
WHY IS THERE HARDLY ANY RATIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SCIENCE OF PORN?
Unfortunately, the porn as a behavioral addiction debate is largely dominated by activists with strong personal views on pornography. Many rational, level-headed professionals have left the field or steer clear of it.
On one side, anti-porn moralizing activism—for example, bringing broader culture-war rhetoric into addiction arguments. On the other, industry and aligned academics deny science highlighting porn’s potential adverse effects, instead attributing potential problems to non-porn causes—blaming anything but porn.
Porn addicts become collateral damage in a culture war they never asked for. There is a substantial body of scientific research on the potential effects of pornography overuse, but far fewer scientists are willing to publicly discuss their work and risk career retaliation from activists.