The many reasons people watch porn
…for those who don’t really watch porn.
Whether you’re just curious or you’ve just discovered that your significant other is into porn…but you’re not, here’s a rundown of the healthy and not-so-healthy reasons so many people watch porn.
Some people like pornography, and some don’t. Some people are porn connoisseurs and some are disgusted by it.
Some couples watch it together for inspiration and excitement, while some couples protest it publicly on the principle that it exploits and demeans women (and men in some cases).
The Good
In moderation, there are some healthy (and relatively healthy) reasons people watch porn. Let’s get the obvious assumptions out of the way first.
Immersive Masturbation
Porn is often “used” for sexual inspiration and to enhance masturbation. The visual stimulation of porn can excite viewers sexually because the viewer relates to (or can imagine) the pleasurable sensations that would result from the sexual experiences being portrayed in the video (or pictures).
Not all porn viewing is actually porn “usage” Sometimes, people just want to watch.
Curiosity
Sometimes, especially in the case of amateur porn, people are just naturally curious and fascinated by what other people do for sexual enjoyment and what it looks like.
People like having sex and like seeing other people doing it. Not everyone who watches porn actually uses porn as a masturbatory enhancement.
Variety
From music to food, people enjoy variety. Sex is no different. For many, pornography is a very simple way to enjoy a little taste of sexual variety without actually indulging.
Fantasy and Imagination
We tend to think of the word “fantasy” as “something we would love to do”, but sometimes a fantasy simply an entertaining thought—we’re content with a fantasy being a fantasy.
Movies and TV series about zombies, for example, can be extremely entertaining and even exhilarating—causing our heart rate to go up as we watch our protagonists fight for survival, or compelling us to yell out when someone opens a door in a dark room
Like zombies and space invaders, sometimes porn is just an entertaining fantasy or curious thought, and nothing more.Like zombies and space invaders, sometimes porn is just an entertaining fantasy or curious thought, and nothing more.
Secondary or Minor Interests
This is very similar to the motivation of fantasy and imagination, except that the interest is more than fleeting.
I love everything else we do together.” Your partner may very well be expressing complete honesty—his or her main turn-on is just regular text-book sex with you.
It’s okay to take it at face value if your partner seems content to just let something like that be a porn thing.
For Inspiration
Sometimes porn can play a very healthy role in a sexual relationship, whether watched together by couples or viewed individually.
people inspire partners to initiate sex with one another simply because a bit of porn put them in the mood.
The Not So Good
In the interest of being sex-positive, we wanted to lead with some of the healthy and relatively benign reasons why many people watch porn. But, there are also some misuses of porn as well.
As Education
Unfortunately, especially in situations where young people aren’t exposed to adequate sex education or healthy adult guidance on sex and sexuality, many young people turn to porn to learn about sex.
In Lieu of Real Sex
You’ll know this is the case if it’s happening between you and your partner if the two of you are not having sex but your partner is watching a lot of porn. Sometimes people find it easier to use porn as a sexual outlet rather than face conflict or risk rejection
Addiction
And finally, some people do become addicted to pornography. According to a recent Cambridge study, porn addiction can trigger the same brain activity as drug addiction. (Though, researchers also said that this does not necessarily mean that porn itself is addictive.)
The differences between “normal” porn usage and porn addiction aren’t that dissimilar to the differences between moderate social drinking and alcoholism.
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