4 Ways Porn Changes You
I have heard many young people say, “What’s wrong with looking at porn? It doesn’t hurt anyone. This is just for me.” I even thought these exact same things at one time, but now I know better. Porn is not a victimless indulgence. Without even bringing up how the porn industry fuels the human trafficking world, pornography affects the brain of the watcher in ways you might not expect.
1) Porn changes the standard of beauty
When you spend hours looking at and objectifying porn actresses and models they become the standard. The “normal” everyday women in the addict’s life become less attractive because they simply don’t look the same. But this is nothing new. In our over-sexualized, consumer driven society, the standard for what is considered beautiful, pretty, and sexy has warped the minds of millions in our country. Porn is this effect on steroids. The more porn you watch the less interested you will be in your spouse and it has nothing to do with them but everything to do with the addicts sliding gauge of beauty. Porn changes you.
2) Men don’t just watch porn, they experience it
Studies have shown that the way the male brain reacts to watching porn is very different to watching other visual stimuli. When guys watch porn, it’s not just that they view the naked women as pretty or sexy, they imagine themselves as the main character. Porn isn’t arousing simply because the women are attractive but because it also makes the viewer feel sexy. Porn changes you.
3) Porn is addictive
This is kind of what we are all about here at Overcome but it must be stated that porn addiction is an addiction. Just like alcohol or substance addiction, prolonged use of porn eats away at the addict’s willpower to fight what they know is wrong. Without the strength to fight the addict will turn to porn daily or even multiple times a day without even thinking about it even if it costs him his job, marriage, or faith. Porn changes you.
4)Porn encourages violence
Again, studies show that the more porn one watches the more they will fantasize about rape and other violent sexual acts. They will trivialize rape and the nature of the addiction makes the addict want to search out harder more violent material. This can lead to the addict acting out what he watches in a marriage relationship or in seeking out women that will cater to his fantasy. Studies also show that many violent criminals are also porn addicts. Porn changes you.
Whether you are struggling with porn right now or have a loved one who is, something needs to change. Don’t think that the problem will take care of itself, or that this is just a “phase.” Porn changes you and the change is never good.
