Watching porn might seem like a harmless activity but there has always been debates over the effects of porn, which vary from unreal sexual expectations to people being attracted to only certain body types.
A new study suggests that apart from other issues, porn might take its toll on married life, as couples that watch porn are twice as likely to file for divorce as compared to couples who don’t.
The study conducted by sociologists at University of Oklahoma with thousands of married people over several years, indicated that porn has adverse effects on those in a happy marriage, those who are newly married and couples who come from non-religious backgrounds.
While men are believed to be watching more porn, it has been observed that married women are equally keen on watching porn. The research said that women, who start watching porn while married, are three times more likely to opt for a divorce.
The study also said that probability of divorce among church goers did not increase due to the social stigma attached, showing that religious beliefs have a protective effect on marriage.
Those who were happy with their married lives showed 3% to 12% increase in likelihood of getting divorced, while there was no change in case of people who were unhappy.
Dr Samuel Perry told Daily Mail that, "We took this to mean that pornography use – perhaps if it’s discovered by one’s spouse unexpectedly – could rock an otherwise happy marriage to the point of divorce, but it doesn’t seem to make an unhappy marriage any worse than it already is."
Another observation by a psychosexual therapist at Nottingham University Hospital said that too much online pornography is damaging sexual health of young men as they are not aroused by normal sexual behaviour.
