Over the past two decades, internet usage has transformed many aspects of our lives. Today, we go online to shop, access music, TV, and films, stay in touch with friends and family, meet prospective partners, and build virtual communities united by common interests.

It has also set the stage for the staggering rise of problematic pornography use (PPU) and today’s booming annual $15 billion online pornography industry. Widespread access to high-speed internet and the rise in smartphone usage, which accounts for an estimated 83 percent of online pornography consumption, have contributed to the growth of the industry. Currently, Pornhub, the world’s largest internet pornography site, reports 3.5 billion monthly visits. While problematic pornography use is not listed in the DSM-5, these troubling statistics give rise to growing concern about PPU in the mental health community.

A 2024 systematic review of problematic pornography use and mental health defines PPU as “an umbrella term that describes persistent difficulties in reducing or controlling pornography use despite negative outcomes regarding personal, relational, and/or occupational functioning.”

The problematic use of online pornography, unlike a number of other compulsive behaviors, is typically something that is kept secret and hidden from the view of others. A

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