Pornography through the lens of the 21st century and its impact on society

Pornography is most commonly defined as any depiction of sexual behaviours aimed at inducing sexual arousal. According to numerous scientific studies, the use of pornography is a widespread phenomenon across all age groups today, with a particularly high prevalence among men. The popularity of pornographic content seems to be increasing over the years, primarily due to its easy accessibility, which stems mainly from technological advancements. Given that pornography addiction is not formally classified in DSM-5 or ICD-10, most studies assessing the frequency of this phenomenon are based on the subjective impressions of participants, suggesting that the issue affects a few to several percent of the population. It has also been observed that pornography addiction shows strong similarities to addiction to psychoactive substances. Motivations for consuming pornography are linked to evolutionary mechanisms, sexual and life strategy theories, and psychological models. Most users of pornographic materials state that they view them to satisfy sexual urges, which is more pronounced among men. Notably, both genders report using pornography equally often to improve their sexual performance. The impact of pornography on its users has not been clearly classified as either positive or negative due to significant discrepancies in research findings. Some studies suggest that it negatively affects male sexual functioning, while positively influencing female sexual experience.