How does watching porn change our brains? Doctor explains

Experts say that Gen Z watch too much porn as mobile phones have become an inevitable part of modern life. Noted psychologist and sexuality education expert Dr Hena NN told Manorama Online that changes have been noticed in the behaviour and character of youngsters due to excessive porn addiction. She explains how porn videos influence the lives and behaviour of youngsters in our society. 

1) Is it wrong to watch porn?
Scientifically, you cannot say that it is wrong to watch porn, as it is just a personal choice. It cannot be weighed against a person’s moral values. However, watching porn could surely have mental and social impacts. Although it is a personal choice, it could have various layers of meaning. Porn videos could generate different outcomes depending on how long you watch porn, in which circumstance does a person turn to porn, the age of the viewer, his/her health, as well as their mental state. So, the circumstances should be considered when it comes to watching porn videos. 

In many countries, watching pornography is legally allowed as it has been accepted as a personal choice. However, the relevance of the content is also important. For example, child pornography is a criminal offence in most countries around the world. 

2) How does it impact a person’s behaviour?
Watching too much porn could soon escalate into addiction. It is similar to drug or alcohol addiction that could make changes in someone’s brain. One of the most important changes is that it would reduce the grey matter in the brain. Besides, it would adversely affect dopamine stimulation, a neurochemical that grants us joy and motivation. Overstimulation of dopamine may impair the quality of happiness. The person may turn to porn as he/she may feel that the physical acts are inadequate to grant him/her joy. 

Watching too much porn will generate wrong or unrealistic ideas about sexuality. They will start believing that whatever they see in porn is reality. Moreover, they may not be able to enjoy or experience sex in the same intensity as they do in porn in their real life. The sexual activities in porn videos may be portrayed in an overdramatic way. It would create an urge in the viewer to seek such unrealistic pleasure, often causing loss of confidence in real life. As a result, they lose interest in concentrating on other matters. 

Porn addicts’ thoughts are always dominated by such visuals and ideas. They wouldn’t have the time or mental capacity to focus on other matters in life. Relying too much on porn videos will stunt their overall growth, and they are often forced to take treatment. The risk of a porn addict spiralling into a state where he/she is forced to take treatment for addiction is quite high. However, not every porn viewer may land in such situations. 

The age of the viewer, his/her behaviour and certain other factors increase the risk of porn dependency. For example, individuals with neurodivergent issues or those who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may quickly fall into such addictions. Besides, people with mental health problems may be negatively affected by such videos. The circumstance in which that person watches porn and his/her basic mental state may impact their behaviour. 

Who is more addicted?
It is not possible to say that one generation of people is more addicted to porn than another. Gen Z kids were born into the digital age, so they have access to more personal digital space. Every child owns a mobile phone these days, and hence, there is a risk of turning to porn. Moreover, they have easy access to a wide range of content from around the world. So, there is a common misconception that Gen Z may be more addicted to porn than others. Although the word "addiction" may not be appropriate in this context, they certainly have better access to such videos. 

What inspires Gen Z to watch porn?
• The major factor that inspires Gen Z to watch porn is curiosity. They may be part of discussions about porn in their classrooms. Now, porn is available as videos, reels and even animated content on the internet. They get curious to know more when they see such content. 
• They may tend to search for porn videos due to a lack of scientific sex education or the reluctance of the older generation to talk about it. 

• Peer pressure often creates interest and curiosity among Gen Z to look for porn videos on the internet. 
• Children often feel lonely in their families and may find comfort in digital spaces. 
• Children feel lonely and aloof as parents are unable to spend time with them due to their busy schedules. 
• Lack of proper, comprehensive sexual education. 

It would be great to have good communication with your children and to give them proper guidance in such matters. Make sure to create awareness among them about the age-appropriate content on the internet and social media.