How Years of Porn Consumption Affects Brain's Ability to Form Relationships

Summary

The video script discusses the pervasiveness of sexual content in modern culture and its impact on human intimacy and mental health. It draws parallels to the food industry, suggesting that the internet and technology exploit our evolved brain patterns, leading to potential negative consequences like pornography addiction and distorted expectations of intimacy. The speaker acknowledges the rapid evolution of sexual content and its unpredictable effects on society, advocating for education and self-awareness as tools to navigate these changes.

Takeaways

• 📈 The internet is flooded with sexual stimuli, which may be affecting human intimacy and mental health.
• 🧠 Our brains have evolved to be attracted to certain stimuli for survival benefits, and industries have adapted to exploit these preferences.
• 🍕 Similar to how the food industry exploits our attraction to high-calorie foods, the internet and technology exploit our evolved attraction to sexual stimuli.
• 🌐 The rapid evolution of online platforms like OnlyFans and Twitch can lead to unexpected psychological effects, such as addiction and confusion around intimacy.
• 🚨 Early exposure to and the intensity of pornography can lead to addiction and distorted expectations about sexual experiences.
• 🤔 The impact of pornography on human relationships and intimacy is complex and not fully understood, but there are signs of change.
• 🌏 The speaker suggests a 'cognitive climate change' is occurring, with technology contributing to increased mental health issues.
• 🎮 The potential of future technologies, like VR with haptic feedback, raises concerns about their impact on human relationships and reproduction.
• 👥 The rise of parasocial interactions, such as those on OnlyFans, may exacerbate feelings of infidelity and intimacy issues in relationships.
• 🌱 Despite the challenges, there is optimism that humans can adapt and build healthier relationships through understanding and education.

Q & A

What is the main concern regarding the impact of pornographic content on human intimacy?

The main concern is that the inundation of pornographic and sexually explicit content may be reducing genuine human intimacy by making sexual experiences seem less special or exciting.

How does the speaker relate the evolution of our brains to the popularity of certain internet content?

The speaker suggests that our brains have evolved to be attracted to certain stimuli for survival benefits, and internet content that taps into these evolved preferences tends to do well, similar to how the food industry exploits our evolved taste for high-calorie foods.

What is the 'hot tub meta' on Twitch mentioned in the script, and how is it related to sexual stimuli?

The 'hot tub meta' on Twitch refers to a trend where streamers use hot tubs as a backdrop, often implicitly sexualizing their content without being explicit. This is an example of how the internet is bombarding viewers with sexual stimuli.

What is the potential negative effect of early and intense exposure to pornography mentioned in the script?

Early and intense exposure to pornography can lead to addiction and confusion around intimacy and expectations, potentially affecting an individual's ability to have healthy sexual relationships.

Why does the speaker compare the current cognitive changes to 'cognitive climate change'?

The speaker uses the term 'cognitive climate change' to describe the rapid and significant shifts in human behavior and mental health due to technology and the internet, similar to how climate change affects the environment.

What is 'death grip syndrome' referred to in the script?

'Death grip syndrome' is a term used to describe a condition where individuals become so accustomed to the intensity of pornography that they struggle to achieve satisfaction from real-life sexual experiences.

How does the speaker view the potential of technology like VR in the context of pornography?

The speaker expresses concern that advancements in technology, such as VR with haptic feedback, could lead to individuals preferring virtual sexual experiences over real ones, potentially impacting human reproduction and relationships.

What is the speaker's opinion on the role of personal responsibility and education in managing the impact of internet content on mental health?

The speaker believes that while technology and internet content can have negative impacts, it's also important for individuals to learn about themselves and manage these influences responsibly, possibly through education and open communication.

What is the significance of the legislation in Norway requiring disclosure of edited Instagram photos mentioned in the script?

The legislation in Norway highlights the extent to which social media influencers edit their photos to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, which can have negative effects on viewers' self-image and expectations.

How does the speaker relate the evolution of pornography to the concept of 'parasocial interactions'?

The speaker suggests that the evolution of pornography is moving towards more interactive experiences, like those found on platforms like OnlyFans, which involve parasocial interactions, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality and potentially complicating real-life relationships.

What is the speaker's stance on the moral panic surrounding new technologies and their impact on society?

