ifstudies.org/
2026-01-05
Viewing pornography has become one of the most common sexual behaviors among modern adults. Recent estimates suggest that anywhere from 50 to 70% of adult men and women view pornography on a regular basis. This has made pornography use an increasingly "normal" behavior and led many men and women and even some experts to question whether pornography use is really that big of a deal. The argument goes something like this, "How can something so common be harmful to relationships?" and "People in relationships who use porn often seem on the surface to be perfectly happy and healthy, so what's the big deal?"
Yet just because a behavior is common or even appears to have little immediate effect on people does not necessarily mean that the behavior is healthy. After all, there was a period in history where cigarette smoking was both common and generally considered healthy because it did not appear to have any immediate negative effects on anyone. However, over time, medical research began to clearly show that smoking is, in fact, bad for your health, especially in the long run.