The great porn experiment | Gary Wilson | TEDxGlasgow

Summary

The script delves into the impact of internet pornography on young men's brains, highlighting the Coolidge effect and the release of dopamine, which fuels addiction. It discusses the rewiring of the brain due to constant novelty and the resulting issues with real-life sexual performance, including erectile dysfunction. The talk also touches on the difficulty of studying the effects due to a lack of non-users and the potential for recovery as evidenced by individuals who have quit porn, experiencing improvements in mental health and social skills.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The widespread use of Internet porn is akin to a global, unconscious experiment with young men as test subjects, often seeking it by age 10.
• 📈 Internet pornography is perceived as more compelling than traditional forms due to its unending novelty, which triggers arousal.
• 🐏 The Coolidge effect explains the excitement around novelty in sexual stimuli, where males are driven to fertilize new females.
• 🚀 The brain releases dopamine in response to novel sexual images, creating a 'go get it' drive that can lead to addiction.
• 🧠 Heavy users of Internet porn can rewire their brains to associate with the constant novelty of porn, leading to behaviors like isolation and voyeurism.
• 🔍 The lack of control groups in studies due to universal usage makes it difficult to measure the impact of Internet porn on attitudes and behaviors.
• 🤔 Symptoms of arousal addiction can be mistaken for other conditions like ADHD, social anxiety, and depression, often leading to misdiagnosis.
• 🍟 The comparison between Internet porn and food addiction highlights the brain's reward circuit's susceptibility to extreme versions of natural rewards.
• 🧬 The molecular switch Delta-FosB, activated by excess dopamine, can lead to brain changes associated with addiction in both drugs and natural rewards.
• 🛑 The cessation of Internet porn can lead to a reversal of brain changes and improvements in symptoms, as reported by individuals who quit.
• 💪 A movement of men giving up porn, like the 'Fapstronauts' on Reddit, is growing, with members reporting significant improvements in their lives.

Q & A

What is one of the key findings of Canadian researcher Simon Lajeunesse regarding young boys and internet porn?

Simon Lajeunesse found that most boys start seeking pornography by the age of 10, driven by a brain that is suddenly fascinated by sex.

Why do users find internet porn more compelling than porn of the past?

Internet porn is more compelling due to its unending novelty, which keeps arousal levels high as users are exposed to new and different content.

What is the 'Coolidge effect' and how does it relate to internet porn?

The Coolidge effect is an old mammalian program that perceives each novel female as a genetic opportunity, promoting continuous fertilization as long as new females are around. This effect is related to internet porn as it explains the constant seeking of new and novel pornographic content.

How does the brain respond to the novelty of internet porn?

The brain releases dopamine, a 'go get it' neurochemical, for each novel mate or image, which keeps the user engaged and seeking more content.

What is the potential impact of heavy internet porn use on a user's brain?

Heavy use of internet porn can rewire the brain to associate with the pornographic content, leading to behaviors such as isolation, voyeurism, and constant seeking of novelty.

Why is it difficult to study the effects of internet porn on users?

It's difficult because in 2009, Lajeunesse couldn't find college-age males who weren't using porn, which means there are no control groups for comparison in studies.

What are some of the symptoms of arousal addiction that can be mistaken for other conditions?

Symptoms of arousal addiction can be mistaken for ADHD, social anxiety, depression, concentration problems, performance anxiety, OCD, and more.

How does internet porn differ from real sex in terms of its potential for addiction?

Internet porn is not the same as real sex; it is more like an extreme version of a natural reward that can capture users' attention and lead to addiction more easily than real sexual activity.

What is the role of the molecular switch Delta-FosB in addiction?

Delta-FosB is activated by excess dopamine and accumulates in the brain's reward circuit, altering the brain and promoting a cycle of binging and craving.

What are some of the physical changes in the brain that can result from internet porn addiction?

Physical changes include a numbed pleasure response, hyper-reactivity to porn, and erosion of willpower due to changes in the frontal cortex.

What evidence suggests that quitting internet porn can lead to improvements in users' lives?

Former internet addicts have shown brain changes reversing themselves, and individuals who quit porn report improvements in areas such as social interaction, memory, focus, and even erectile function.

Why might older men recover erectile health more quickly than younger men after quitting internet porn?

Older men may recover faster because they didn't start using today's high-speed internet porn during their peak years of dopamine production and neuroplasticity, unlike younger men who began during their most vulnerable period to addiction.

What is the significance of the group 'Fapstronauts' mentioned in the script?

The 'Fapstronauts' are part of a growing movement of men who are voluntarily giving up internet porn, seeking a neurochemical rebirth and sharing their experiences and support online.