#research-article — Public Fediverse posts

Who REALLY Watches Porn? 4 Surprising Truths

When we think about who watches pornography, stereotypes often paint a simple, one-dimensional picture.

These assumptions, however, are largely based on older research that relied on self-report surveys, a method notoriously prone to bias when dealing with a stigmatized topic. What happens when you set aside what people say they do and instead look at what they actually do online? 

A massive new study did just that. Using objective, anonymized web-tracking data from 1,933 individuals across five countries, researchers identified 392 pornography consumers, providing one of the most accurate and nuanced portraits of this group to date.

The results challenge many deeply held beliefs about age, gender, politics, and online behavior. 

This article distills the four most counter-intuitive truths from this groundbreaking research, revealing a reality that is far more complex and fascinating than the stereotypes suggest.

1. Viewers Are Creatures of Habit, Not Explorers

The internet seems to offer an endless buffet of adult content, leading to the belief that pornography use is a relentless quest for novelty. The data, however, paints a picture not of explorers, but of creatures of habit.

The study found that consumption is highly concentrated on a few dominant platforms, such as Pornhub, Xvideos, and Xhamster. 

The most surprising statistic revealed a strong sense of brand loyalty and routine. Approximately 46% of users visited only a single, unique adult website during the entire three-month study period.

This behavior suggests that for nearly half of all viewers, pornography is less about exploration and more about visiting a familiar, trusted source. 

As the researchers note: 

This suggests that pornography consumption is not as exploratory as assumed but rather characterized by routine engagement with familiar providers. 

This finding is significant because it reframes consumption as a routine online habit, much like checking a favorite news site or social media platform, rather than a relentless quest for new stimulation. 

2. It’s Not Just a Young Person’s Game 

Conventional wisdom says porn is a young person’s fixation, a habit that fades with age.

The data shows this is simply not true.

Objective tracking reveals that pornography consumption is common across all age groups. It goes from young adulthood well into the 60s and beyond. 

The data shows a clear trend, with consumption peaking among people in their 30s before seeing its most pronounced decline after age 60.

However, the study’s key takeaway is that these variations between most adult age groups aren’t large enough to be statistically significant. This means, for the most part, engagement remains remarkably stable throughout adulthood. 

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Pornography isn’t just a phenomenon of the “digitally native” youth. It’s an integrated part of online habits for a wide and diverse range of adults.

3. Political Ideology is Surprisingly Irrelevant 

In a hyper-partisan world, it’s easy to assume our media habits, even private ones, fall along political lines. But when it comes to pornography, a person’s political ideology is surprisingly irrelevant.

When researchers compared who watches porn and non-watchers based on their self-reported political ideology on a scale from left to right, they found no statistically significant difference between the two groups.

In simple terms, knowing a person’s political leaning gives you no predictive power in guessing whether or not they consume pornography. The user base is ideologically diverse and spans the entire political spectrum. 

But the research did uncover an interesting twist. While personal ideology didn’t matter, media consumption habits showed a small but statistically significant difference. The study found pornography users tended to have slightly more centrist and balanced partisan media diets compared to non-users.

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4. The Gender Gap is More Complicated Than You Think

One stereotype the data confirms is men are the primary consumer of pornography.

But that’s where the simplicity ends.

Digging into the web-tracking data revealed crucial nuances, showing female engagement is “more substantial than previously estimated” and challenging the idea of pornography as an exclusively male domain. This was especially clear when looking at cross-country variations.

In Spain, for example, women constitute nearly 30% of pornography users.

The study hypothesizes this may be linked to the country’s significant progress in gender equality, such as being the first nation to create a Ministry of Equality in 2004 and the third to legalize same-sex marriage in 2005, suggesting cultural shifts can directly influence female consumption patterns.

The study also produced fascinating data on same-sex content.

It found that 16.5% of male users watched gay pornography. A figure significantly higher than the 5-10% of men who typically identify as gay or bisexual in surveys.

