August 8, 2011 | Sex Life

More evidence of porn's zero effect

Given America's Puritan heritage it's no surprise that some people hold on to the belief that watching porn can cause psychological damage or lead to sexual aggression. But, according to a recent report in Scientific American, various studies show that "moderate pornography consumption does not make users more aggressive, promote sexism or harm relationships."

In fact, exposure to pornography might even make some people less likely to commit sexual crimes by offering a safe, private outlet for deviant sexual desires. Statistics from many jurisdictions show that as Internet access increases, the incidence of reported rapes go down. 

A 2009 study found that the more a person tries to suppress his own desire to watch porn, the more likely he is to consider his own porn use a problem. The findings suggest that suppressing the desire to view pornography might actually strengthen the urge for it and make sexual problems worse.

In other words, the effects of porn have more to do with the individual's own moral or religious guilt about deriving pleasure from watching sex onscreen than anything else. Which explains why it is the religious radicals that make the most noise about the delitirious effect of porn on society.

The Sunny Side of Smut [Scientific American]