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Addiction to porn is a real problem for millions of Americans in the U.S. Are you one of them? Odds are you know a porn addict. Experts say the easy access to sexual material, because of our internet age, is creating addicts, and in some cases, ruining lives.
It's as easy as typing a few search words on the internet, and voila, instant sexually explicit material.
"Internet porn is in many ways the most convenient way of acting out or exhibiting compulsive behavior, and that accessibility of the internet's open 24-7," said Psychologist Dr. Keith Abrams.
However, Abrams, who specializes in sex-related counseling, says some people who dabble with internet porn become problematic users.
"The pull or the urge to seek that distraction almost becomes stronger over time and that's how a lot of people's usage becomes problematic," said Abrams.
Abrams says porn addiction can become unhealthy if guilt or shame is associated with it, or if the behavior puts the user or others at risk.
"Downloading child pornography, or looking at porn in the work setting, or spending three or four hours a night looking at it and neglecting any relationships," said Abrams.
According to statistics by research company Toptenreviews, 40 million adults in the U.S. alone regularly visit pornography websites. And it's not just a problem for males. Research shows one-third of all internet porn viewing is done by women.
The average age of the first exposure to internet porn is just 11 years old. These are shocking statistics on an industry that makes its way into homes everywhere.
"For a lot of people, there's that titillation pleasure that they're getting from it and I think it's a very seductive avenue for people to lose themselves in," said Abrams.
Worldwide, internet porn is a $5 billion business annually. And with the continued popularity of on-line viewing, it's an addiction that doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.
"It's only gonna become increasingly more common as more and more people have access to the internet and log on to these kinds of websites," said Abrams.
Experts say even putting the moral argument of right or wrong aside, if someone is unable to carry on normal daily duties without getting their "fix" from pornography, they may have an addiction and should seek professional help.