The speaker acknowledges the potential negative impacts of new technologies but cautions against a moral panic. Instead, they advocate for understanding and managing these changes as part of human progress.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Impact of Internet Sexuality on Human Intimacy

The paragraph discusses the pervasiveness of sexual content on the internet and its potential impact on human intimacy and mental health. It draws a comparison between the current saturation of sexual stimuli and the way our brains have evolved to respond to certain stimuli for survival, like high-calorie foods. The speaker suggests that just as the food industry has exploited our evolved preferences, the internet and technology are now doing the same with sexual content, leading to potential negative consequences that are not yet fully understood. The conversation also touches on how this might affect genuine human connections and the special nature of sexual experiences.

05:01

📈 The Evolution of Sexual Content and Its Psychological Effects

This section delves into the specifics of how sexual content on platforms like Instagram and Twitch can shape our brains' expectations and desires. It discusses the phenomenon of pornography addiction and how early and intense exposure can lead to psychiatric issues. The speaker shares an anecdote about a patient's confusion regarding orgasm due to unrealistic expectations set by pornography. The paragraph also addresses the evolving nature of platforms like OnlyFans and their potential to create new intimacy issues in relationships, suggesting that the rapid pace of change in sexual content online outstrips our ability to study and understand its full impact.

10:03

🤔 Navigating the Changing Landscape of Sexuality and Technology

The final paragraph contemplates the broader implications of the changes in sexual content consumption and the potential for a 'cognitive climate change' affecting mental health. It acknowledges the challenges posed by new technologies and platforms but resists a doomsday narrative. Instead, it suggests that with increased understanding and education, we can adapt and build healthier relationships. The speaker also humorously speculates about the future of virtual relationships enabled by advancements in VR and AI, cautioning against the potential for these technologies to disrupt traditional human connections.

Keywords

💡sexual stimuli

Sexual stimuli refer to any stimulus that triggers a sexual response or sexual thoughts. In the video, it is discussed how the internet is inundated with such stimuli, potentially affecting human intimacy and mental health. The script mentions 'sexually implicit' content on platforms like Twitch, which is not explicit but still sexual in nature, contributing to the overall sexualization of the online environment.

💡evolutionary preference

Evolutionary preference refers to the idea that humans have developed certain preferences over time due to evolutionary advantages. The video script uses the example of a preference for high-calorie foods, which were beneficial for survival in the past but can lead to health issues like diabetes in modern times. This concept is extended to the discussion of how the internet and media exploit these preferences, including those related to sexuality.

💡parasocial interaction

Parasocial interaction is a one-sided relationship in which an individual feels a connection to someone they only know through media, like a TV personality or an online influencer. The script discusses how platforms like Twitch and OnlyFans capitalize on this phenomenon, creating a sense of intimacy that can affect real-life relationships. The example given is how OnlyFans allows for a more interactive experience than traditional pornography.

💡pornography addiction

Pornography addiction is a condition where an individual has an excessive or compulsive interest in pornography, which can interfere with their daily life. The video script mentions that the likelihood of developing such an addiction can depend on early exposure and the intensity of the content. It is presented as a real psychiatric consequence of the inundation of sexual stimuli.

💡intimacy

Intimacy in the context of the video refers to close, personal, and deep connections between individuals, particularly in a romantic or sexual sense. The script suggests that the pervasiveness of pornography and sexual content online might be lowering the value and experience of genuine human intimacy, as people become desensitized to sexual experiences.

💡expectations

Expectations in this context relate to the预先设想 or beliefs individuals hold about certain experiences or behaviors, often shaped by external influences. The video discusses how watching pornography can create unrealistic expectations about sexual experiences, such as the amount of ejaculate during orgasm, leading to confusion and dissatisfaction in real-life sexual encounters.

💡psychiatric consequences

Psychiatric consequences refer to the mental health issues that can arise from certain behaviors or exposures. The video script highlights that the constant exposure to sexual stimuli can lead to psychiatric issues like addiction, confusion around intimacy, and other mental health challenges.

💡cognitive climate change

Cognitive climate change is a metaphor used in the video to describe the rapid changes in human behavior and mental health due to advancements in technology and the internet. It suggests that, similar to environmental climate change, there are significant shifts in how our brains function and adapt to new stimuli, which can lead to increased rates of mental health issues like depression and anxiety.

💡haptic feedback

Haptic feedback is a tactile sensation experienced through a device, often used to create more immersive experiences in technology like virtual reality. The video script speculates on the future of pornography with advanced haptic feedback, suggesting it could lead to further detachment from real-life relationships and intimacy.

