Online pornography use, also known as Internet pornography use or cybersex, may be one of those Internet-specific behaviors with a risk for addiction. This means inevitable escalation, providing new outlets for established addicts as well as tempting people (due to increased privacy, or opportunity) who would not have previously engaged in these behaviors. This addiction may focus on a specific application on the internet (gaming, shopping, betting, cybersex…) with potential for risk-addictive behavior in this case, it would act as a channel for concrete manifestations of said behavior. The lack of robust scientific data makes its research, conceptualization, and assessment difficult, leading to a variety of proposals to explain it, but is usually associated with significant distress, feelings of shame and psychosocial dysfunction, as well as other addictive behaviors and it warrants direct examination.Ĭoncurrently, the rise of the new technologies has also opened up a pool of problematic addictive behavior, mainly Internet Addiction. Its prevalence rates range from 3% to 6%, though it is difficult to determine since there is not a formal definition of the disorder. It is used as an umbrella construct that encompasses various problematic behaviors (excessive masturbation, cybersex, pornography use, telephone sex, sexual behavior with consenting adults, strip club visitations, etc.). Hypersexual disorder is sometimes considered one of those behavioral addictions. Whether these behaviors also meet physiological criteria relating to addiction (tolerance, withdrawal) is more debatable. Phenomenologically, behaviorally addicted individuals frequently exhibit a problematic consumption model: impaired control (e.g., craving, unsuccessful attempts to reduce the behavior), impairment (e.g., narrowing of interests, neglect of other areas of life), and risky use (persisting intake despite awareness of damaging psychological effects). There is apparently an existing common neurobiological and environmental ground between the varying addictive disorders, including both substance abuse and addictive behavior this can manifest as an overlapping of both entities. This represents the ongoing paradigm shift in the field of addictions that relates to addictive behavior, and paves the way for new research in the light of cultural changes caused by the new technologies. Furthermore, “Internet Gaming Disorder” was placed in Section 3-conditions for further study.
With the inclusion of “Gambling Disorder” in the “Substance Use and Addictive Disorders” chapter of the DSM-5, the APA publicly acknowledged the phenomenon of behavioral addiction. Here we try to summarize what we know about this entity and outline some areas worthy of further research. We aim to gather existing knowledge on problematic online pornography use as a pathological entity. This problematic use might have adverse effects in sexual development and sexual functioning, especially among the young population. Online pornography use is on the rise, with a potential for addiction considering the “triple A” influence (accessibility, affordability, anonymity). Hypersexual disorder fits this model and may be composed of several sexual behaviors, like problematic use of online pornography (POPU).
Behavioral addictions form a largely unexplored field of study, and usually exhibit a problematic consumption model: loss of control, impairment, and risky use. Common problems include: sample bias, the search for diagnostic instrumentals, opposing approximations to the matter, and the fact that this entity may be encompassed inside a greater pathology (i.e., sex addiction) that may present itself with very diverse symptomatology. However, despite all efforts, we are still unable to profile when engaging in this behavior becomes pathological. All Rights Reserved.In the last few years, there has been a wave of articles related to behavioral addictions some of them have a focus on online pornography addiction.