Porn
Move over, Netflix. You’re not the only video streaming outfit to benefit from the COVID-19 lockdown.
In findings likely to surprise no one, new research shows Americans’ pornography usage spiked dramatically in the early months of the pandemic, as stay-at-home orders limited other types of … outlets.
But the study, which was based on a nationwide survey and XXX website traffic reports, also found that by October, porn use had fallen to pre-pandemic levels. That was true, even for those who reported a big uptick in their erotica viewing habits at first.
What’s more, researchers say they found no evidence the “porndemic” led to significant hikes in problematic behaviors, such as addictive, compulsive, risky, or unhealthy activities. They also uncovered no signs that depression or anxiety levels rose among avid porn users.
“The findings didn’t really surprise us,” says lead researcher Joshua Grubbs, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
