How often do you watch porn? If your answer is every day, then you’re not alone. According to a recent survey by Cosmo, more than one-third of men say they watch porn on a daily basis. And while women don’t indulge in skin flicks nearly as much, the same survey found that more than one-third of women watch them at least once a week; and half of them agreed that porn had a positive impact on their sex lives.
As the digital age is upping porn’s accessibility and pervasiveness, more and more researchers are becoming interested in learning about its effect on both men and women. Here are some of the more surprising data they’ve recently found:
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Men and women have some overlap in preference
In the study, more than 2,000 men and women reported how frequently they consume 27 different genres of porn. When looking at the top 5 most viewed types, two categories showed up on both straight men and women’s must-watch list: oral sex and threesomes.
There may be a link between watching porn and being a feminist …
Contrary to popular belief that watching porn encourages men to treat women like sex objects, according to a recent article in the Journal of Sex Research, people who watch porn are more likely to express support for women in the workforce, in positions of power, in nontraditional gender roles as well as less negative attitudes towards abortion.
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… But it may depend on what type you watch
A 2013 study in the Journal of Communication actually found that watching porn increases sexist attitudes among some heterosexual men. So it may be that it depends on the type of porn that is being watched. While someone who favors, say, the feminist erotic of filmmaker Candida Royalle might be more likely to support gender equality, the same might not be said of someone who prefers watching hardcore gang bangs.
All this research proves it’s just complicated
It’s hard to make blanket generalizations about whether porn is “good” or “bad” for men and women. But if nothing else, these studies prove that the conversation surrounding pornography is a lot more complicated than many of us would like to think.
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Curated article and photo credit from:
Men’s Health
Independent
MIC
Tandf Online
Science Daily
