Watching Pornography Rewires the Brain to a More Juvenile State

A porn-stimulated brain becomes addicted to a surge of chemicals spurred by the body's response to ever-darker imagery

Viewing pornography shares parallels with drug addiction, including wanting more, even though the addict doesn't actually like it. TheVisualsYouNeed/Shutterstock

Pornography has existed throughout recorded history, transforming with the introduction of each new medium. Hundreds of sexually explicit frescoes and sculptures were found in the Mount Vesuvius ruins of Pompeii.

Since the advent of the internet, porn use has skyrocketed to dizzying heights. Pornhub, the world’s largest free porn site, received over 33.5 billion site visits during 2018 alone.