THE EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY ON INDIVIDUALS, MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY

Pornography is a major threat to marriages, the family, and the society at large. It is not a private choice without public consequence. Pornography alters both sexual attitudes and behavior, undermining marriage, which in turn, undermines the stability of the entire community. THE FAMILY AND PORNOGRAPHY • Married men who are involved in pornography feel less satisfied with their conjugal relations and less emotionally attached to their wives. • Pornography use is a pathway to infidelity and divorce, and is frequently a major factor in these family disasters. • Couples affected by one spouse’s addiction usually experience a loss of interest in sexual intercourse and good family relations. • Both spouses perceive pornography viewing as tantamount to infidelity. • Pornography viewing leads to a loss of interest in good family relations. Pornography affects all members of the family. Not only does it eliminate an affectionate family life, children can experience traumas related to encounters with their parents’ pornographic material. A study of adolescents revealed that viewing sexually explicit internet materials significantly increased their uncertainties about sexuality, and it can lower their self-esteem and bring about feelings of loneliness 1 and depression. 2 Pornography devastates marriages, as husbands report to loving their spouses less due to the addiction, and the wives of these users have deep psychological wounds, with feelings of betrayal, mistrust, and anger towards their partner, sometimes requiring clinical treatment for trauma. 3 Pornography use and “cybersex” can often be just as damaging to family relationships as real-life infidelity, and this estrangement has tangible consequences: when viewing pornography becomes and addiction, 40 percent of “sex addicts” lose their spouses, 58 percent suffer considerable financial losses, and about a third lose their jobs. 4