Greetings Everyone, Welcome to the podcast “Close to the Bone.” I’m Carl Vreeland.

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This is episode #54, it’s titled, Addicted to Porn.

According to Britannica, the definition of pornography is “. . . representation of sexual behaviour in books, pictures, statues, films, and other media that is intended to cause sexual excitement.”1 For sure, there is much to be said about pornography; the origins and evolution, the effects of viewing it, the culture of the industry, and well, the good and bad of it. But first, to be clear, in this episode I’ll be touching on different studies and perspectives, as well as my own experiences and observations, I will not be taking any moral stand on the subject.

Pornography has been around for a long time. In fact, and as an example, “Pornography has existed throughout recorded history, transforming with the introduction of each new medium. Hundreds of sexually explicit frescoes and sculptures were found in the Mount Vesuvius ruins of Pompeii.”2 “The word pornography, derived from the Greek porni (“prostitute”) and graphein (“to write”), was originally defined as any work of art or literature depicting the life of prostitutes.)”(1) But whether in Greece, Italy, France, England, India, or Japan, it seems pornography in some shape or form has existed since humans have been around. But to clarify, the definition of porn is somewhat subjective; depending on the culture. Well, you can say, one man’s porn is another man’s art or erotica or even religious depiction of a god or goddess. Additionally, for example, visual erotica in ancient Japan was used for sex education purposes, and the erotic manuals of Rome were used to teach the art of seduction and such. But rather than go on a journey of the history of pornography, I’d like to jump ahead to the 19th century. This was when things shifted to printing technologies which produced poems and novels, leading to photography and film, and eventually videocassettes and DVD’s, which made viewing porn a private affair, so to speak.(1) No longer did one have to go to a movie house or peepshow. One could view porn in the privacy of their home. And then. . .  came the internet.

Since the arrival of the internet, personal computers, and smartphones, porn has become more easily accessible. And it can be viewed for free. Yes, free. But like with most things, in some way or another, we pay a price. But I digress. . . .

"Porn is practically ubiquitous," says Ana Bridges, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Arkansas. And the Internet has made it easier than ever to get an erotic fix.

Many people argue that's a good thing. In a 2002 survey conducted for PBS/Frontline by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction at Indiana University, 86 percent of respondents said porn can educate people, and 72 percent said it provides a harmless outlet for fantasies. Among those who reported using pornography, 80 percent said they felt "fine" about it.

"There are a lot of people out there using a lot of porn who have no problems with it whatsoever," says Erick Janssen, PhD, a senior scientist at the Kinsey Institute. "So when does it become an addiction?" That, of course, is a key question for researchers trying to understand pornography's dark side.3

Well, with all due respect to this scientific research, relying on a respondent’s feelings or thoughts about porn use and its effects on them is like asking an alcoholic if he thinks he has a drinking problem. Being objective about one’s, let’s say, psychologically and emotional well-being is difficult. And when it comes to addiction, it’s nearly impossible. Alcoholics Anonymous describes addiction as being "cunning, baffling and powerful." And porn addiction is no exception. But let’s look further. . . .

“In 2014, researchers associated with Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Human Development published the first brain-scan study on pornography users. The researchers scanned the brains of 64 men aged 21-45 using functional-magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The men, who were not addicts, were asked how much pornography they viewed per week and how many years they’d been viewing it.”4 The more porn the men viewed, the more particular parts of their brain changed. More specifically, their brain’s reward system grew less responsive. Yes, the porn they were viewing turned less stimulating. Moreover, the reward systems connection to the part of the brain responsible for decision-making weakened. Not surprisingly, this breakdown in the neural circuitry commonly leads to bad choices and drug use. The study’s findings also found that nearly 50% of the subjects sought more aggressive pornography and experienced erectile dysfunction and sexual dissatisfaction.(4)

When we view pornography, dopamine levels in the brain increase rapidly. Dopamine is a feel good neurotransmitter. “Thus, pornography can be incredibly addictive, with individuals seeking more and more intense forms of sexual content to achieve the same dopamine rush. This vicious cycle can eventually lead to an addiction to pornography.”5 It’s no wonder that “Pornhub, the world’s largest free