When a man logs onto a porn site, chances are he is not thinking about, nor is aware of the potential consequences. I realize this is because God gave men a penis and a brain, but only enough blood to run one at a time. I get it. But if I told that same man that porn could ruin his sex life, I hope he will restrain himself next time he’s alone and behind a keyboard.

With the advent of high speed Internet, porn is easier than ever for young teenage boys to get their hands on. A study by Simon Lajeunesse, a professor from the University of Montreal, shows that, “Most boys seek pornography by age 10.” Lajeunesse first began his study looking for a control group, consisting of college males who don’t watch porn. He couldn’t find any. With this being said, I want to share 10 things you should know about porn.

 1) Porn is addictive, and dopamine is to blame. When dopamine is released, it stimulates the brain. This occurs so our natural drives are satisfied, linked to survival. When animals are thirsty and find water, dopamine places significance on that place, helping the brain remember where it is, and why they need to go back to it. Same thing goes for porn addicts and their computer. Their brain is linking mating to porn images, tempting them with potential opportunities. This reward-circuit is essentially “getting it while the getting is good”. The problem is that porn is a never-ending mating season.

 2) Porn withdrawals are comparable to alcohol, cocaine, and heroin withdrawals. It is very difficult to go cold turkey on porn, almost more so then various drugs. Drugs are illegal, costly, and sometimes difficult to obtain, but porn is legal and at anyone’s disposal-for free. Not to mention pornographic images are everywhere, making their way into many social networking sites, making it increasingly difficult for the average man to quit.

 3) Dopamine plays a large factor in reward driven learning. Similar to porn, drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines directly affect dopamine levels, fueling the “high” associated with the drug.

 4) The Coolidge effect.The brain views porn subjects as potential mates, and every time a new actor/actress is viewed, dopamine spikes. This is a natural phenomena used to keep species alive and mating. A constant supply of novelty (new imagery) becomes more arousing then what the male is accustomed to. This is why some men grow bored of their partner, and choose porn instead.

 5) Porn changes sexual taste. Some porn addicts would rather view porn then be with a real life mate. I think this one speaks for itself, but to hammer out the point, it can lead to a sheltered life of self-pleasure. No fun.

 6) Correlating with #4, dopamine surges caused by the novelty of internet porn leads to a build up of Delta-FosB, which accumulates in the brains reward circuit. This build up leads to cravings for more porn, and desensitization to pleasure in life other than porn. This leads me to the kicker, erectile dysfunction.

 7) Every man’s worst nightmare. Erectile dysfunction, or ED, is the inability to get an erection when convenient, if it all. Porn is killing young men’s sexual performance. In generations before high speed Internet, it was unheard of for guys to have symptoms of ED before they were 50. But now, men are being diagnosed with ED in their 20s and 30s. Why? Overusing/abusing pornography. The problem is psychological; the brain is sending weaker and weaker signals to the lower region, making erections difficult or even impossible. And because the problem is psychological, prescription pills will do little to help.

 8) Young guys who quit porn are recovering from it much slower then older men are. The average recovery time for younger men is 4-5 months, but older guys are sporting 2-month recoveries. How? Older guys didn’t have the novelty their younger counterparts do. Boys exert higher levels of dopamine in their teenage years to accompany reward driven learning. This has a devastating effect on them, especially in their later years.

Many people are battling porn together. Reddit.com has the largest base of these self-acclaimed “Fapstronauts”, reaching 82,000 members. The challenge is simple, yet difficult, no porn for 90 days.  If you’re skeptical, try 30 days, or just a week. If that allotted amount of time felt worth it, try to abstain from longer. Set your own goals. Just remember, ED is no joke.

If interested in becoming a fapstronaut, visit: http://www.reddit.com/r/NoFap/wiki/faq.