In the old days, the word “addiction” was largely limited to substance dependence (drug addiction) or behavioral addiction (gambling). Addiction can be defined as the repetition of a habit that an individual makes with their full knowledge. In other words, they clearly know and understand that they have to give up the particular habit of ingesting a substance or taking a specific action, but they cannot refrain from doing the same. The habit can be harmful in the long term, as it can lead to compulsive use.
Pornography can be found in various forms, such as books, postcards, photographs, drawings, animations, movies, videos (video games). Within two decades, if an individual has to view pornography, he has to rent a video. Although the growth of the Internet has brought many advantages, there are also few exceptions, such as pornography, which anyone can access with a single click.
As with all addictions, individuals of all ages share this vice of pornography, usually starting with softcore porn. Like drugs, they will also need larger doses to make them feel high. They will start looking for more explicit pornographic content. Although no survey has been conducted to clarify the small to high dose factor, it cannot be ruled out that viewing porn has negative effects in many cases, such as:
Addicts feel isolated, spending a great deal of time locked in their rooms or in their own world. Viewing pornography individually separates them from social contact that dissolves into a fantasy world far from reality. People addicted to pornography can indulge in imaginations with multiple partners viewing pornography, causing disappointment in family life.
Men, who are addicted, try to become dominant, introverted, deal with anxiety, and develop low self-esteem. Pornography makes the real universe and the world boring, leaving its viewers dissatisfied and less sensitive to the emotional feelings of everyday life. According to a survey, men exposed to a large volume of pornography tend to be less responsible in their careers and suffer from reasoning ability.
Men who view pornography at a very young age have been found to view women only as objects of desire rather than human beings. They may also suffer guilt, shame, rejection, or humiliation.
The best way to overcome addiction is to become socially active. Isolation and loneliness are said to be the main contributing factors. Addicts who have received proper professional guidance and assistance have overcome and conquered their habit of viewing pornography.