How is Pornograpy Addictive?

We hear all the time that pornography is addictive, but we rarely hear about the effects it has on your brain. I found an interesting infographic on how pornography affects the chemical processes in your brain. I knew that pornography was addictive, but I failed to realize that the brain responds to pornography the same way the brain responds to drugs. No wonder it is a difficult habit to shake; it tricks the brain into thinking that it needs pornography to function.

It is also sad to see all the negative effects of pornography on a person's relationships, sense of identity, personal beliefs, and success in the school and workplace. I believe that pornography is the most dangerous media in terms of the psychological damage that it can inflict upon its viewers. It is so sad how accesible it is in today's society. With just a click of a button, anyone could encounter it. This article in particular strengthens my resolve to always keep filters on all my devices and keep computers in a public place in my future home. People need to be aware of its destructive tactics.

Take a look at the article! It's pretty interesting.

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Fantasy Violence - What are the Consequences?

I am a TA for Human Development and have just spent the last three days grading dozens of papers that critically analyze an argument that asserts that media violence leads to desensitization to violence, aggression, and acts of violence in young children. It was interesting to think about this argument in the context of the material we have been learning in our media class. The particular article in question is outdated and I am unaware of more current studies on the topic. It is hard to create a valid and reliable study about the effects of media violence that controls for confounding variables and that can be generalized to the population in question. The more I think about it, the less sure I am about the consequences of violent media on subsequent aggression.

One genre I am particularly curious about is fantasy violence. Fantasy violence seems to be a more popular genre portrayed in movies and in video games. Does media that portrays fantasy violence lead to desentization and acts of aggression in individuals?

I have been spending the last few weekends watching the extended versions of each of the Lord of the Rings films (which happen to be my all-time favorite movies on the planet). I grew up on that series and I practically have the films memorized. It is interesting to note that I am incredibly sensitive to violent media. I can hardly handle watching any kind of violent or intense scenes in films that portray more realistic situations. However, the Lord of the Rings films do not bother me at all, and those movies are incredibly violent. I grew up on those films, yet I have not been desensitized to violence at all, nor do I have an aggressive bone in my body. It makes me wonder if fantasy violence does not effect individuals as much as realistic violence, or if violent media in general effects people at all. But I'm just one case out of millions.

Thoughts?