Book Excerpt #4: Addiction

“Study of Internet pornography addiction has focused mainly on the role of pornography usage and its impact on male sexual habituation (Young, 2008; Koukounas and Over, 1993). Studies have shown that the introduction of novel stimuli during sexual arousal result in de-habituation within males (Koukounas and Over, 2000). The limitless novelty, potential for easy escalation to more intense material, and accessibility of Internet pornography all make this medium ideal for experiencing more intensified sexual arousal (Park et al., 2016).

While there are those advocating for significant paradigm shifts in methodological advancements within the study of pornography (Love et al., 2015; McNair, 2014; Paasonen, 2014), there still exists limited contextualization of pornographic material emphasized and utilized within these studies. It is imperative that upon advancing the study of pornography, we remain conscious of the salience of race and its presence within porn and sexual fantasy.

As Staats & Patton present, implicit bias is shaped heavily by media exposure (2014). Because of this fact, it should be recognized that racial biases perpetuated within pornography should be actively addressed and considered when discussing the ramifications of Internet pornography usage.”