Masturbation/porn possibly linked to SAD and depression

Yeah but that's by people who are biased against porn.
Those religious nuts and sexual prudes, like me, who watched porn for 17 years.

Again, this is that same propaganda website.

Porn also helps people explore their sexuality. It can be a healthy tool in relationships for communicating things they want to try or giving them new ideas. It is also a safe way to explore aspects of your personality that is not possible to carry out in the real world.

Indeed that is correct. The problem is with porn is often you don't know you're an addict. We're often told that masturbation is healthy, and so therefore, masturbating to porn every night is healthy. Which it isn't imo.

I'm not totally against porn in moderation and didn't perceive it to be a propaganda website. Its a fact some people are addicted to porn and find it hard to have functioning sex IRL. I don't come from the religious angle at all....just a scientific and medical view. When there used to be a Q&A section here at PC, we got many questions from men who couldn't orgasm with intercourse. Does it happen to all men - no but men should be aware of the risks and how to use it in a healthy way. I only get into these discussions because I care about men. Maybe you'll trust Psychology Today:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/...le-dysfunction

Sorry, I misread you. I though you were implying that everyone who watches porn would get negative side-effects.

But you don't avoid food out of fear of becoming addicted.

This argument has long since become stupid and I'm not going to continue wasting my energy talking to people who are already steadfast in their opinions and consider everyone who presents a differing perspective to be uneducated and uninformed before even hearing their position. Yes, some people have problems with porn. It can be damaging for some people. But for the majority of the population, it is a healthy and natural part of life. I hope that whatever problems you are having with porn and your sexual life resolves.

If you are masturbating to porn every night, then, if I may ask, when are you having partner sex? Are you masturbating to porn nightly in addition to partner sex, or, solely?

Sorry if this is too personal, but this forum overall has people open up on personal issues, so I thought I'd ask.

This is a key question.

Porn is not like food. You don't need porn to survive so therefore your entire argument is pointless. If you're comparing porn to sex then you're making an even bigger mistake. Most humans need sex but not porn. Porn is manmade, masturbation isn't, but porn with masturbation can warp a person sexually, but not always.

About me personally. I masturbated to porn almost every night despite being single or in a realationship. Now I know the effects and the effects on me I've stopped.

It has happened to many men. A lot are married and often porn is a secret addiction.

Lynn - the article on psychology today lists, as the first example (I do not have time to read it in its entirety) a typical nerd with socialization issues. He does not have partner sex until age 23 (which is probably later than the median age of sexual debut for American males - the guy must have gone through college without having a girlfriend, which is non-standard). He then writes:

"At university, I was a computer nerd with glasses and no social life, though I played a lot of sport. I'd stay in my room and study, play guitar or masturbate. I got pretty good at all these things."

So he himself makes the point I made earlier on this thread, without the benefit of reading this article, but, rather, just conjecturing by applying common sense.

The guy was socially awkward IN THE FIRST PLACE. Hence problems. Hence too much porn. Not the other way around. Exacerbating? Maybe, but not the other way around altogether.

Look - why would one watch so much porn if one can interact with the people around him, and, possibly, have sex with them? Why, oh why? The guy played guitar IN HIS ROOM. The guys (and gals) I knew in the days of my youth played guitar surrounded by spellbound listeners (me included). They were not socially inept.

This guy goes on:

"I want to be connected with the rest of the world and enjoy my life. I've been using porn to escape"

So he is able to identify the problem - he was using porn to escape from his issues/loneliness. That it can exacerbate the underlying issues is quite possible, but I cannot believe that a cool, smart, intelligent guy without underlying socialization issues would willingly give up partner sex with cool, smart, attractive women in favor of sitting in front of the computer screen for hours a day.

Let us listen to him - he says that his porn use was part of escapism from something that was bothering him in the first place.

I did not say that it was not real. I say that people who suffer from it are pathetic.

How about the guys who have had chances to have sex at 17 but couldn't get it up but could to porn?

Then you're a moron.

porn in printed form was akin to the Bible in that it was one of the first things that benefited from and was made possible by the Guttenberg's invention. Guttenberg died in 1468. Since then there has not been a population crisis, right?

Conclusions?

Unless you claim that it is something specific to the modern delivery of porn via high definition streaming, but then you need to make a point of it when you write. Images that might be considered pornographic go back in history (further back than 1468). Still no population crisis (or, the crisis of over-population, but not under-population). How do people reproduce? Via vaginal sex. Men orgasm inside women, and so it goes and the species is perpetuated. regular porn has not been able to do away with it. If you claim modern porn is different from regular porn, then sure, but you need to state it. As you put it, your claim is indefensible.

Also, you said that porn is manmade but masturbation is not manmade.

This makes me curious - so who "makes" masturbation? Who, indeed, makes masturbation? Aliens? Gods? Animals? Or, does it, perhaps, grow on trees? Were you talking of masturbation to endogenous fantasies, perhaps?

Why?

I am not even talking about your non-adherence to the community guidelines, but about the conclusion you made. I am just curious. I am also curious about who makes masturbation other than man/woman. So, curious on both counts. Please deliver explanations!

I don't know, animals masturbate. Do animals make films of themselves having sex?

Also internet porn is a lot more stimulating then some babe on a picture.

Well I'm curious to know how you know so much about Porn ED when you don't have a penis.

This thread has turned into an argument. I'm going to close it while the team discusses what to do with it.