This complexity extends to lesbian content, which the study found was consumed by a higher percentage of male users (15.4%) than female users (9.4%), further challenging simple assumptions about consumption, gender, and sexual orientation.

Conclusion

The objective, behavioral data from this study makes one thing clear: the reality of pornography consumption is far more complex, habitual, and ideologically diverse than common stereotypes suggest.

It is a widespread digital behavior that cuts across demographics in ways we are only just beginning to understand.

As objective data continues to pull back the curtain on our private digital lives, what other deeply held assumptions about human behavior will be the next to fall?

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Are you looking for more reputable, data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

#genderAndProblematicPornographyUse #genderEquity #habits #politicalIdeology #politics #porn #pornAddiction #pornography #research #researchArticle #researchStudy #sexualRolesByGender #sexuality #sexualityAndAging #stereotypes #study

4 Surprising Ways Cannabis Use Disorder Impacts the Brain

More Than a Buzz, According to a Major New Study

As cannabis continues to be legalized for recreational and medical use across North America, public debate often centers on its benefits, risks, and social implications. This has become a public health priority. It’s sparking discussions about everything from tax revenue to addiction potential. Lost in the noise, however, is a more nuanced and critical question: what are the lasting, residual effects on the brain not just from using cannabis, but from developing a Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD)? 

For years, research has been muddled by controversy. Some studies suggest significant cognitive decline. Others finding only minimal effects.

A major reason for this confusion is many studies lump together recreational users with those who have a clinical disorder. A new, large-scale meta-analysis published in the journal Addictive Behaviors cuts through this ambiguity by focusing specifically on individuals diagnosed with CUD. 

This article distills the four most important takeaways from this major review. Here’s some clear, evidence-based answers on how Cannabis Use Disorder leaves a measurable mark on our cognitive abilities.

1. Cannabis Use Disorder Isn’t Just a Label—It’s a Critical Distinction 

Much of the confusion around cannabis’s long-term cognitive effects comes from studies that don’t distinguish between recreational use and a clinical disorder. This new meta-analysis makes that distinction its central focus, and the results are revealing. 

The core finding is that while recreational use may be associated with minimal or small deficits, Cannabis Use Disorder is linked to clear, moderate cognitive impairments.

The researchers draw a parallel to alcohol consumption. The cognitive impact seen in individuals with alcohol use disorder is significantly larger than what is observed in those who drink recreationally. 

This distinction is the key that unlocks the rest of the study’s findings. Now that we’ve isolated the CUD population, the next question is: what exactly does this impairment look like? 

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2. The Damage Is Specific, Not Widespread

The cognitive impact of CUD isn’t a blunt, uniform fog across the entire brain. Instead, the meta-analysis shows that the impairments are concentrated in specific domains. The study found “small-to-moderate” impairments across several areas, with the largest deficits observed in five key domains: 

• IQ: The most significant deficit found. It reflects a moderate impairment in overall cognitive reasoning and problem-solving abilities. 
• Verbal Learning: The ability to learn and absorb new information presented through words. It manifests as an impairment making it harder to retain material from a lecture or meeting. 
• Verbal Memory: The capacity to recall that learned verbal information later. A deficit can manifest as struggling to remember conversations or key details from something you’ve read. 
• Working Memory: The mental “scratchpad” used for holding and manipulating information for short-term tasks. Impairment here makes it harder to follow multi-step instructions or perform mental calculations. 
• Speed of Processing: How quickly you can perceive, process, and respond to information. A deficit can slow down reaction times and the ability to keep up in fast-paced conversations or environments.

To emphasize this specificity, the study also identified the cognitive domains that were least affected.

Among them were attention and verbal fluency; the ability to retrieve words from your mind. This targeted impact suggests a more complex mechanism than simple, widespread damage.

3. The Impact of Cannabis Use Disorder Is Comparable to “Harder” Drugs

In a finding that challenges longstanding public perception, the study reveals how the cognitive deficits from CUD stack up against those from other substance use disorders.