💡waifus

Waifus, in the context of the video, refers to idealized, often anime-style, virtual love interests. The script discusses how some people are drawn to these fictional characters for emotional and sexual gratification. It also touches on the stigma associated with such interests and how advancing technology might normalize these relationships in the future.

💡polyamory

Polyamory is the practice of engaging in multiple romantic or sexual relationships with the consent of all parties involved. The video mentions the growing acceptance of polyamory and open relationships as part of a broader cultural shift that also includes the acceptance of online platforms like OnlyFans, indicating changing attitudes towards intimacy and relationships.

Highlights

The impact of porn and graphic sexual content on human intimacy and mental health is uncertain but potentially negative.

The internet is flooded with sexual stimuli, which may be exploiting our evolved brain architecture.

Content that performs well online often exploits our evolutionary preferences, similar to how the food industry does.

The rapid evolution of internet content makes it difficult for studies to keep up with its psychological effects.

Early and intense exposure to pornography can lead to addiction and confusion around sexual expectations.

There is a real psychiatric impact, including issues with intimacy and orgasm expectations due to porn consumption.

The pornography industry has evolved to include interactive elements, exacerbating potential intimacy issues.

The parasocial element of platforms like OnlyFans may create new intimacy issues in real relationships.

The changing nature of relationships and the rise of polyamory and open relationships in response to new challenges.

The potential for technology like VR and AI to further alter human relationships and intimacy.

The importance of communication and education in building healthy relationships in the face of technological changes.

The comparison between the cognitive effects of technology and climate change, suggesting a 'cognitive climate change'.

The increase in mental health issues and suicide rates as potential signs of this 'cognitive climate change'.

The potential for humanity to adapt and manage the challenges brought by technological advancements.

The waifu revolution and how societal attitudes towards virtual relationships may evolve with technology.

The potential for fully immersive virtual experiences to have a significant impact on human reproduction and relationships.

The necessity for society to continue advancing and adapting to new challenges, rather than resisting technological progress.

