Researcher: Porn Addiction a 'Fiction'

Researcher: Porn Addiction a 'Fiction'

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — A University of Auckland researcher who studied claims of compulsive behavior among men who watch adult content reports that the concept of “porn addiction” is “a fiction.”

Dr. Kris Taylor spoke to New Zealand news site The Spinoff as part of a current series on porn.

Taylor has spent years studying “the relationship between men and porn, including those in the NoFap community who’ve sworn off porn and masturbation altogether,” The Spinoff’s Don Rowe noted.

Taylor’s PhD dissertation studied the idea of porn addiction among a sample of New Zealanders aged 15-83, and noted “a lack of complexity in studies of the ways in which men and teenage boys navigate porn,” The Spinoff reported. “Taylor’s work suggests that while some men struggled with their porn use, actual addiction (in the diagnostic sense) to porn is itself a fiction.”

According to Taylor, pornography “has become a bit of a scapegoat for the larger problem of masculine entitlement, sexism and misogyny.”

The academic told The Spinoff that the language of addiction “is often used by viewers of pornography to diminish feelings of moral, ethical and even religious conflict. Masturbation can induce a sense of shame, and compulsive sexual behaviors can then be explained away as an addiction.”

"NoFap" Communities Online

Taylor has also researched members of “NoFap” communities since 2016.

“While members of the community often see the benefits of self-discipline flowing into other areas of their life,” The Spinoff piece explained, “the emphasis on pseudoscience and flawed perceptions of human sexuality sets some up for failure.”

As XBIZ reported, the superstition that semen retention is related to magical masculine powers has a long history, linked to the Victorian notion of “sexual hygiene” and to “social hygiene” — which also helped give rise to the virulently racist “eugenics” movement.

For Taylor, much of the “NoFap” pseudoscientific discourse is connected with a “fear of real achievement in men coming down to being able to attract partners to have sex with, which is generally the main goal. That overlaps quite problematically with incel and other communities online, where the idea is that your life will become better if you have sex with a woman.”

Historically, he added, abstinence itself has been seen as “a very masculine way to deal with your issues — it’s very cut and dried, as opposed to being a little more introspective and reflective. It puts a massive amount of importance on penises and semen as key factors in how human relations are supposed to operate. We have a very poor understanding generally as a society around things like consent and a reliance on ‘just say no’ language, which doesn’t work.”

To read “The Man With a PhD in Porn Addiction,” visit The Spinoff.

Copyright © 2024 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

Justices Alito, Thomas Invoke Victorian-Era Morality Law, Raising Censorship Concerns

Several national publications reported this week on widespread concern among Free Speech advocates after U.S. Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas repeatedly invoked during a hearing the infamous segregation-era law the Comstock Act, which was the cornerstone of U.S. censorship of sexual material from the 1870s until the 1970s.

Skinfluential Management's FansFuel Acquires Fanwire

FansFuel has acquired creator account management tool Fanwire.

Nebraska AV Bill Moves Forward Despite Privacy, Free Speech Concerns

Nebraska’s unicameral Legislature has given first-round approval to LB 1092, the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists.

AEBN Celebrates 25th Anniversary

The Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network (AEBN) is celebrating its 25th year in business this week.

Performers in Meta Blacklisting Lawsuit Seek to Preserve Antitrust Claims

Adult Performance Artists Guild board officers Alana Evans, Kelly Pierce and Ruby have informed a California court that, although they want to drop their lawsuit claiming that Meta conspired with OnlyFans to blacklist rival premium fan platforms’ talent, they may still pursue antitrust claims in the future.

FSC, Co-Plaintiffs to Ask US Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Texas Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and its co-plaintiffs in the challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law have petitioned the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to stay its recent decision upholding the law, because they intend to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to review the law’s constitutionality.

FSC Vows to Fight Florida Age Verification Law

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has issued a statement vowing to continue fighting Florida’s new age verification law, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday as part of a comprehensive bill targeting minors’ use of social media.

Kansas Republican Aims to Create New Bureaucracy to 'Investigate' Porn Websites

Republican state legislators succeeded Monday in moving forward Kansas’ version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by anti-porn religious conservative activists, despite serious concerns raised by House Democrats about the cost of establishing a new bureaucracy tasked with investigating websites for pornographic content.

SK Intertainment Launches 'Skinfluential Management' Agency, FansFuel Joint Venture

Mr. Skin/Mr. Man parent company SK Intertainment has launched new creator agency Skinfluential Management, as well as a new joint venture with Showbizz Media's creator stats and affiliate marketing platform, FansFuel.

Industry Attorney, Free Speech Champion Clyde DeWitt Passes Away at 75

Noted industry attorney Clyde DeWitt passed away on Friday in Las Vegas at 75, according to friends and colleagues.

Show More