In the 80’s and 90’s the closest we came to porn were productions similar to ‘Colpo grosso’ on Italian or Sicilian television or if you knew the right people you could get copies of the Playboy magazine or look out for page 3 girls on The Sun. In fact, in Malta pornography and obscene material was illegal until 2016 even if directed to an adult audience. As late as 2011, the Maltese Court of Criminal Appeal upheld the conviction against soft and hardcore pornographic films being aired at City Lights Theatre in Valletta. However, in 2015, the then Minister of Social Justice Owen Bonnici started to work on legislation to allow art and adult entertainment services to access and develop pornographic material and by late 2016 the Maltese parliament endorsed this legislation. Pornography involving minors, disabled individuals and extreme forms of pornographic expression still remain illegal. These legal amendments still emphasize that it is a crime to distribute revenge porn and upload and share pornographic videos on the internet that were intended for personal use.
Statistics indicate that although this law was given the green light in 2016 in the same year there were 12 million hits from Malta on porn hub alone. Interestingly, online traffic to this pornographic site decreased substantially during Eurovision night, International football matches and Valentine’s day. Overall, the world pornography revenue amounts up to 97 billion a year and porn sites get more visitors than Amazon, Netflix and Twitter combined. In fact, of the top online 10 search terms worldwide, sex and porn rank number 4 and 6 respectively.
What makes internet porn use so popular?
Research points to the 3A’s of internet porn use that make this form of cybersex so popular. These are:
Accessible:
In previous generations pornography was illegal and extremely difficult to obtain. For most would-be consumers, it just was not worth the risk to their image and reputation. Since the development of the Internet, everything from soft porn to the most hard-core pornographic materials are easily within reach, not just in our homes but in our pockets and backpacks.
Affordable:
A large number of pornographic images and videos are nowadays available for free. Pay sites provide free pornographic material for potential customers, enough to create an appetite for more. Once the user has exhausted free material there is a possibility that they decide to pay to have more access to the full range of material available.
Anonymous:
When accessing pornography on the internet, the user operates under anonymity as there is no direct contact with the vendor. This can create privacy and secrecy around internet porn use. Anonymity combined with the accessibility and affordability makes online porn use a very popular form of cybersex. Online pornography is used to to satisfy curiosity, for sexual stimulation and masturbation and to enhance sex life with our partners.
The fact that there is such a large amount of sexual content available online can contribute to children and teenagers as young as 11 years being exposed to porn. This is often through initial unwanted and accidental exposure through pop-up sites, mis-directed searches, spam and stealth sites. Since young people have a high level of neuroplasticity (i.e., their brains are still maturing and developing at a fast pace) exposure to pornographic images can create difficulties later on in life.
Can online pornography use become an addiction?
The DSM 5 (2013), the manual for assessment and diagnosis of mental disorders, did not include pornography as an addiction under the chapter “Substance Use and Addictive Disorders”. The lack of good quality research around this subject makes it difficult to assess and categorize, therefore from a clinical perspective we talk about the compulsive use of pornography rather than the addictive use.
In fact, while millions search for online pornography every day a small number develop compulsive use of it. Research about this area of study is difficult as it is usually limited to small sample sizes, usually male heterosexual populations and there are not enough neuroimaging studies to back it up. However, the studies that we have indicate that there are clear similarities between the brain activity in compulsive porn use and drug addiction. For example, repeated exposure to pornography showed a degree of desensitization and a need for more exposure to achieve the same feeling of pleasure. In compulsive porn use, there is at times impulsivity, poor judgment, decision making and excessive pre-occupation with sex. There is a desire and effort to achieve some gratification or escape. At times porn use can be used as a coping strategy to distract from uncomfortable feelings such as anxiety, anger, sadness, boredom and frustration.
I find it very interesting that men view pornography more than women. It can be argued that although women have a more open mind to pornography than in the past, this form of cybersex is still aimed at men and can at times perpetuate gender stereotypes and objectify women. Lesbian sex is there to please men and bisexual people are just used in threesomes. Women tend to gravitate more towards erotica sites and porn that is more contextual where the focus is on pleasure rather than sexual intercourse.
On a day-to-day level, what is important to consider is whether porn use is in any way having a negative impact on our lives. Clearly parents need to take extra precautions to safeguard and educate children. Therefore, limiting access and monitoring is important when it comes to children and teenagers being online. However, since online pornography is nowadays so accessible, the focus needs to be on education and open communication rather than control.
As adults, we need to take an honest look at how much porn is impacting our lives: is this activity helping or decreasing intimate connection with my partner? Is porn use causing me problems to have sex with a real person, am I feeling more depressed and isolated after I use porn? Am I being sneaky and secretive about it? Is porn use drastically impacting my work, finances and relationships?
Not all pornography use is problematic for individuals and couples. In some forms of sex therapy using porn alone or together can be used as a way to spice up the sexual relationship. However, some couples feel that using this form of cybersex, can violate relationship boundaries and create problems by creating unrealistic sexual expectations. In couple work, it is extremely important to talk openly about our personal perception of online pornography and negotiate rules and boundaries for the relationship around this issue.
References
https://www.parlament.mt/media/80801/07031.pdf
Asthon, S., McDonald, K. & Kirkman, M. (2018). Women’s experiences of pornography: A systematic review of research using qualitative methods. The Journal of Sex Research, 55(3), 334-347.
Bridges, A.J. (2010). Pornography’s effects on interpersonal relationships. The Social Costs of Pornography: A Collection of Papers, 89-110.
De Alarcon, R., De La Iglesia, J.I., Casado, N.M., & Montejo, A.L. (2019). Online Porn Addiction: What we know and what we don’t – A Systematic Review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(1). 91
Muusses, L.D., Kerkhof, P.& Finkenauer, C. (2015). Internet pornography and relationhsip quality: A longitudinal study of within and between partner effects of adjustment, sexual satisfaction and sexually explicit internet material among newly-weds. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 77-84.
Park, B.Y., Wilson, G., Berger, J. Christman, M., Reina, B. Bishop, F. & Doan, A.P. (2016). Is Internet Pornography causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A review with clinical reports. Behavioral Sciences, 6(3), 17.
Perry, S.L. & Schleifer, C. (2018). Till porn do us part? A longitudinal examination of pornography use and divorce. The Journal of Sex Research, 55(3), 284-296.
Schneider, J.P, Weiss, R. & Samenow, C. (2012). Is it really cheating? Understanding the emotional reactions and clinical treatment of spouses and partners affected by cybersex infidelity. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 19(1-2), 123-139.
Tylka, T. L. (2015). No harm in looking, right? Men’s pornography consumption, body image, and well-being. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 16(1), 97–107.
Do you have a personal experience in relation to internet porn use that you would like to share anonymously with us at wham? Contact us or send us an email at [email protected]
Anna Catania (M.Cons. PG(Dip) Psychosexual and relationship therapy is a warranted counsellor specialised in the area if sex and relationships. She provides counselling to individuals and couples who are having difficulties with sexuality, relationships and intimacy.
Click here to check out Anna’s full bio as well as a list of all her Wham published articles