Transcripts

so what you're saying is that we need a

healthy gamer only fans

no

no what I'm saying at all all right

maybe one day

I was thinking about the inundation of

porn and graphic sexual content in

today's culture I was wondering what

would be Dr K's thoughts on how this is

affecting the human mind and mental

health

I feel that genuine human intimacy is

going down in this day and age but it

could just be me sexuality is something

so common and frequent to humans

naturally however

that it just seems natural that in the

internet age it would be everywhere

however I feel that as I said this is

affecting human intimacy and it at least

in my eyes seems to be making sexuality

and sexual experiences not as special or

exciting as they should be just some

thoughts in the community would love to

hear people's ideas

okay let me think about this oh man so I

think this is such a complicated

question like so the simplest questions

actually have the most complicated

answers because it depends on what level

you want to talk about okay so if we

want to try to understand the inundation

of porn and sexuality and like sexually

explicit not even sexually explicit it's

actually implicit

things on the internet right so if you

look at things like the hot tub meta on

Twitch that's not sexually explicit but

sexually implicit so we are absolutely

being inundated and bombarded with

sexual stimuli and so the question is

what does that do to us

and the short answer is like no one

really knows but I suspected it ain't

great

so here's what we do know

if we look at content on the internet

what I have come to realize is that like

the content that does well is the stuff

that from an evolutionary or sort of

takes advantage of like the evolution of

our brains

so our brains have evolved to be

attracted to particular things

and though that attraction in our brain

led to survival benefits so a good

example of this is like we're attracted

to high calorie density food so we're

attracted to food that is like you know

sugary fatty delicious right we call it

delicious like food that is like low

calorie is not usually considered

delicious

and so then what happens is we've our

brain is our body has evolved to have a

preference for this one thing because it

used to be a survival advantage

and then we started making like you know

twinkies and then suddenly people are

now dying of diabetes

because their body has evolved to tell

them to like eat this unhealthy food

and what we have is we have industries

that have adapted to this evolutionary

preference like fast food right so like

we have calorie dense Pizza all this

kind of stuff I had pizza last night it

was delicious I hadn't had pizza in a

while

and I ate like a thousand calories and

like our so we have entire industries

that have adapted to meet this need

and then what happens is like the

industry is just sort of like we're just

making the pizza like we're not you know

people can choose to eat it or not eat

it it's like we're just making pizza

right and so there's like personal

freedom arguments and all that kind of

stuff but I think Industries are

adapting to

fit the existing architecture of our

brains

and I think this is essentially

happening with the internet dopamine and

like sexuality

so you know the last big revolution that

was predatory on the way that our brains

and bodies have evolved may have been

like the food industry and now what

we've got is this whole cognitive

like technology like predatory kind of

stuff I don't think they're oh I mean

some of them are trying to be predatory

some of them aren't trying to be

predatory right so if like you're a game

designer some of them are like you know

sitting there like as CFO and trying to

think like how can we extract more how

can we like extract more juice from this

sweet sweet pudgy gamer

and then like some people are like you

know how can I make the game that I want

to play how can I make a game that's

more fun than anything I've ever played

before

and and so both of those things will end

up with with arguably like things that

will be predatory on our on our

circuitry and so I think we're seeing

this in sexuality as well where like

content people are sort of figuring out

like you know Instagram is a good

example right so like everyone is like

editing Instagram photos and I saw that

there was recently legislation in Norway

where you have to like let people know

that your Instagram is edited

and so like what everyone is doing is

they're like gravitating towards Like

These people aren't really sure they

don't they're not neuroscientists but if

I look if I'm an Instagram model I'm

gonna real like I'm gonna figure out

from a darwinian sense right I'm gonna

try this post and it's not gonna work

I'm gonna try this post it is gonna work

oh what did I do there oh I was wearing

something skimpier okay now I'm gonna

try skimpy but this is too skimpy and

now people think that I'm kind of like

you know ho-ish so like people didn't

like that as much so I need to be like

just hoist enough

right so that's sort of like the idea

behind like and they figured this out

they figure out like how the brain is

wired and what leads to the most kind of

like pull

so some of the impacts that we're seeing

are you know we're seeing things like

pornography addiction so we're seeing

that for example the more likely you are

to get addicted to pornography like

depends on how early you were exposed to

pornography and also the intensity of

the pornography that you were exposed to

so we are seeing real like psych like

psychiatric consequences we're also

seeing as this person suggests like some

confusion around intimacy and

expectations so a lot of people who you

know grow up watching porn will have

particular expectations of what the

appropriate response is

so I one time had a patient who told me

that they were unable to have an orgasm

when they masturbate

and as I talked to them I realized like

actually when they masturbate they are

having an orgasm it's just in the

pornography there's like so they used to

say that I get I can get to the first

part of orgasm I was like what do you

mean the first part of orgasm and

they're like well I get a little of I

get like a small amount of ejaculate but

I don't get to the full ejaculate I was

like what do you mean the full ejaculate

and then I realized that like when you

watch pornography there's such a copious

amount of ejaculate that like this

person had what I assumed to be like a

normal ejaculation I still remember I

looked up what is the

I still remember like after an

appointment I looked up what is the

average amount of human what is the

median amount of human ejaculate in

milliliters

and so pornography had given this this

idea that like orgasm is this like just

explosion of like buckets of ejaculation

and they just didn't understand that

right so like they would actually

masturbate and they like they thought

they were like busted in some way so

like you know the the impacts of

pornography is their pornography

addiction absolutely is it affecting

with intimacy like I think so and then

there are all these other like

unexpected outcomes

that we just don't We're Not Gonna know

right like you can't predict that if

people watch a lot of pornography like

teenagers are gonna get confused about

