A study by a University of Montreal researcher into the effects of pornography on men has found that the effects of exposure to smut appear to be negligible. However, the study lacked a control group; that is, men who had never seen pr0n. "We started our research seeking men in their twenties who had never consumed pornography. We couldn't find any," complained researcher Simon Louis Lajeunesse. The objective of the study was to observe the impact of pornography on the sexuality of men, and how it shaped their perception of men and women. To that end, Lajeunesse has been interviewing heterosexual male university students who consume pornography. "They shared their sexual history starting with their first contact with pornography, which was in early adolescence. Not one subject had a pathological sexuality. In fact, all of their sexual practices were quite conventional," he said.
The research concluded, perhaps unsurprisingly, that 90 percent of pornography is consumed on the Internet, while 10 percent comes from video stores. On average, single men watch pornography three times a week for 40 minutes. Those who were in committed relationships watch it on average 1.7 times a week for 20 minutes.
Lajeunesse also found that most males seek out pornographic material by the age of 10, when they are most sexually curious. However, he added, they quickly discard what they don't like and find offensive and will look for content in tune with their image of sexuality. He added that as adults they rarely consume pornography with their partner.
Interestingly, all the test subjects said they supported gender equality and felt victimized by campaigns to demonize pornography. "Pornography hasn't changed their perception of women or their relationship which they all want as harmonious and fulfilling as possible. Those who could not live out their fantasy in real life with their partner simply set aside the fantasy. The fantasy is broken in the real world and men don't want their partner to look like a porn star," says Lajeunesse.
Lajeunesse goes on to refute the perverse effect often attributed to pornography. "Aggressors don't need pornography to be violent and addicts can be addicted to drugs, alcohol, gaming and asocial cases are pathological. If pornography had the impact that many claim it has, you would just have to show heterosexual films to a homosexual to change his sexual orientation."
Related:
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Study Suggests Many Adolescents Are "Heavy Porn Users"
Why Is Porn So Awful?
Source: University of Montreal
