Benefits and Harms of Adult Videos: A Sex Difference Social Representations Analysis Among Young Adults in Japan

Pornhub Insights (2025) reported that Japan ranked 11th worldwide in total traffic, indicating widespread use of adult videos (AV). Existing research has primarily focused on AV-related harms from expert and Western perspectives. Few studies examine how Japanese young adults perceive these effects, particularly the benefits that sustain use, and sex differences remain underexplored. This study investigated the core social representations of AV benefits and harms and how they differ by sex. Data were collected from 251 Japanese participants, of whom 137 (54.6%) were male, with a mean age of 20.71 years. Most participants (81.3%) reported using AV, and most identified as heterosexual students. Data were analyzed using prototypical analysis to identify elements with high consensus. Five key observations emerged: (1) Both genders see “satisfaction,” “pleasure,” and “crime prevention” as key benefits of AV. (2) Sex differences appeared in describing benefits, with men mentioning “sex education” and women mentioning “stress relief.” (3) Both genders identified “incorrect knowledge” as a primary representation of AV-related harms. (4) Male respondents cited “addiction” as a harm, whereas female respondents were more likely to reference “encouraging sexual crime.” (5) More words or phrases were used to describe AV benefits than harms. These findings may inform targeted interventions and policy discussions.