Over 100 quick stats and findings from an ever-growing body of research that details the effects of porn for individuals, relationships, and society.
Porn consumers tend to be more accepting of cheating.
One study that kept track of couples over time found that consuming porn was the second strongest predictor that a relationship would suffer.
Research shows that even individuals who are accepting of pornography tend to experience psychological distress when their own partners consume pornography.
Research has shown that those who don’t consume porn report higher relationship quality—on every measure— than those who viewed pornography alone.
Porn consumers tend to be less committed to their partners.
Research consistently shows that porn consumers are twice as likely to later experience a divorce or breakup —even after controlling for marital happiness, sexual satisfaction, and other relevant factors.
Research suggests that pornography can make young people more sexually illiterate —in other words, it’s actively spreading harmful misinformation about sex.
Research shows that people who consume porn tend to later experience lower relationship satisfaction.
According to a 2021 study, only 5.94% of porn-consuming respondents said that they watched porn because of a "lack of sexual satisfaction." In other words, the vast majority of porn consumers are watching porn for reasons other than their partner not being "enough."
Porn consumption is linked to poorer relationship quality.
Studies consistently show that porn is linked to lower relationship satisfaction and lower relationship quality.
Research indicates that young people often feel pressured to imitate porn when having sex.
A study of women in relationships with men who consume porn found that the frequency of the man’s porn consumption was negatively correlated with the woman’s sense of self-esteem, level of relationship quality, and sexual satisfaction.
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