A primer on porn and relationships

The ease of access to pornography via the Internet has sparked a renewed interest in the effects of porn on consumers, with much of the public debate on the topic highlighting potential harms. We see everyone from the media (1), to high-profile academics, to politicians weighing-in on the issue. One accusation that’s frequently levied against porn is that it harms romantic relationships. For example, notable social psychologist, Phillip Zimbardo, has claimed that porn “is creating a generation of risk-averse guys who are unable (and unwilling) to navigate the complexities and risks inherent to real-life relationships” (2), and Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum even posted support for federal laws against the distribution of porn on his website, claiming that “pornography is toxic to marriages and relationships” (3). But does the research support the notion that porn harms relationships?