A recent TIME magazine cover story entitled, “Porn and the Threat to Virility,” incited a lot of feedback. The article—which paints a portrait of young men, who at one time were internet porn’s most avid consumers, but have now become advocates of turning it off—argues that too much porn can lead to PIED, or “porn induced erectile dysfunction.”
RELATED: How masturbation affects your sex drive
A writer for Salon wrote a particularly interesting response to the TIME piece, with the intent of proving that while young men may have grown up saturated in internet porn choices, those viewing habits alone aren’t to blame for bad sex.
RELATED: The key to great long-term sex is variety, study says
The author spoke to David J. Ley, Ph.D., author of “The Myth of Sex Addiction” and the forthcoming “Ethical Porn for Dicks, a Man’s Guide to Responsible Viewing Pleasure.” Ley was quoted in the TIME story, and said he was dismayed by the way the article relied too heavily on anecdotal experiences and didn’t instead give credence to a person’s self report:
“There are many reasons why a person might have difficulty getting an erection when they’re with another person versus when they’re masturbating to pornography. Those issues have to do with the fact that masturbation and sexual intercourse are two very different experiences that require different levels of activity, self-awareness, negotiation communication and integrity. It makes perfect sense that a man masturbating to pornography can relax and get an erection more easily versus when he has to be mindful and worry about whether he is a good lover with a partner. The difference has to do with the person, not the pornography.”
RELATED: Can a sex coach improve your game in the bedroom?
The author, along with other experts she interviewed, instead believes we need to lessen the stigma and shame around porn use. Since porn isn’t going anywhere, we need to give young people tools to grapple with it, and to distinguish between compulsive porn use:
Shira Tarrant, Ph.D., a professor at California State University, Long Beach and author of “The Pornography Industry: What Everyone Needs to Know,” told Salon, “It is definitely possible—and important—to advocate for men moving away from compulsive porn use. That does not mean we have to demonize all porn in the process. It’s a lot like video games or food in that regard. People find a lot of pleasure in both but, when there’s a problem, we want to support people in healthier lifestyles without eradicating video games or dinner.”
Curated article from:
Salon