when they have an orgasm that's not like

you just can't make that prediction but

it's it's an effect

and so you know what effect is it having

the short answer is like we sort of

don't know so we're certainly seeing

some of these things like you know death

grip syndrome and some of these other

things where our brain is like wiring to

expect a certain kind of stimulus and

then it takes some time for us to like

rewire to like regular stimuli

and so you know there are a couple of

things like this but the short answer is

like is it affecting us absolutely and

the reason that we don't know is because

pornography and sexually sexual sexually

explicit and implicit material is

evolving so quickly that we can't even

study it like we can't study it fast

enough so if you think about you know

five years ago like only fans didn't

exist

but at least I don't think so

maybe it did but now what's happening is

like I'm sure that only fans the

parasocial element of only fans is going

to create intimacy issues in real

relationships because it for you know

for a long time Partners have always

been concerned about what was I saying

oh yeah only fans

so you know partners for a long time

have been concerned that like oh if my

partner watches pornography like it

feels like they're cheating right like

Partners have all like been concerned

about you know watching pornography and

like you know

whatever and then like I think that

there's an emotional component there's a

parasocial component on only fans which

is is going to exacerbate

those kinds of feelings and the people

who are like are vulnerable to them

right so like it's completely possible

that you know their majority of the

population or maybe the minor I have no

idea will be totally fine with you know

someone donating 100 or or purchasing I

guess you know a hundred or a thousand

dollars of content a month on only fans

like some Partners may be like

comfortable with that right because

polyamory is also growing like open

relationships are growing like there's

the everything's changing so that could

be fine

but at the same time I think that like

the reason that only fans is successful

is because

pornography has evolved and what people

have figured out is that like

there's an element of pornography that's

purely physical and it started off with

a magazine right there's like zero

interaction and then like how much will

it prey on our brain if I get like

interaction with that woman I can lust

for a particular I'm just sort of think

about the heteronormative here in a

masculine perspective but you know if I

if I'm a man and I'm lusting for a woman

like looking at a Playboy magazine like

that's fine but then suddenly like I'm

able to interact with the woman I'm able

to get the woman's attention like I'm

able to like have more contact with her

we just saw from a post earlier today

that like you know people can get

addicted to Twitch and stuff because

these parasocial interactions so there's

like the sh like you know what effect is

it having honestly as a scientist the

right answer is I don't know and no one

does

and at the same time we are clearly

seeing signs of something is changing in

our brains in the way that we interact

with each other

now I'm not going to be quite as

doomsday as many people will everyone's

like oh my God the world is coming to

the end like like only fans will be the

the death of all relationships and I'm

sure that someone out there believes

that but I also think that you know the

reason we stream on Twitch is because we

can sort of Fight Fire with Fire right

so like we can

um we can people can become addicted to

Twitch and people can hopefully watch

Twitch which I know sounds kind of weird

to like help themselves not become

addicted to Twitch it's bizarre but I

think that we can probably like we can

teach people how to have healthier

conversations and relationships I've

done that before

um in terms of like you know pornography

and and only fans and stuff like that

like how can you communicate with your

partner because that kind of

communication education like hasn't been

available for most of the history of

humanity so it's possible that we can

just build healthy relationships despite

all this stuff by just learning more

about ourselves

so what you're saying is that we need a

healthy gamer only fans

no

that's not what I'm saying at all

oh

[Music]

my God all right maybe one day

I'm happy on Twitch chat

okay

all right and so this is where like is

is this the same person that was asking

is this why Magneto is never depressed

just to be clear the world is changing

we don't know how it's changing

is it causing problems probably and or

yes and I don't think that that means

that the world should stop changing

right so like the whole

goal of humanity is that new challenges

arise and like as the human race like we

have to figure out

how to like unscrew ourselves from all

the screwing over we've done so like you

know the Industrial Revolution happened

and we started like using fossil fuels a

ton and now there's like concerns around

climate change so we gotta like fix that

right so they're like

reforestation projects and like you know

all kinds of things that that is the

human race hopefully will you know start

doing

and so that there's happening there's a

cognitive Revolution as well there's

like a cognitive change there's like

like you know we're doing a lot of

things that cognitively offer short-term

benefits and there's almost like a

cognitive climate change happening right

now with the human race and I think the

reason that we we're seeing so much more

mental illness and why mental illness is

getting worse and suicide is getting a

little bit worse if not significantly

worse depression is increasing anxiety

is increasing I think it's a sign of

this cognitive climate change so is

pornography have something to do with

that sure as only fans have something to

do with that sure is YouTube has

something to do with that sure switch

have something to do with that sure

and are these things evil do we want to

stop advancing as a human race and like

stop advancing technology just because

it has some downsides I personally don't

think so I think this is where like we

can learn about ourselves and we can

manage it

I love video games yeah so when when VR

develops haptic feedback that is going

to eliminate the human race I gave a

talk about this at a

video game developer conference a few

years ago

that my biggest concern about the

pornography industry is when you can

have haptic feedback with VR

and like then like literally people may

stop having children and then like you

incorporate things like Ai and stuff

like and you have like a fully virtual

girlfriend that will throw temper

tantrums

and frustrate you

and then yeah AI waifu with haptic

feedback then it's like GG dude

so you know there's this idea right now

that like people who are into waifus are

like less than human

you know people will mock them a lot and

will denigrate them a lot and things

like that

but I think as technology improves like

just like gaming has become we used to

do that with the gamers remember that

chat you remember when Gamers used to be

the minority

and before everyone was doing it and

then his games got better everyone

started doing it

the waifu revolution is coming chat

prepare yourselves