In a recent study published in the International Journal of Sexual Health, researchers have discovered that feelings of loneliness play a significant role in the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and problematic pornography use.
While the link between emotion and behaviors like substance abuse or compulsive gambling may appear evident, emotions can find an outlet in seemingly benign actions — such as watching pornography. However, the problem arises when the frequency and dependence on such behaviors increase, leading to problematic pornography use. Earlier research has indicated that those with challenges in regulating their emotions often resort to external mechanisms to cope — one of which can be frequent pornography consumption.
As such, a study was conducted with the goal of understanding how specific emotions, and the inability to regulate them, can escalate to problematic pornography use and where loneliness fits into this equation. Researchers aimed to unearth the relationships between these elements, given the increasing reliance on digital media and the subsequent rise in feelings of isolation among many.
The study included a sample of 339 young adults averaging 28 years of age. All recruitment was completed through social media with a link to an online survey, and all participants were living in mainland Portugal and spoke Portuguese.
Researchers distributed questionnaires to analyze the frequency of pornography use, the participants’ ability to regulate their emotions, and their feelings of loneliness. Analysis of these factors was completed with the level to which they agreed with certain statements such as “When I am upset, I have difficulty understanding my feelings.” The main goal was to observe how often participants used pornography and mapped this against their self-reported emotional well-being and feelings of isolation.
The results were telling. Only a minority, 16 participants, demonstrated scores consistent with problematic pornography use. Diving deeper into frequency, about a quarter reported using pornography 1-3 times a week, while a little less than that used it 2-3 times a month. Around 12% indicated daily or almost daily use. A significant positive correlation emerged between difficulties in emotion regulation and problematic pornography use.
In simpler terms, those who found it harder to control their emotions were more likely to turn to pornography. Moreover, feelings of loneliness intensified both emotion regulation challenges and problematic pornography use. To illustrate, participants who felt isolated or alone were more inclined to agree with statements such as, “I use pornography to feel connected.”
However, loneliness does not act alone in this relationship. The effect it had was more pronounced among men than women, and interestingly, participants who were in intimate relationships showed a stronger connection between loneliness and problematic pornography use. This suggests that merely being in a relationship does not shield one from feelings of isolation, and in some cases, it might even intensify them.
While the findings offer crucial insights into the interplay of emotions, loneliness, and behaviors like problematic pornography use, certain limitations in the study’s conduction are important for gaining a larger perspective on the issue. First, the study’s sample consisted mainly of young adults, making it challenging to generalize the results to broader age groups. The research’s design also doesn’t permit definitive conclusions about causality since it was based on correlational data. Additionally, several potential variables, like religious affiliations or other mental health factors, weren’t included in the study, which could play a role in understanding problematic pornography use better.
“Overall, these findings highlight the role of loneliness in the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and [problematic pornography use],” the researchers concluded. “Clinically, these results suggest that the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and [problematic pornography use] is not spurious, and that perceived loneliness intervenes to transmit the effects of difficulties in emotion regulation to [problematic pornography use]. Thus, targeting adaptive coping with loneliness may induce intervening effects that may reduce the effects of difficulties in emotion regulation, in individuals with [problematic pornography use].”
The study, “Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Problematic Pornography Use: The Mediating Role of Loneliness”, was authored by a team of researchers at the Egaz Moniz School of Health and Science, in Portugal. The team was led by Jorge Cardoso.