, and… Read more »
Thank you for the very clear definition of addiction. I can see the usefulness of the APA diagnostic in coming to some kind of conclusion about whether or not a person is addicted to something. It’s absolutely crucial to psychology and psychiatry to have some way of measuring behavior or tendencies. I recognize that the APA and the DSM-IV are recognized authorities in psychological matters. I have no doubt there are people who want to reduce their porn use because they feel addicted. And, I agree there has to be some definition to work with. However, my critical thinking skills… Read more »
QUOTE: First of all, this message seems to be using the rhetorical approach of “argument from authority.” Oh please, it’s not an argument from authority. You asked how one can tell if they are having a problem. Clearly, you are not interested in learning anything new, only tossing out straw men arguments. The APA test is just one measure that people can use to see if they are having a problem. Other tests include”The Three C’s.” Maybe you will like this one? 1. Craving/Compulsion: Behavior that is motivated by emotions ranging along the Craving to Compulsion spectrum. This craving is… Read more »
Sorry, misfiled my response. See below.
Well you all are going to hate me. I am a very conservative, religious female and I think pornography is disgusting. I would rather spend the rest of my entire life alone than put up with a man that has to watch other people getting freaky to feel something (I don’t care what the “something” is). Men already are such a burden (and I love my husband, but yes it’s like having an additional child) and one more notch of disrespect is a solid walk away point for me. After I read all of these comments I realized how alone… Read more »
You have every right to decide what your dealbreakers are in your relationship. I don’t think you’ll hear a lot of hate here, just skepticism about how realistic your position is. Just curious, probably none of my business, but you did bring this up after all – do you consider it disrespectful and sinful for your husband to masturbate at all, or just disrespectful and sinful to look at pornography? Do you not want him to use it at all, or just not bring it into the house? I ask in part because I wonder if the rules/boundaries are clear… Read more »
It is excellent to hear and see these discussions taking place. This article is correct when it points out that porn of today bears little similarity to anything our world has experienced: in content, scale and accessibility to young children. My main hope is that de-sensitized people (of all ages and both genders) will be delighted and warmed when the ‘lost arts’ of cuddle, erotic massage, and more joyful forms of sexy play are re-discovered. Especially kids and teens need NEW sources of preferred sensual education and relationship guidance. Unfortunately one’s own parents are often the last place an adolescent… Read more »
While it is natural to be curious about sex, many of the things the kids stumble across on the net are not part of a healthy relationship. It can be especially hard for single mothers to discuss this issue with their sons, but it is important that they understand that what they are seeing is fantasy. Here are some tips on how to broach the subject: http://morningquickie.com/2011/02/23/sexwithmadamex-how-do-i-talk-to-my-13-year-old-about-pornography-sex-teenagers-puberty/
If you are a parent and you take the advice of this woman you will only encourage your child to rebel in ways that make jerking off look like a walk in the park.
Why would they rebel? Its just a conversation about how they can effectively explore their sexuality in a way that’s constructive for their brain development. They’d only rebel if you make them feel ashamed or that you’re demanding they have a sex life that mirrors what you want for them. I believe its important to shed light on how the activities that are becoming mainstream are impacting the trajectory of young people’s lives.
Very wrong. This is another ” Political Correct” blast against men. While it seems to be about porn it is a arrow at the male’s sexuality. Women watch porn too. What the answer is sex education of a level if some of the European countries which have a better way than the fight of foolishness that is ongoing in the US.
Good point, Rio. The original title we choose was “Kids and Porn” – obviously not male-specific. The editor changed it because this is an online magazine for men. So there was no intent to “blast” men, and I’m sorry you read it that way.
People are able to carry out a wide range of addictions and live a normal life by outward appearances. It does not bother me that men want to masturbate. I have no doubt that masturbating relieves stress or clearly provides a healthy bodily function. That has never been up for debate. What bothers me is the state of what porn is, how it depicts women both falsely and degradingly, and much time is spent on it’s consumption. I said it before and will say it again. There are things you can do to a woman through porn that would be… Read more »
TURN OFF THE FUCKING AUTO REFRESH!
Must not want folks giving well thought out responses.
I never realized that porn addiction was such a controversial topic. I know a little about addiction. I was an alcoholic. I’ve been sober for 15 years now. I was addicted to porn. My porn use progressed over time. I used to be happy with glamour shots and an active imagination. Then I moved to soft porn pictures. It was not long before I wanted harder and harder images. When I got easy access to videos, I followed the same progression. Simple porn was more than adequate. Over time I wanted to watch more explicit and more extreme porn. Over… Read more »
Did this “addiction” interfere with your everyday life?
Did you spend your food money on porn?
Did you spend your rent on porn?
Did you have uncontrollable compulsions that took over your own ability to decide?
I think the word “addiction” is overused.
Denis- here’s a test for addiction. The people visiting our site for the last 6 years can answer yes to all seven. So yes porn can be an addiction. And all addictions, whether chemical, or behavior involve similar physiological changes in the brain. This has already been explained – Low D2 receptors and an increase in BDNF. Please be specific with your comments on the science, if you can. Answer yes or no to the following seven questions. You only need to answer yes to one part for that question to count as a positive response. If you answer yes… Read more »
I wonder who women who use vibrators who take this test would score.
