There are ongoing sparking debates about whether PPU is a form of addiction or a disorder. Equally, some feminist scholars have expressed concerns regarding the medicalization of “porn addiction” by perceiving it as an illness. At this point, it is not very clear how we should portray and assess problematic pornography use (PPU). However, Fernandez and Griffiths proposed 22 tools assessing PPU. Among them, the Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) is one of those screening tools developed to provide a short and effective measure of Internet pornography addiction. It is a brief, easily applicable, 11-item test having powerful psychometric properties. It includes 8 different addiction components: salience, impaired control, relapse, mood modification, interpersonal conflict, general life conflict, sex life conflict, and use despite harm.
The salience refers to the quality of an object, detail, or idea that stands out, catches the attention, or is the most immediately noticeable relative to its environment. Things become salient through visual contrast, personal relevance, emotional importance, or when they satisfy a specific need. In Psychology and Neuroscience, it describes anything the brain naturally pays attention to. For example, a single red apple among green ones has high visual salience. In the brain, the salience network acts as a filter to scrutinise through sensory data, so one can focus on what matters most for survival and action. In addition, some methods evaluate the ‘use despite harm’ component as a separate category, which made it a good fit for identifying PPU, whether it is a form of addiction or a disorder.
When discussing the effects of pornography use, it is often assumed that adolescents and young adults appear particularly vulnerable. Although they may possess different motivations for using sexually explicit materials due to their ongoing sexual development and curiosity, they may interpret pornographic material without critical evaluation, perceiving it as a realistic portrayal of sexuality. For example, it was found that adolescents’ exposure to sexualized media was associated with increased sexual objectification of women. Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person exclusively as an object of sexual desire, disregarding their humanity, personality, and dignity. It occurs when a person’s body or body parts are focused on and reduced to tools for someone else’s sexual gratification. Additionally, among adolescents, being male, having a sensation-seeking personality, lower self-control, lower life satisfaction, and family difficulties were predictors of consuming pornography more often. Shai Efrati is a physician from Israel, states that the difference between having problematic or non-problematic pornography use may depend on the perspective young individuals have about mental health, feminism, or religion. This may explain consistent gender differences in pornography consumption and PPU.
Bestowing to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, published in 2024 September, besides the previous research, it shows that impulsive traits commonly observed among young individuals are associated not only with PPU but also with other behavioural disorders and addictions. A study by Khatcherian et al. highlighted that loneliness experienced during adolescence is linked to internet addiction, while extreme levels of it may contribute to developing suicidal ideation. Indeed, adolescents with internet addiction had elevated levels of depression and suicidal ideation. Furthermore, in a recent review, researchers demonstrated the bidirectional relationship between pornography use, PPU, and loneliness. The PPU can predict loneliness, and vice versa. Despite the increasing gravity of the problem of pornography, the intervention and treatment strategies relating to PPU among young adults are lacking, and more evidence-based research in this field is essential.
Young individuals are also accepted to be particularly vulnerable when it comes to suicidality, and because those who are at higher risk of suicide tend to spend more time on the Internet. The relationship between suicide and pornography requires more observation and attention. A recent study of 4404 patients with behavioural addictions, including sex addiction, revealed correlations with suicidality: patients with gambling disorder and sex addiction were at higher risk of developing suicidal thoughts and actively engaging in attempts. Moreover, Kim et al found that the number of adolescents who experienced depressive and suicidal episodes was highest for those who used internet pornography. In another study, suicidal men reported significantly higher use of online pornography. However, it is not clear whether these participants experienced PPU specifically. These results are inconsistent with another study where no statistically significant association was found between PPU and suicidal ideation among US veteran men. As highlighted by Sharpe and Mead, it is uncertain whether depression experienced by people who have PPU may lead to suicidality. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, the minimal data that exist on this issue show controversial results.
The study aimed to explore the precise link between PPU and suicidality, but also PPU’s association with loneliness, emotional states, and life satisfaction. The focus was on young adults as a population that is particularly vulnerable to the potential negative consequences of PPU. This study included three main theories, such as PPU is positively associated with suicidality among young adults. PPU is positively associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness, and is negatively associated with life satisfaction. Though it is explored the nationality and cultural background role in young adults’ PPU and mental health was explored, ultimately, loneliness was considered as a predictor that could worsen participants’ mental health if associated with PPU.
From March 2023 to May 2023, the University of Padova (Italy) conducted an anonymous online survey of 337 students. The proportion of females to males showed similarities between the total sample (about 60%), the international sample (about 58%), and the Italian sample (about 62%). Thus, the gender ratio was consistent within groups, although there was a slight imbalance in favour of female participants. This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Ethical Committee for Psychological Research of the University of Padua approved this study. Socio-demographic information relating to the sample was gathered, and a standardized questionnaire was administered to assess PPU, feelings of loneliness, emotional states (including depression, anxiety, and stress, and life satisfaction. Significant gender differences were found for all variables: loneliness, PPU, stress, anxiety, and life satisfaction except depression. Female participants scored significantly higher, particularly on stress and anxiety, and life satisfaction, while male participants scored significantly higher on problematic pornography use and loneliness.
Moreover, the multiple regression model results revealed that PPU and its interaction with gender acting as a moderator were significantly linked to suicidal ideation. Those females who had higher PPU scores were also more likely to have suicidal ideation, while for males, no such effect was observed. The prevention or overcoming of pornography use will be discussed in the coming issue. (To be concluded).
