This was first posted on Instagram
Pornography has become more and more attractive because of easy intimacy. Although leaving a person with no connection is the reality of porn. “The more pornography someone consumes, the more they withdraw emotionally from real people and rely on porn. Eventually, it becomes more difficult to be aroused by a real person or form a real relationship, and the resulting isolation and loneliness fuel the need for more porn.” An important factor in porn is that it is a “closed-door” addiction, meaning you can conceal it. Let me take a second to define what an addiction is. Addiction is when a person has become dependent on a substance to perform essential functions.
What makes it worse is the shame that comes from using porn. There is a cycle to using porn; a person usually will become depressed, demeaning, and self-loathe. That inflates a sense of shame, and when someone feels shame, they seek comfort in any way. Usually, you rely on the people closest to you to help you through hard times—a partner, friend, or family member. But most porn users aren’t exactly eager to tell anyone about their porn habits. Then the cycle goes back to the most accessible source of “comfort” available: more porn.
Pornography also kills love in a way that because the content of the porn itself revolves all-around sexual pleasure. Particularly self-pleasure if a person is masturbating as well. The effect is that it causes the user to view others, and themselves, as objects of sexual pleasure. The more people see the other as nothing more than for sexual gratification, whether they are aware of it or not, the more a person struggles to build connection.
The answer to porn is to see how God values you. When you truly understand how God values you, you will not chase after empty promises of porn. When you know how much God values you, you will be able to value them and see them through the eyes of God.