Good point. Have a look at this article: “Vibrators and Other Pleasures: When ‘Moderation’ Fails” http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/201106/vibrators-and-other-pleasures-when-moderation-fails
The DSM is arbitrary on some matters – note that social appraisal and values are embedded in the criteria. The DSM is largely used because it has utility, not because it has a thumb on the pulse of mental illness.
Denis, I think you do not have a clear definition of what addiction is. Many who have an addiction are financially capable of supporting their habit without taking money meant for food or rent. A person does not need to be sleeping in the gutter in order to have an addiction.
Dear God! I am so happy I’m not a teenager right now. Girls getting pressured into anal sex? Severely not okay.
Great article.
This is a real wacky article with very little decent research presented that isn’t somewhat obvious. Just how pervasive is this supposed problem of real porn addiction that actually takes over peoples lives? (comparable to heroin) I’m not just talking about the stories of wives catching their husbands with porn, cause we all know the reason is because they weren’t gettin any. Today’s candy is sweeter and more available than yesterday’s candy so talk to your children to be reasonable so they don’t rot their teeth. Use some common sense and stop with the moralizing about how much or how… Read more »
Disgusting article. I find it abhorrent that you would try to censor one of the most basic human instincts.
Not censorship but self control and keeping your kids away from stuff that is not age appropriate.
What about eroge and h-anime? Though a large amount of Animated pornography is quite violent and fetishistic, I do not believe all of them are pornographic. For example, most Eroges (the well written ones) are hardly about sex. They just happen to show sex scenes, most of the time it obvious that they force in the scenes for sales(not always the case, for example, in Ef- a fairy tale of the two, it is tastefully used to show the consummation of a young couple’s relationship).The only time I recall these good games to have somewhat disturbing scenes, such as rape,… Read more »
as a general rule, more stress=more masturbation. ask any college boy and they will tell you that the number of time a day goes way up nearing finals and before a paper is due. I have heard people comment that they are just avoiding their work but thats not it. Its a stress reliever and allows the brain to clear and you are much more focused. Although 51 years old, I am a full time college student and i was surprised at the increase in masturbation as the work got more difficult. Funny thing is. I can be struggling with… Read more »
Oh, this is rich: a woman lecturing men on their sexuality, and how we’re expressing it are hurting us? Me thinks its time to wander over to the feminist websites to lecture the ladies on how they’re really only hurting themselves every time they say no to a man for sex. I mean, there’s scientific studies that show that semen improves a woman’s health, so it’s true… right? Or maybe I should tell them how wrong they are for refusing anal sex, because I’ve personally talked with women that swear by it. While that last one is true, I think… Read more »
Dear David, No ones leacturing you. We don’t care what anyone does with their genitals, but is is important to understand what happens to the brain. Feel free to actually read the article and my other posts – and tell me about the junk science. here’s more science strong> STUDY: Dopamine D2 receptors in addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats., By Paul J. Kenny, Ph.D Unlimited acces to especially enticing food caused a decline D2 receptors in the reward circuitry. It occurred rapidly, along with behavioral changes. The dopamine receptors had not returned to normal even two… Read more »
Welcome to the new world David – its not just Men instructing men and women how to live their lives, women are joining the ranks too. Women have listened to men tell them how they should be sexually and even how they should give birth to babies for eons. In my knowledge, no man has ever given birth to a baby and yet, a whole group of them are experts. So when you drop your ego and cease being threatened, you’ll realise that the article, written by an woman with kudos in this area, is about brain functioning in the… Read more »
Thanks, Marina. We’re still unsure about the whole thing about giving your kid a jack-off schedule. But we gave you some 8-bit-love – http://www.8bitdad.com/2010/12/07/good-men-project-talks-porno/
I agree with the author. But I think she needs to extend the scope of her judgments.
Many women agree that the sexual pleasure they get from a vibrator is far superior to the sexual pleasure they get from having sex with a man.
I’m sure Ms. Robinson would agree that this is wrong. These women are hurting themselves and their partners by turning to sexual stimulation that’s greater then what they can get naturally. There is a serious potential for abuse here and women should start limiting their use of vibrators considerably.
Funny you should bring that up. I subscribe to a listserve of academic sexologists, and just the other week one of them asked if there was any research being done on women and vibrators. It seems there’s ample anecdotal evidence that vibrator use leads to less sensation in the clitoris. It’s likely the decreased response is due to brain changes (decline in dopamine receptors), which numb the pleasure response (as with porn users).
I look forward to your next article on how women shouldn’t be using vibrators.
When I’ve been listening to their distress for five years, as I have in the case of porn users suffering severe symptoms and having a very difficult time quitting, I’ll certainly write that article. I do write about women, too. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cupids-poisoned-arrow/200909/sexual-energy-and-the-single-woman Just to give you a taste of the kinds of symptoms men are finding clear up when they skip porn for weeks, here’s what one wrote today. (They started about 10 years after he began masturbating frequently at age 12.) “When I began to question the benefits of frequent masturbation, I was struggling with strange symptoms. For a couple… Read more »
Marnia, you are a nut job. This is plain and simply junk psychology. That guys symptoms are no more related to masturbation than they are to reading your articles. Please tell this “patient” to see a real doctor for a proper diagnosis before whatever disaese is causing these symptoms get worse.
Thanks for your thoughts, Normal, but name calling won’t cut it here. Symptoms such as the ones mentioned above often go away when men cut back on Internet porn use. Read these accounts for a fuller understanding: http://yourbrainonporn.com/what-benefits-do-people-see-as-they-reboot.