‘Porn Kills Love’

New research reveals truth about pornography

Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamines, and alcohol are all addictive substances that have been known to break up families, ruin relationships, and chemically alter the brain. There is one culprit, however, that has all of these side effects, yet receives little media attention.

Defined as “any depiction, in pictures or writing, that is intended to arouse sexual feelings,” pornography is an increasingly prevalent problem in modern society. According to Dr. Jill Manning in her 2004 testimony before the US Senate, “56 percent of divorce cases involved one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites.”

Pornography is present in the lives of everyone in the modern world. From billboards, to magazines, offhand comments in popular television shows, to millions of images and videos found on the internet, pornography has seeped into almost every aspect of our lives.

A hundred years ago, this was not the case. Back then, the pornography industry was just  a small back alley business. Over the years, people have become more accustomed to it, many sneaking it into their houses in the form of magazines. The internet, however, has brought a whole new dimension to this shady industry.

Now that pornography is on the internet, it’s easy, almost instant accessibility, has made it even more dangerous. Before the internet, viewing pornography carried a certain social stigma with it. Today, the internet allows for people to look at what they want in private with no apparent repercussions. This instant accessibility anywhere has led many more people into its trap.

Yes, it is a trap. There has been a lot of newly released research revealing that pornography is an addictive, brain-altering substance. Mary Anne Layden, co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at University of Pennsylvania, has stated that “pornography addicts have a more difficult time recovering from their addiction than cocaine addicts, since … pornography images stay in the brain forever.”  Once someone sees porn, they see it forever.

Drugs have been an issue that society has dealt with for centuries. They alter people’s brains, cause them to look at the world from a false perspective, and create dependency. Drugs and pornography have a lot in common.

Once drugs are used, or porn is viewed,  the brain is flooded with dopamine. This is what makes it addictive. The brain begins to crave dopamine more and more, and eventually becomes dependent on it, leading to an addiction.

One of the most outspoken groups about the negative effects pornography has on the brain is Fight the New Drug.

Fight the New Drug is a nonprofit organization that uses “science, facts, and personal accounts to spread the message about the harmful effects of pornography.” Founded in 2009 by Clay Olsen and Natale McAneny, this organization gives presentations at public and private high schools, sells a wide variety of t-shirts that represent “the movement,” and floods social media with anti-pornography hashtags, posts, and followers.

The organization leads their movement with the statement: “Porn kills love.” On their website, the organization cites hundreds of prestigious medical and psychological doctors, studies, and books, such as the department of Brain Imaging and Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and the Department of Neurosciences at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center.

The main argument on Fight the New Drug’s website states that,  “In reality, a porn habit can take a serious toll on a person’s ability to offer someone real, unselfish, meaningful love.” Needless to say, this lack of love can cause a lot of serious issues in marriages and relationships.

Fight the New Drug is not shy when informing people about how pornography kills love and damages families by changing the way porn users look at people and prioritize their time.

By spreading awareness and challenging the norms of society, Fight the New Drug has truly been making a difference in the lives of pornography viewers.

According to recent testimonials and scientific studies, the dangers that pornography presents to humans are numerous and devastating. Because of its constant exposure, “society believes porn is normal, but science tells us otherwise.” It’s time that we act on the facts, not the whims of our modern culture.