Essay Sample on Pornography: Negative Effects on Intimate Relationships

Introduction

Pornography negatively affects intimate relationships by increasing the chances of infidelity, reducing commitment in relationships, and more breakups or divorce. According to Perry and Davis (2017), "pornography use would be connected with relationship instability, in terms of its use being a sign of intimacy issues" causing adverse effects on attachment as well as bonding in romantic relationships. Examining how pornography adversely impacts on associations between sexual partners is essential to understand changes that may occur to a person's thoughts, behaviors and associations with others in intimate relationships. The paper entails a reflection on the subject of pornography and how it negatively affects intimate relationships.

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Infidelity

According to Lehmiller (2014), pornography use features people with attractive bodies, and this produces a contrast influence on the attractiveness of the average person. This form of distortion affects how a partner sees the physical attractiveness of the other person in a relationship. Pornography increases the desire of an individual to explore similar beautiful bodies, and this causes infidelity in relationships. Maddox, Galena, and Howard (2011) found out that intimate relationships where partners watched pornography have a higher rate of infidelity when compared to their counterparts. From these findings, a person can understand that men and women in intimate relationships have differences caused by watching pornography dues to high negative communication, trying to adjust their relationship to fit the one in the pornography, and the feeling of sexual dissatisfaction. These aspects lead to possible infidelity whereby people become less dedicated to the relationship and go out to gain sexual satisfaction from others.

Perry and Davis (2017) supported the above findings by describing that the user's perception of romantic relationships is changed by pornography use. Men and women who view pornography on the internet, television, videos and other forms of media tend to downgrade the importance of monogamy. A partner gets boredom from the relationship with one partner and starts valuing multiple partners even with limited attachments which leads to infidelity.

Reduced Commitment

Commitment is a critical aspect of building intimate relationships. However, pornography use has been associated with reduced commitment in romantic relationships. Lamber, Negash, Stillman, Olmstead and Fincham (2012) revealed that viewing pornography caused reduced commitment in romantic relationships whereby individuals experience lowered satisfaction with one partner. The results explain why the stability of intimate relations is affected by the pornographic effects of sexual curiosity, performance, physical appearance and affection that partners do not see in each other. As a result of pornography, the average person attractiveness becomes distorted, and the urge to look for better intimate relationships increases. An individual with such distorted views of sexual relationships will have a reduced commitment to intimate relationships.

When people watch pornography, they start recognizing the gender-associated aggressiveness of the other person (Perry & Davis, 2017). Partners develop degrading behaviors and attitudes towards each other or to their person when one fails to appear and behave as those performing in pornography. It becomes difficult for the partners to achieve sexual gratification when filled with sexual relations depicted in pornography. Their commitment to the intimate relationship diminishes gradually. The evidence shows that the contracting effects of pornographic exposure to men and women impacts on their attitudes towards the partner of the opposite gender (Lehmiller, 2014).

More Breakups or Divorce

Perry and Davis (2017) argued that under specific circumstances, the use of pornography negatively affects romantic relationships. The stability of the relationship is impacted negatively with increased breakups and divorce rates over time. In their study, Perry and Davis (2017) indicated that by the year 2012, the rates of intimate breakups among Americans who used pornography had doubled from the year 2006. When reflecting on these findings, it is evident that the use of pornographic materials negatively impacts romantic relationships. Men and women who view pornography will experience a distorted view of content and would want to experiment that with their partners. Lehmiller (2014) expands on the findings by explaining that pornography provides the viewers with sexual depictions that shape their opinions on what is and not proper sexual behavior. Weak pornography sexual examples are dangerous as they depict sex in unrealistic terms. If the partners cannot act or perform sexually as those viewed in the pornographic material, then a breakup is imminent. The demanding partner would want to explore the sexual actions outside the intimate relationship. Therefore, both married and unmarried people in romantic relationships have a likeliness of experiencing a breakup or divorce as a result of using pornography.

Conclusion

In conclusion, pornography negatively affects intimate relationships by increasing infidelity, reducing commitment and more breakups or divorce. Evidence shows that the adverse effects of pornography on romantic relationships are caused by the changes in behavior and perception of sex relationship after viewing pornography. Person knowledge of normal sex is distorted, and this leads to an individual desiring more from a partner in an intimate relationship. However, when the other person cannot meet the sexual desires portrayed in pornography, a partner seeks options outside the relationship, and this negatively affects their closeness.

References

Lambert, N., Negash, S., Stillman, T., Olmstead, S., & Fincham, F. (2012). A love that doesn't last: Pornography consumption and weakened commitment to one's romantic partner. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 31, 410-438.

Maddox, A., Galena, K., & Howard, J. (2011). Viewing sexually-explicit materials alone and together: Associations with relationship quality. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 40(2), 441-448.

Lehmiller, J. (2014). The psychology of human sexuality. Wiley Blackwell. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perry, S., & Davis, J. (2017). Are pornography users more likely to experience a romantic breakup? Evidence from Longitudinal Data. Sexuality & Culture, DOI 10.1007/s12119-017-9444-8.