For many young men, pornography has been the gateway to exploring one’s sexual desires, but comes with heavy costs. 

Research and studies have found that indulgence in pornography consumption is harmful to young men socially, emotionally, and psychology. After repeated consumption of pornography, men slowly loose the ability to interact with the opposite sex and looses touch on relationships abilities with others. 

As young men, we have high sex drives and we have high, and often impractical expectations for sexual interactions. Pornography consumption can fog our view on sexual intercourse and creates unrealistic sexual expectations. Men with an addiction will soon build a view on women as tools or sexual objects, not as humans or possible relationship mates. 

Many people can lose the satisfaction in our relationship if it does not meet up to our expectations from what we have seen in pornography. 

A meta-analysis from 2000 to 2015 draws a connection between watching pornography and violent behaviors. Pornography often depicts males as the dominant figure and they usually act violent towards their “partner.” Men who watch this then go on to practice this dominant and violent behavior.  

Pornography does not only fog young peoples’ expectations in sexual intercourse but also damages a person’s mental health. Many soon create an addiction to pornography consumption and this is all you want to do in your free time. Overconsumption can also lead to depression, anxiety, and an unhealthy physique. While watching pornography, the human brain secretes high levels of dopamine. After doing this many times, a person soon is unable to release dopamine in regular situations causing you to feel sluggish and receive very little pleasure from things you do. 

“Porn is very bad to watch from a religious and non-religious standpoint. It harms the soul, the body, and your relationship with God,” says Daniel Hanna, ’24.

Hanna sees a problem with pornography consumption on a medical standpoint, but a spiritual level. He, along with many others, make this point. The Catechism teach that the consumption of porn is “a grave offence.” 

There are many negative effects of pornography consumption that can damage young men and warp them into people who can not live up to their full potential of relationship status, mental health, and the relationship with God.