90 million adults could be addicted to porn – study reveals new concerns over ‘problematic’ use affecting 3% of world population

Nearly 100 million adults could be addicted to pornography, according to a global study.

Researchers in Canada evaluated thousands of adults around the world for “problematic pornography use” — defined as watching enough pornography that negatively impacts relationships and work performance — and found that about three percent of people showed evidence of use, but less than one percent treatment sought.

The studypublished in the magazine Addictionincluding more than 80,000 adults from dozens of countries.

Dr. Beatha Bőthe, lead author of the study and a psychologist at the University of Montreal, said: ‘Our research shows that problematic pornography use is more common than many think and affects a wide range of people.

“It highlights that while many are struggling, not many are seeking help. This is important because it suggests that more work needs to be done to understand and support those affected by it.”

The research team included 80 co-authors, many of whom are members of the International Sex Survey consortium in the US, China, Europe and other parts of the world.

They assessed 82,243 adults in 42 countries, including the US, UK, China, France and Germany, between October 2021 and May 2022.

The average age of the participants was 32 years, and 57 percent of them were women.

Moreover, 68 percent were heterosexual. About a third were single and a third were in a relationship. The last third were married.

And more than 70 percent of those surveyed had no children.

Hungary had the highest percentage of participants (14.6 percent), closely followed by Poland (12 percent).

About three percent were American, while 1.7 percent were from Great Britain.

Participants were given an anonymous survey that was originally written in English and then translated into 25 other languages. It took people about 25 to 45 minutes to complete it.

Questions included how old participants were when they first viewed pornography, how many times they had viewed the content in the past year, how long they had viewed pornography, how often they masturbated, whether they thought they had an addiction and whether they were seeking treatment.

Pornography use was measured using the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale, which included statements such as “I felt that porn was an important part of my life” and “I became stressed when something stopped me from watching porn.”

The team found that “in North America, Europe and Australia, 70 to 94 percent of adults have used pornography at some point in their lives,” Dr. Bőthe said.

Furthermore, based on the study results, the researchers suggested that approximately three percent of the world’s population may have pornographic habits that affect their daily lives.

Porn consumption was more common among men than women, although there were no significant differences based on sexual orientation.

Less than one percent of all participants said they sought treatment for what they perceived as their porn addiction.

Additional results from the study showed that, on average, participants first viewed sexually explicit material at age 14.

The team did not measure the types of pornography people prefer to consume, including videos, webcam shows, erotic literature, chat rooms and virtual reality.

Experts have warned that consuming excessive amounts of porn could be a sign of sex addiction, which affects as many as 24 million Americans – although experts still debate whether the addiction can be classified as a real condition.

Other signs include obsessive thoughts about sex, compulsive sexual behavior, remorse or guilt after sex, and lying to cover up behavior.

The study published in Addiction is one of many highlighting the potential harm of watching too much pornography.

For example, a study published in June found that Israeli men with higher pornography use were more likely to have negative body image and exhibit disordered eating habits such as bingeing and purging.

And research from Brigham Young University found that even men who preferred “softcore” porn — which depicts consensual sex — were more likely to admit they were unhappy in their relationships.

The BYU study experts urged people to stop watching pornography altogether so they could maintain committed relationships.

‘Since much of the content of pornography emphasizes casual sexual encounters and multiple partners, it is possible that regular exposure to these types of sexual messages can alter sexual and relationship scripts in ways that increase stability (in a relationship) weakened,” the team wrote.