Over 100 quick stats and findings from an ever-growing body of research that details the effects of porn for individuals, relationships, and society.
Research suggests that pornography can make young people more sexually illiterate —in other words, it’s actively spreading harmful misinformation about sex.
Results of a survey of young adults show that 1 in 4 (24.5%) listed pornography as the most helpful source to learn how to have sex.
A 2021 study analyzed videos from popular porn sites and found that porn featuring Black people tends to perpetuate harmful racist stereotypes, disproportionately emphasize violence and aggression, and often depicts Black people as “worse than objects.”
Because of desensitization, many porn consumers find themselves consuming more porn, consuming more often, or consuming more extreme forms of pornography.
Porn is considered a supernormal stimulus.
1 in 3 underage teens report having seen nonconsensually shared nudes of other minors —which is legally considered “child pornography”.
Increased pornography consumption is linked to men’s enjoyment of degrading, uncommon, or aggressive sexual behaviors.
The majority of young people are exposed to porn by the time they’re 13, according to research involving young people in the UK.
Porn consumption is linked to poorer relationship quality.
Research has demonstrated that overcoming a pornography habit is absolutely possible, and that over time, pornography’s negative effects can be managed and largely reversed.
Porn consumers tend to be less committed to their partners.
Studies show that frequent porn consumers are more likely to carry out sexual violence in real life.
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