The research shows that the magnitude of the impairments in verbal memory and working memory for individuals with CUD is in a similar range to the deficits seen in people with alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine use disorders. 

However, a critical distinction adds another layer of complexity.

One important difference is that CUD is associated with less diffuse cognitive deficits. While the depth of impairment in those specific memory-related areas is comparable to other substance use disorders, the overall breadth of cognitive damage appears to be narrower. 

This directly challenges the common perception of cannabis as a relatively benign substance. Especially when its use escalates to the level of a disorder. The researchers highlight the importance of this finding for how the scientific and medical communities view the substance. 

“The similitude of findings between substances confirms the importance of paying attention to individuals with a CUD when studying the residual cognitive effects of cannabis.”

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4. It Presents a Surprising Scientific Mystery

The targeted nature of these cognitive deficits presents a fascinating paradox for neuroscientists.

The primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, Δ9-THC, acts on the brain’s CB1 receptors. From a biological standpoint, this is significant because, as the paper notes, CB1 receptors are “among the most abundant throughout the brain.” 

Based on that fact, scientists would expect that chronic, heavy cannabis use would cause diffuse, widespread cognitive effects across many domains.

Yet, as this meta-analysis confirms, the effects are actually quite specific.

This discrepancy suggests the full story is more complex than we currently understand. The authors propose this paradox “indirectly suggests that other cannabinoid receptors than CB1 receptors are mediating the cognitive effects of cannabis,” pointing toward an important new direction for future research.

Conclusion: A Sobering Reminder in the Age of Legalization

This comprehensive meta-analysis sends a clear message: Cannabis Use Disorder is not a trivial condition.

It is linked to real, measurable, and moderate cognitive deficits in crucial areas like memory, processing speed, and overall IQ.

Furthermore, these deficits are not insignificant when compared to those associated with other well-known substance use disorders. 

The study’s authors point to a pressing public health concern, noting that “the perceived risk associated with regular cannabis use has been declining in youths since the legalization of the substance.”

While the policy debates will surely continue, this research provides a sobering reminder that the conversation must include a clear-eyed view of the consequences that arise when use crosses the line into a disorder. 

As the perception of risk declines, the critical public health challenge becomes clear: how do we effectively communicate the line between casual use and the measurable cognitive costs of a disorder?

Are you a professional looking to stay up-to-date with the latest information on, sex addiction, trauma, and mental health news and research? Or maybe you’re looking for continuing education courses? Then you should stay up-to-date with all of Dr. Jen’s work through her practice’s newsletter!

Are you looking for more reputable, data-backed information on sexual addiction? The Mitigation Aide Research Archive is an excellent source for executive summaries of research studies.

#cannabinoid #cannabinoids #cannabis #cannabisEffectsOnLearning #cannabisUseDisorder #drugAbuse #drugAddiction #drugAddictionRecovery #drugUse #effectsOfCannabis #effectsOfDrugUse #longTermCannabisEffects #longTermCannabisUse #mentalHealth #research #researchArticle #researchStudy #study #THC

Ventoux Too: Pogačar’s New TDF Climbing Record

https://thenewleafjournal.com/ventoux-too-pogacars-new-tdf-climbing-record/

Just days after Tadej Pogačar nearly broke the ascent record on Hautacam, he and rival Jonas Vingegaard demolished a long-standing record on Mont Ventoux.

Pogačar Chases Riis on Hautacam

https://thenewleafjournal.com/pogacar-chases-riis-on-hautacam/

Tadej Pogačar won stage 12 of the Tour de France with an attack on Hautacam and climbed the imposing mountain just 30 seconds slower than Bjarne Riis in 1996.

NBA Championship Droughts

https://thenewleafjournal.com/nba-championship-droughts/

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2025 NBA Finals triumph ended a franchise championship drought going back to the Seattle SuperSonics’ victory in the 1979 Finals. I look at the longest current NBA championship droughts and related statistics.

“Best” NBA Playoff Teams With Losing Records

https://thenewleafjournal.com/best-nba-playoff-teams-with-losing-records/

The strange profile of the 2024-25 Miami Heat inspired me to examine every team to make the NBA Playoffs since 1983-84 with a losing record and positive SRS and/or Net Rating.

Amazon “Cargo Bikes” in Brooklyn

https://thenewleafjournal.com/amazon-cargo-bikes-in-brooklyn/

Amazon “cargo bikes” have taken over my neck of Brooklyn in the last few months. I took a chance to photograph an unattended one in Brooklyn Heights before launching into a mini research project.

Worst NBA Playoff Teams By SRS (1984-2024)

https://thenewleafjournal.com/worst-nba-playoff-teams-by-srs-1984-2024/

I examine the worst NBA playoff teams in the 16-team playoff era (going back to 1983-84) by SRS. In addition, I tell some of their playoff stories.

The Army football team was on the periphery of the college football playoff mix in 2024. I noted that the Army-Navy game was played after the playoff field was finalized. This led to a research project.

https://thenewleafjournal.com/01-04-25-army-navy-game-and-the-cfp/

#WorldDevelopment #population #industrialOutput #FoodProduction #NonRenewableResources #pollution #LimitedResources #LimitsToGrowth #degrowth #overshoot #collapse #researcharticle #EmpiricalData #simulation #learning

"Recalibration of limits to growth: An update of the World3 model"

You can see on the results section that the food production is estimated to peak around 2024.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jiec.13442

I selected the best freely available English-language sources on Halloween in Japan to learn about its growing popularity there in recent years.

https://thenewleafjournal.com/halloween-in-japan-through-english-sources/

When you see an odd-looking bug inside your building for about five consecutive days, there is only one thing to do (after repeatedly forgetting). It’s time to be a hero.

https://thenewleafjournal.com/rescuing-an-ailanthus-webworm-moth/

New Manatsu no Kagerou Download Option

Good news about the availability and accessability of a freeware visual novel that we covered here at The New Leaf Journal.

https://thenewleafjournal.com/new-manatsu-no-kagerou-download-option/

#alTogether #alTogether2006 #FreewareGames #MidsummerHaze #ResearchArticle

With the help of an open source Adobe Flash emulator called Ruffle, we take a look at the original Flash version of a Japanese visual novel called Gogatsu no Sora (localized for al|together 2008 as May Sky).

https://thenewleafjournal.com/adobe-flash-version-of-gogatsu-no-sora/

Sources On Ai Ai Gasa (Love Umbrella)

https://thenewleafjournal.com/sources-on-ai-ai-gasa-love-umbrella/

I consult original English sources to get to the bottom of the meaning and history of Japan’s ai ai gasa (“love umbrella”).

Get the latest research articles from our journals, direct to your inbox. Sign up for content alerts at https://journals.biologists.com/my-account/alerts
#biology #biologicalsciences #researchpaper #journals #scienceresearch #researcharticle

Next #ResearchArticle comes from Heidi Koester, Susan Fager, Erik Jakobs, & Tabatha Sorenson on "Desigining an app for alternative access assessments: using interviews to uncover and define user needs." Check it out at https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2023.2213749
#AssistiveTechnology #ATech #technology #RESNA

#ResearchArticle:
«Revenue diversification strategies of online news organisations: subscriptions and memberships»
https://revista.profesionaldelainformacion.com/index.php/EPI/article/view/87112
#MediaStudies #Commodon #MediaIndustries #MediaManagement @communicationscholars

The Greta Thunberg Effect: A Study of Norwegian Youth’s Reflexivity on Climate Change.

Abstract:

This study reports on an unique opportunity to compare four quantitative/qualitative datasets from 2017 to 2021, before and after the activist Greta Thunberg became known to the general public.

#sociology #climate #climatechange #qualitativeresearch #quantitative #quantitativeresearch #qualitative #sociologist
#research #researcharticle

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00380385221122416