Here's an enlightening video on the detrimental effects of porn on the brain. Porn addiction shows similar effects as opiates.
Related: "NoFap"
Related: "NoFap"
Whether porn consumption is fine in moderation is a subject of fair debate. Unfortunately, the science on this is not sufficiently clear.
Extremophiles (Snottite) will be quite happy in sulfuric acid
Alcohol creates concrete bad outcomes when for instance driving. I think there is a lot less people watching porn while driving than driving under influence. Alcohol makes you prone to some kinds of cancers, porn not much. Watching porn is at least order of magnitude safer than drinking alcohol. There is no way you can use sulfuric acid injections as comparison for porn watching.
The point being: it’s unclear as to whether porn consumption is harmful in moderation and therefore problematic to suggest that it’s “fine”.
In which case, the word “everything” is entirely the wrong word, is it not? I think we can agree that “many things” would be a substantially better fit here.
Again, I feel you’re missing the point. It’s not about the semantics of the statement; it’s about porn viewing. Again, it’s unclear whether porn viewing in moderation is “fine”, by some variable definition of “fine”, which is why his first statement is problematic. It’s not because of any particular word or any particular other comparison you or I may contrive.
I would venture that unlimited availability of high quality sexual stimulation leads many to delay pursuing (with all the associated pain and challenge) real relationship. Especially for those who it is more difficult to find a mate.
Read up on countless discussions about how abstaining from getting sexual gratification from porn leads one to become more motivated to go out on dates, look for a partner, be more confident in approaching women etc etc.
Also, if you look into the "no fap" discussions, many report feeling a strong drive to be more productive in other areas of their life. See a powerful drive to go to the gym and workout, have a healthier lifestyle, easier ability to focus for long periods of time on intense work etc.
I think the people here dismissing the point of view that porn can be very harmful to so many are simply selfish, they are defending their own habits, and they are not considering the full context of what "no fap" and abstaining from porn completely can have an immensely beneficial effect on many people.
“Moderate use of porn” doesn’t have to mean hardcore pornography. Playboy and erotic novels are probably not equivalent to Anal Whores 3.
Similarly, I’ve also heard the argument that high-speed internet pornography and “tube” sites in particular are the problem, because of how they present to the user a never-ending stream of novelty, and not necessarily because of the particular type of content.
If that’s the case then obviously the argument about moderation would have its merits.
It's possible to become addicted to much softer varieties of porn, but the potential ramifications of that addiction may be less severe (or they might be problematic in another sense, like financially).
For example an extension that tracks your porn viewing habits and limits video recommendations.
IOW “if X is in moderation, X is fine” is logically consistent with “some things cannot be in moderation”.
Also, the main problem here, and it is a problem with other highly addictive behaviors like drug use, is that simply sticking with a so called "moderate" amount is nearly impossible. It is the whole point of things being addicting, becoming habituated to them, seeing diminishing satisfaction to previous amounts etc etc (for some people at least.. and I would guess this number is quite large).
Watch the video I linked above and see if it resonates with your own experience. Many long term porn users find themselves seeking out more extreme content over time, as well as an increasing quantity of porn viewed over time.
And what about the opportunity cost? What choices and behaviors are given up in the process of receiving sexual satisfaction from porn? Many data sources show a delay in marriage and declining quantity of sexual relationships or volume of sex for young people. Would anyone argue that this might also come with psychological costs in the long term?
You have to be careful about what people you associate yourself with and also with the subcultures and thought-forms you submerge yourself in.
You should be more careful about that.
Do you think you’ll catch wrongthink by even accidentally interacting with people that have different political views than your own?
I don’t have a dog in this fight but this just struck me as such small-minded thing to say…
No Fap is self-evidently apolitical. Though it’s true it is “pseudoscientific,” but really that should be obvious—it was started around a meme.
There’s also Porn Free[1] which evolved independently alongside the website Your Brain On Porn[2], that is very much evidence-based.
The modern view of degenerate behavior where unlimited sexual partners with no commitment is somehow seen as "empowering" is viewed by many as terrible advice, especially to women. The long term consequence is unhappiness and regret when people age out of the primary dating pool, having wasted their prime years either either engaging in casual sexual relationships or heavy porn use.
Young men would do themselves a service to actually look into these movements themselves, and things like "No fap" and discover the benefits, instead of listening to porn users who recoil at anyone criticizing their addiction and lifestyle choices.