Study: Men's Porn Habits Hurt Women's Self-Esteem
When does a harmless habit become hurtful?
As a generation of men are growing up with virtual sex lives, their real-life partners are becoming increasingly unhappy, a new study finds. Specifically, young women with porn-loving partners feel they just can't measure up to Jenna Jameson—or whoever happens to tickle their man's fancy.
Destin Stewart is a clinical psychology intern at the University of Florida. After her clients began complaining about pornography use in their relationships, Stewart decided to study exactly how porn use is affecting those relationships.
She surveyed 308 college women (ages 18 to 29) and asked them about their current partner's pornography habits. She also wanted the women's perspectives on their relationship quality, sexual satisfaction and self-esteem. Stewart found that the ladies who reported their partners looked at porn more frequently were not only less happy with their relationships, they also had less self-esteem and were less satisfied with their sex lives.
Stewart told LiveScience that when some women discovered pornographic material on their partner's computer, it made them "feel like they were not good enough, like they could not measure up."
While one might argue that the men weren't there to confirm their habits in the study, it's apparent that pornography is negatively affecting an increasing number of relationships. Psychiatrist Norman Doidge studied the effects of porn use in his patients and then reported the findings in his book, The Brain Changes Itself:
"They reported increasing difficulty in being turned on by their actual sexual partners, spouses or girlfriends, though they still considered them objectively attractive." Doidge wrote about his patients. "When I asked if this phenomenon had any relationship to viewing pornography, they answered that it initially helped them get more excited during sex, but over time had the opposite effect."
Stewart says that when porn becomes a problem in relationships, she advises women not to compare themselves to porn stars. She also urges couples to communicate and compromise.
"It's just about trying to do some education about what is realistic and unrealistic and trying to get couples to be honest about what their wants and needs and desires are," Stewart said.
As much as we women would love our men to only have eyes for us, let's face it. As long as there are women willing to do anything, everything and put it out there for the world to see, men are going to look. But Aristotle said to seek moderation in all things, and while I don’t think he was referring to watching online porn, it's not bad advice.
Tell us on Facebook: Do you think porn is hurtful or harmless?
Photo: Patrick Sheandell O'Carroll/Getty Images
More on love & sex from MSN Living:
| Tags: | relationshipssex |
I bet this writer of this article has already read 50 shades of grey and talked about how great it is....... You know, the the story of a whore cheating on her husband with a younger man and has this amazing sex life. Just like the movie the notebook, perfectly fine for a women to do this and its totally over looked. A movie or book about man doing this would never get the reviews. It would just say we are all pigs....
The double standard is gross
Regular porn viewing over time reduces a mans ability to be aroused by his partner, isolates him from emotional intimacy, and undermines his relationships. I counsel couples for a living and have been for over 20 years. Porn and internet addiction is now the number one issue facing couples in my practice. If you view it, stop, and spend that time, getting back into emotional and physical intimacy with your partner. It might take time, but that ability to be aroused by your real woman, will return once fostered. Porn is destructive to marriage and family life.
fashion: trends & must-haves for your wardrobe
-
Shoe envy
Step into spring with style in June Ambrose's new shoe line for HSN.
-
Office remix
Revamp your corporate look with graphic prints and bold color.
-
6 how-tos for younger-looking hair
You may not get wrinkles on your hair, but it ages all the same. Grays, dullness, thinning strands, and frizz are all (unfortunately) part of the hair’s aging process, which starts happening in your 30s. The good news is that you don’t need Botox to fix these problems. Here are six tips for hair that’s shiny, bouncy, healthy—and, yes, younger looking.
-
Michelle Oh!
Our fashion-savvy FLOTUS shows us she is truly a master at mixing high- and low-end designs.
-
Hairstyle of the day
Long, layered, medium or wavy – we’re sharing our favorite hairstyles of 2013 with a new ‘do each day. Stuck in a hair rut? Check back daily for snappy new looks that are sure to give your locks some beauty inspiration.
-
Summer nail art
Get ready for summer with these cute and easy to DIY nail art designs.
-
Ugliest wedding dresses of all time
Brides, it’s your big day and you want to look special. Please, whatever you do, don’t wear one of these wedding dresses. These are truly the worst.
-
The ugliest bridesmaid dresses of all time
Even if you’re the best friend of all time, no bridesmaid should ever have to wear these worst-ever bridesmaid dresses. Lace, ruffles and satin overload!
-
The most flattering hair ideas for every age
As your face changes, so should your hair—the right cut can shave years from your appearance. And while there’s no such thing as an age-appropriate length, there are age-appropriate styles. Here, the 30 most gorgeous hairstyles for every age, as seen on Mila Kunis, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Aniston, Diane Keaton, and more.
-
The most iconic workwear of all time
Stuck in a office-look-rut? Let some of history's most smartly dressed women inspire your everyday uniform.
-
25 of the prettiest Cannes Film Festival dresses of all time
Few spots are as fashionable as the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Celebrity style stars pull out all the stops—because if you can’t wear a fabulous dress at one of the film industry’s biggest events, in one of the world’s most glamorous locales, when can you? Here are 25 of the masterpieces we still can’t stop staring at.
-
Kate Middleton’s maternity style
From demure dresses to covetable coats, the Duchess of Cambridge has a maternity wardrobe that would make any grown woman wish she could be a princess. Click through the gallery to see some of her most stylish looks while pregnant.
