More of a Discussion Bad or Not?

[yR9wb7Xj]

I've been reading several articles over the fact that this is bad for you and I want to hear your output on this, because this is a debatable topic.
In today's society a lot of people have access to pornography and kids younger than 12 are watching this, I've read several articles watching too much pornography is unhealthy for your brain and your lifestyle and I've read an article why they are encouraging society to actually watch it. There are some people that can watch an amount of pornography and enjoy themselves doing it, and it doesn't affect their lifestyle, but there are others who watch it and enjoy themselves but it affects their way of living a healthy life, by this I mean, they get too tired, lazy and not motivated to accomplish anything. Here are the articles that I've read so far.

http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2013/11/10-reasons-why-you-should-quit-watching-porn.html

http://time.com/135853/porn-brain

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/you-illuminated/201406/have-we-discovered-hidden-danger-pornography

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/why-watching-too-much-porn-could-be-bad-for-the-brain-9458357.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/02/porn-less-gray-matter-brain_n_5418607.html9458357.html

http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/5-reasons-you-need-watch-porn/

[Disch]

As with anything, it's only a problem if you don't let it interfere with your life.

Some people can handle a lot of porn, some people can't.
Some people can handle a lot of alcohol, some people can't.


At least 3 of the articles you linked seem to be reporting on the exact same German study. One of them in particular (HuffPost) highlighted one very important detail that you may have glossed over:

It's not clear, for example, whether watching porn leads to brain changes or whether people born with certain brain types watch more porn

EDIT:

Oh man... I'm sorry. That GQ article is stupid.

"10 reasons why you should quit watching porn" -- and they're all shitty.

1. For those addicted to porn,

I'm going to stop you right there, because whatever you're going to say applies only to addicts and not to anyone else. Obviously any unhealthy addiction is going to have negative repurcussions. But just because some people have addictions doesn't mean anyone else should give something up.

3. 12 percent of NoFappers report watching 5 or more hours of Internet porn every week. 59 percent report watching between 4 and 15(!!) hours of porn every week.

And?

4. Almost 50 percent of those on NoFap have never had sex in their lives, meaning their only experience with intimacy is purely digital.

*gasp* You mean 50% of a group of internet introverts who talk about masturbation are VIRGINS? I'm fucking shocked. But it begs the question... what the hell does this have to do with watching porn?

Note that I'm not ragging on anyone for being a virgin, that's fine. But you can't tell me that the above statistic is at all surprising.

5. 42 percent of male college students report visiting porn sites regularly.

And?

You know... when you title your article "10 reasons you should quit watching porn", I expected reasons to quit watching porn. "A lot of people do it" isn't a reason to quit.

6. 53 percent of the NoFappers developed a regular porn habit between the ages of 12 and 14. An alarming 16 percent said they started watching before they were 12.

Is this unusual? I saw my first dirty mag when I was like 10. My neighbor/friend found his dad's Playboy and we checked it out. It was fun. I don't think it scarred me.

I got some more porn through some kids at school when I was 12. Again, it was cool. I was into it. It didn't make me a letch or anything.

But given how easily it was available to me, even in the days before widespread internet, I just always had the impression this is how most kids grew up. Or at least, most kids with friends. The more friends you have, the more likely one of them is going to get access to porn.

7. 64 percent report that their tastes in porn have become more extreme or deviant.

AND? Still waiting for reasons here, article.

9. After committing to no masturbation/porn, 60 percent of those on NoFap felt that their sexual functions had improved.

Dude... anyone whose gone a week without could tell you that sex after a reasonably long period of abstaining is usually better. I've even heard of people going a month without just so they can have a crazy-sex-day as soon as the month is up.

This is more of a sexual technique than a reason to stop watching porn.

10. And 67 percent had an increase in energy levels as well as productivity.

So wait.... if you don't spend your time and energy having sex, you'll be able to spend time and energy on other things? Wow. I never would have guess that!

I guess this is kind of a reason to stop watching porn. About as much as it is a reason to stop watching TV, or stop playing video games, or stop playing football, or stop doing anything that consumes time and energy.




2 and 8 are kind of good points, but they're still questionable. Overall I rate this article as F+ not worth your time. Close that tab and open up some porn.

[yR9wb7Xj]

That was the point it proves that these articles have the same studies. To a certain extent it can be a problem. Pornography can cause addictions and the ones who are addicted to it do not know how to stop and cannot control this behavior. I do agree with you in the two statements in the middle that some people can and some people can't. I think watching pornography is a bad habit and also very addicting once you start. There's a lot of people that do not have the power to control themselves, and that's where they lose everything they really care about. Pornography addiction is a sex addiction.

[Disch]

Pornography can cause addictions and the ones who are addicted to it do not know how to stop and cannot control this behavior.

Pornography is one thing in a long line of things that can cause addictions.

Alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, TV, video games, adrenaline, the internet, certain types of food, etc.

Honestly, porn is probably a lot less addicting than some of those.


Just because it's possible to become addicted to something doesn't necessarily mean people should give it up completely. It's a matter of balance -- if you are able to balance it out... and if you can handle it, then there's nothing wrong with it.

