Porn is a topic we tend to avoid talking about – whether it be at school, work or around the dinner table.

But in Australia, roughly three-quarters of men (76%) and more than one-third of women (41%) report to have looked at pornographic material in the past year.

And among Australians aged 15-20, more than half (54%) of young men and nearly one-fifth (14%) of young women report accessing porn weekly.

You may have heard the term “porn addiction” used to describe the excessive consumption of porn, in ways that disrupt a person’s life or the lives of those around them.

But is porn actually addictive? Current research suggests the answer is rather complicated.

The debate about porn

For many people, watching porn is a fairly typical behaviour. Others, however, consider it to be problematic.

A 2025 inquiry examined the effects of porn on people’s mental, emotional and physical health. It concluded porn is not inherently harmful. It may, however, impact people differently depending on what it depicts, who consumes it and how it is consumed.

Excessive porn use may become a problem if it affects how a person functions in daily life. To describe this, researchers and clinicians use the term problematic porn use. This refers to the inability to control one’s porn consumption despite repeated attempts to do so, and experiencing negative consequences as a result.

A global survey found 3%–15% of people potentially experience problematic porn use. And these difficulties are generally more common among men.

Problematic porn use is a complex issue and is influenced by various factors. These include pre-existing neurodevelopmental and mental health conditions, such as ADHD or depression. Certain personality traits such as impulsivity, low self-control and novelty seeking may also contribute.

Social and cultural factors such as low relationship satisfaction, social isolation and religious influences are also relevant. And people who........

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