We are used to being told that mostly men are interested in pornography. However, recent studies show that women also become addicted to watching pornography. Is it dangerous?
Love has eyes and ears
“Virtual sex, involving erotic images and interactive communication, is still somewhat uncharted territory,” says psychology professor Susan Krauss Whitebourne from University of Massachusetts. “Therefore, there is still little research on women who are addicted to this type of Internet activity.”
Research in this area is just beginning, but it can already be said that women engage in sexual activities on the Internet no less than men. However, unlike men, women are more interested in chat sites than watching pornography.
This is basically explained by the fact that for most men a strong stimulus is the image, while women are more inclined to conversations and correspondence.
Virtual sex is women’s territory
A group of psychologists from the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany) studied the nature of virtual addiction in women. The researchers started with a basic theory known as the gratification hypothesis, which suggests that people become addicted to cybersex because their sexual urges are satisfied immediately. Unlike those who do not develop such an addiction, they experience arousal from the sexual entertainment offered on the Internet.
102 women (aged 18 to 29) participated in the study. Depending on the type of activity on the Internet, three groups were distinguished: those who are more interested in pictures and movies; those who prefer interactive forms of communication, such as sex chats, and those who do not visit adult websites at all.
The results revealed that the older the participants were, the more interested they were in virtual content.
Other areas were also examined during the study: intensity of anxiety and loss of time control while surfing the Internet; possible psychological and social problems faced by female participants. The women were also assessed on the number of sexual partners in the past six months.
Before and after the experiment, during which the participants were offered different types of virtual sex, the intensity of sexual desire and the need for masturbation were evaluated. It turned out that women who were addicted to cybersex were more sexually aroused after surfing the web than those who were not interested in such content. Women with high levels of addiction had more sexual partners than those with little or no interest in porn sites.
In addition, the addicted participants admitted that real sex life does not give them satisfaction. And the more women were sexually aroused by the content of the web pages, the more psychological problems they had in real life.
Why does this happen?
Once upon a time, virtual sex was considered a men’s ‘activity’. But the interest shown by women largely reflects a new reality. Experts explain that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish the spheres of interest of men and women. In addition, there is a tendency to move from real to virtual communication.
The Internet space provides an opportunity to meet and share your sexual fantasies with others. In this situation, virtual reality sometimes becomes the only source of satisfaction. The emergence of cybersex addiction is associated with two processes: a decrease in interest and involvement in previously known pleasures (live communication with a partner) and at the same time a strong excitement in response to certain stimuli (photos and words) on the Internet. Experts explain that this narrows the circle of sources of satisfaction and at the same time creates dependence on them.
How dangerous is it?
“One might argue that this type of sexual behavior is not dangerous – after all, these people are not harming anyone or hurting anyone’s interests,” says Susan Krauss Whitebourne. “However, it can harm the women themselves.”
The experiment showed that those who are prone to cybersex addiction not only experience major psychological problems, but are also more prone to risky relationships in real life.
They also responded positively to the following test statements more often than those who are not prone to such an addiction: “my sexual fantasies prevent me from performing important life tasks”, “I do something that contradicts my inner values”, “I feel lonely”.
The researchers believe that there is a risk for women to meet a dangerous partner on the Internet, as well as a risk of harming their physical and mental health.
“Trying to reduce psychological tension with sexual discharge does not solve problems with the opposite sex,” explain the authors of the study. “Problems remain and tensions continue to rise. The pain of loneliness and unfulfilled relationships will intensify.”
Although women are less prone to addiction than men, it develops faster and is much less likely to be overcome. The growing interest in cybersex is essentially an abandonment of mature sexuality and an entry into the world of fantasy. The longer and more intense this virtual game goes on, the harder it is to make contacts and maintain relationships with real men.
And even if addiction does not arise, such an easy and seemingly non-binding way of communication can take away the motivation to look for a real relationship. After all, they require much more emotional strength and involvement from us.