Slate Shines a Light on 'Porn Addiction' Industry, #NoFap Movement

Slate Shines a Light on 'Porn Addiction' Industry, #NoFap Movement

LOS ANGELES — Slate magazine has published a detailed account of the current trend of evangelical men becoming convinced that they experience “porn addiction,” and how this feeds into both a lucrative cottage industry to “cure” them and also into War On Porn propaganda and myth-based campaigns like the Reddit-driven #NoFap.

The article, titled “Sinning Like a Man,” was written by Kelsy Burke, a religion and sexuality researcher who has conducted numerous interviews with religious men who believed themselves to be “addicted to porn.”

“According to a national survey published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology,” Burke wrote, “conservative Protestant men are the most likely group to perceive themselves to be addicted to porn, even if they watch less of it than their secular counterparts. And this has turned out to be a lucrative phenomenon. Christian books, apps, lifestyle groups and conferences constitute a booming industry to help men quit porn — or, in the words of one of them, to help afflicted men ‘develop sexual integrity.’”

Burke says she “first started hearing stories about pornography addiction while researching online Christian sex advice: blogs, message boards, and online stores created by and for evangelical Christians to have great sex in their marriages. Based on the stories I was reading online, pornography was a vicious virus that had spread to virtually all Christian men. I read countless stories of battles against pornography addiction and common advice that these addicts attend programs to get clean.”

In 2016, Burke started her research and what she discovered is that “porn addiction recovery” programs do not in any way, as they allege, “free men of their darkest biological impulses and to put them on a path to healthy, spiritual relationships with women.”

Burke points out many clinicians “wave away the issue of porn addiction. Most mainstream scientists do not liken it to drug and alcohol addiction, and there is heated debate about whether it meets criteria of a behavioral addiction, like gambling. Pornography addiction is not included in any reputable diagnostics manual, including the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM.”

Burke found that for Christian men “admitting they have a problem with porn — even if they continue to occasionally watch it — is a way to garner sympathy from women.”

This sympathy, however, "does not extend to women who watch porn themselves."

“Pornography addiction is decidedly a ‘man’s problem,’ according to both the porn-addiction industry and the people I interviewed,” Burke wrote. “Sociologist Sam Perry has detailed this gendered double standard within conservative Christian churches, where women who watch porn are met with skepticism and stigma. As Perry puts it, women who watch porn are not just committing the sin of lust but they are also ‘sinning against their gender,’ or ‘sinning like a man’.”

To read the Slate article “Sinning Like a Man,” click here.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Teasy Agency Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Teasy Agency has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Aylo, Pineapple Support Partner for Mental Health Video Series

Aylo has teamed up with Pineapple Support to create a safety video series aimed at educating performers and creators about mental health.

Ofcom Investigates FTV Sites for Possible AV Noncompliance

U.K. media regulator Ofcom is investigating First Time Videos, which operates the sites FTVGirls.com and FTVMilfs.com, for possible failure to comply with age assurance requirements under the Online Safety Act.

Stalwart Defender: Jeffrey Douglas on 30 Years Fighting for Free Expression

“If you had told me in 1995 that I would be on the FSC board for 30 years, I would have laughed out loud,” says Jeffrey Douglas.

FSC Publishes Analysis of Federal Trade Commission Event Promoting AV

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published an analysis of a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) event held this week that promoted age verification among other forms of speech regulation.

GirlsDoPorn Owner Michael Pratt Pleads Guilty to Sex Trafficking

Michael Pratt, former owner of the rogue website GirlsDoPorn, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Thursday to sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking charges, according to a report by City News Service.

Master Nico Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Master Nico has relaunched his official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Federal Judge Grants Partial Halt of Florida AV Law

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Tallahassee Division, has granted a preliminary injunction against HB 3, the state's age verification law, as a lawsuit filed by two online trade associations challenging the law makes its way through the courts.

Aylo Releases Statement on Suspending Access to Pornhub in France

Technology and media company Aylo, which operates adult sites including Pornhub, YouPorn, and Redtube, has released a public statement regarding its decision to block access to its sites in France.

Pornhub Blocks Access in France in Response to SREN Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo has opted to block access to its sites in France rather than comply with age verification requirements under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Show More