For many people, watching porn has become the norm, a way to pass lonely nights or to spice up the bedroom. However, according to recent research, three different types of people watch porn. However, it is worrisome that only one of these categories is considered healthy. And perhaps, after reading this post, you want to cut off your porn membership savings and steer clear of it. According to a study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, there are three types of porn consumers: compulsive, disordered, and recreational. A team of researchers surveyed 830 participants, online ads, and social networks. Participants were presented with a questionnaire that assessed their tendency to avoid sex, sexual dysfunction, and overall sexual pleasure. Here are the results.
Recreational Porn Users
Of the three categories, only the group of recreational porn consumers is considered healthy. Seventy-five percent of the participants belong to this group. All aspects of porn consumption were rated low by participants in this group, who watch an average of 24 minutes of porn per week. Both high-frequency and low-frequency compulsive users who report severe emotional pain, especially in the form of guilt and self-loathing, appear to pose a threat to their sexual well-being.
Disturbed Porn Users
The disturbed user group represents 12.7 percent of participants and is the second largest category of porn users. This group experiences great emotional distress despite only watching pornography for an average of 17 minutes per week. In addition, their compulsivity and intensity were low. As the name suggests, the disturbed group associated porn viewing with their psychological distress. Those who were highly troubled but watched less porn were also less sexually satisfied, had less sexual engagement and showed higher levels of sexual dysfunction and avoidance.
Compulsive Porn Users
The compulsive group is the next category. Although they accounted for only 11.8 percent of participants, they watched as much as 110 minutes of pornography per week. Men are more likely to fall into this category than women. To conduct the study, the researchers asked participants to describe how often they watched pornography, comparing it to their compulsive viewing behavior and the distress they felt about it. Compulsive users were found to have less sexual dysfunction and pleasure and more compulsive and avoidance behaviors. According to experts, the study confirms the existence of compulsive and recreational profiles but also shows a significant subgroup of inactive but extremely disturbed users. However, most porn users seem to be able to consume it healthily, but this can be problematic for individuals. Some studies suggest that one can become as addicted to porn as drugs or alcohol. However, it is not yet officially recognized as a legitimate addiction. Others believe there is insufficient data to justify treatment as an addiction.
