The Great Porn Experiment – Sex and Psychology

In this TEDx video, Gary Wilson discusses his thoughts on how heavy use of Internet pornography may be affecting men’s sex lives. As Wilson points out, accessing pornography via high-speed Internet is fundamentally different from how men used to get pleasure (e.g., through reading). playboy magazine) because it constantly offers new characters and new sexual acts. While I think we can all agree that this is true, his claims about the problematic effects of porn are debatable.

Wilson argues that porn addiction can lead to a variety of sexual problems, including erectile dysfunction, as a result of gradual desensitization to novel sexual content. However, this argument is controversial, and many scientists have questioned the concept of porn “addiction” (click here to read about different perspectives).

Check out the full video here and leave your comments below.



Watch more videos on the science of sex and relationships here.

Want to know more The psychology of human sexuality? Click here to view previous articles or follow the blog Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller) or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates.