When it comes to the discussion on pornography, people tend to fall into one of two camps: either they believe it is 100% harmless and perhaps even healthy, or they believe that it is pure evil and the most dangerous, addictive thing since heroin. The truth, however, is rarely entirely black or white, and pornography likely falls somewhere in the middle of these two beliefs. Certainly there dangers to pornography and risks of addiction, and compared to real life sex and interactions pornography is dreadfully predictable and boring, but there are still times when watching pornography is perfectly okay. Outlined below are a few of those times:
When You Are Watching it With Your Significant Other
Pornography has been known to ruin a lot of relationships, but it in the right circumstances it can spice them up as well. If your partner is open to the idea of watching porn in the bedroom, it can sometimes be an exciting form of foreplay before the two of you make love. There is, in fact, an entire genre of porn called couple’s porn designed for just such situations. Again, make sure this is something your partner is okay with and not something that is going to make them hurt or jealous, but if you can ensure it is enjoyable for the both of you there is nothing wrong with watching pornography together from time to time.
When You Don’t Watch it too Often
Most anything, from caffeine to sports, can be addicting if you find yourself enjoying it too often. The same goes for pornography. In order to keep watching pornography exciting and not just some dull, compulsive routine that you find yourself unable to break, limit yourself to watching it only on certain occasions. How often is too often? It’s difficult to say and certainly varies from person to person, but if you find yourself becoming desensitized to pornographic images, craving them even when you are not sexually aroused, consuming pornography in a frequency or manner that is disruptive to your day to day life, or any other signs of addiction, it may be time to back off a little. As long as you don’t go overboard though, watching pornography can be harmless.
When You Make Sure to Separate Pornography from Reality
It sounds easy enough, but keeping the two separate in your mind (and in your actions) can sometimes be more challenging than it would appear. When watching pornography, it is important to keep in mind that the world of porn and the world of reality are two very different things. The men and women of porn and the me and women of reality are not that same. They look differently, think differently, and behave differently, both inside outside of the bedroom. It’s also important to remember that pornography is a poor replacement for reality. It cannot provide you with near the stimulation, both sexual and nonsexual, that real life relationships can, and you should never sacrifice your real life relationships (or your potential to achieve them) for porn. If you can compartmentalize the two in your head though and keep in mind that porn is nothing more than a mildly entertaining fantasy, much like a movie or a video game, then watching it from time to time certainly isn’t going to kill you.
Author – Trevor Benson