It's only a problem if you form an addiction.

I think watching pornography is a bad habit

why?

Not being rhetorical here. I'm genuinely curious.

and also very addicting once you start.

You're making it sound like heroine. It isn't.

Most people look at porn. Very very few people are addicted to porn/sex.

There's a lot of people that do not have the power to control themselves, and that's where they lose everything they really care about.

Where are you getting this impression from? Most people can handle their vices reasonably well. Porn isn't any more dangerous of a vice than alcohol (in fact it's a lot less dangerous) .. yet most people who drink regularly are in control of their lives and don't drink themselves into ruin. That only happens in very, very extreme cases.

[yR9wb7Xj]

Watching pornography leads into masturbation, I don't know anyone who just watch porn and does not masturbate, that has to be really boring just watching it. They are both link together, people masturbate because it feels good, and they love the sensation of it. So yes watching pornography is a bad habit because it leads to masturbating, and too much masturbation can be harmful for you, it can cause tiredness and the worst of it laziness. It can take over your life. You do have some valid points, but I would have to disagree with you that a very few people are addicted to porn or sex.

[Albatross]

Having a job in another city is bad because it leads to driving, and too much driving can lead to obesity.

-Albatross

[Disch]

Watching pornography leads into masturbation,

What's wrong with masturbation?

They are both link together, people masturbate because it feels good, and they love the sensation of it.

It also relieves stress, has no risk of pregnancy or STDs, and safely diffuses natural sexual impulses that are unhealthy to leave pent up and aren't always practical to relieve through intercourse with a partner.

I ask again... what's wrong with masturbation?

and too much masturbation can be harmful for you, it can cause tiredness and the worst of it laziness. It can take over your life.

Again... most people masturbate. Like... a LARGE majority.

Very, very, very few people are addicted to masturbation.

You're making sex sound like the most addictive and dangerous thing imaginable. It really isn't.

You do have some valid points, but I would have to disagree with you that a very few people are addicted to porn or sex.

Fair enough. It's hard to say at which point it becomes an addiction, so that line is very gray.

However.... how many people in the history of the world have actually ruined their lives because of masturbating too much? That idea is almost laughable it's so absurd.




EDIT:

I'm going to give a recap here....

The jist of your point seems to be: "Porn leads to masturbation. Masturbation is addictive. Addictive things ruin your life. Therefore people shouldn't look at porn."

There are so many gigantic and unrealistic leaps you're making here. Seriously, how many people have you heard of that have actually ruined their life because of watching porn?

The only one I can think of is Paul Reubens -- but that wasn't really a porn addiction, he just got caught doing something really stupid. And even that didn't ruin his life -- as he got right back into acting and started making movies after it blew over.

[Gvp9LyTq]

old quote wrote:

Some people say alcohol isn't all bad, but I have never seen any good come from it.

Anyone can say anything--look for proof. Ask if you have you ever seen any good come from porn. Then ask yourself:

What's the likelihood of any good coming from it again?
What's the likelihood of any good for me?
What's the likelihood of any bad result?
What's the likelihood of any bad result for me?

And take a look at what happens to performers in the sex industry.
We are responsible for our own decisions. Ignorance is not an excuse.

If you never talked to a sex worker and you use porn you should be ashamed of yourself for purposely staying ignorant.

[Disch]

geannny wrote:

Ask if you have you ever seen any good come from porn.

It certainly improved my life. =P


> What's the likelihood of any good coming from it again?

Pretty likely. Most people that watch porn seem to enjoy it. Things that bring people joy are A-OK in my book, as long as they're not at the expense of others.

> What's the likelihood of any good for me?

100%

> What's the likelihood of any bad result?

This is debatable. See my response to your quote below.

> What's the likelihood of any bad result for me?

Don't know. The statistics for likelihood of porn addiction aren't known (at least not to me), and even if I become addicted, I doubt it would take over my life.

And take a look at what happens to performers in the sex industry.

Which sex industry?

You are probably lumping shitty derogatory porn in with 'good' porn that I typically watch. On the porn site I go to, the girls actually make very little money because that's not the focus of the site. They do it because the site is reasonably classy (for porn), it's a turn-on for them, and it's like a social thing. They're not professional 'porn stars', they're just girls who like doing something that excites them.

Also spoilers: the site has a theme focused on masturbation.

A lot of other porn I look at is drawn art -- which is completely victimless.


Are there industries where women are exploited? Yes. Should those industries be shut down / more heavily regulated? Absolutely. Does that mean porn as a whole is evil? Hell no.

If you never talked to a sex worker and you use porn you should be ashamed of yourself for purposely staying ignorant.

That's pretty heavy-handed.

I haven't "talked" with any of the models, but the site I referred to earlier has a forum where some of them post. None of them seem to have any issues with doing what they're doing.




EDIT:

What about erotic literature? That seems to be pretty popular (especially with the ladies) and has resulted in a pretty large industry. Does that fall under the umbrella of 'evil porn'?


EDIT2:

Man. Why do I gotta be the guy to defend porn? XD

[Homberto]

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