Author: Kemelia binti Omar K.B,P.A

Pornography means written or visual material that stimulates sexual desire, and is intended to please the viewer or reader.

There are various negative effects of pornography addiction. Among them;

● Encouraging extramarital sex
● Contributing towards child sexual abuse and sexual violence
● Negative influence on sexual development
● Negative sexual attitudes and values. Examples: unnatural sexual behavior, abnormal sexual orientation and disrespect for women such as only treating them as sex objects
● Emotional and relationship problems. Examples: guilt, shame, and addiction
● Legal problems. Example: possessing, selling, watching pornographic material is wrong in terms of the law.

Here are shared ways to overcome the problem of pornography addiction.

1. Reduce viewing time gradually.

Set a time period and viewing frequency for you to stop watching porn completely. Doing so can make the transition go more smoothly, because you only have to deal with small challenges, which you can feel comfortable in changing your routine.
For example, you can start by reducing it to once a day to once every three days until you manage to get rid of this habit completely within a few weeks.

2. Stay away from pornographic media.

Limiting or cutting off access to most pornographic media may help. Here are some ways you can do it, depending on your personal habits. For example, if you watch pornography over the internet, try using a browser extension or other program that can block access to certain sites. Some types of internet filtering, such as Stay Focused or Net Nanny, work like parental controls over time, you can block all websites that contain porn, if you want. You can also monitor the amount of time spent on the site of your choice. If you use a computer, you can also block frequently visited websites by editing the hosts file on the Windows system.

3. Turn your attention to something else.

Start a new habit or hobby to fill the time you used to spend watching porn. If you leave that time empty, it will be harder to resist the urge to watch it. Try to find new ways to fill the void in your life such as art activities, sports, reading, volunteering or contributing to life in other ways.

4. Change your environment to support your goals.

There are many things that can be done to reduce the likelihood of consuming pornography and also reduce the desire to access it. Start with your computer, then also on your cell phone if you also use it to download pornography. Clean your computer by removing viruses and malware that send lots of pornographic ads and pop-ups. Also remember to delete any porn files you have saved.

Try to eliminate aspects of privacy that usually make you want to consume pornography, for example by moving your computer to an open area of your home. This method may only be a temporary solution to reduce the amount of pornography use. Your family may be surprised, but they will understand you if you tell them about your desire to spend less time alone in your bedroom. Do not associate with friends who share pornography, and also consume pornography excessively.

Date of Input: 31/01/2024 | Updated: 31/01/2024 | ayna