Problematic porn use and cross-cultural differences: A brief review

Purpose of Review: The proliferation of the internet and technological devices have enabled the upsurge of pornography use, especially during this coronavirus 2019 pandemic period worldwide. As there is a dearth of knowledge regarding pornography use across cultures, this brief review aimed to understand the problematic pornography use (PPU) situation across cultures (i.e., the five continents). Therefore, this review paper intends to provide an enhanced understanding of the PPU situation across cultures so as to get a holistic view of PPU throughout the world.

Recent Findings: European, American, and Oceanian countries seem to have deep literature on pornography, liberal beliefs, and attitudes towards pornography, as well as specialised treatment protocols and facilities. Asian countries are next in terms of literature although they are conservative in their beliefs and attitudes towards pornography which has limited the specialised treatment options and facilities for people with PPU. African countries share similarities with Asian countries except that there is a dearth of literature on pornography in Africa. All cultures revealed that PPU likely leads to aggressive sexual behaviours which may have a mental health impact on the victims. Nonetheless, European, American, and Oceanian countries strongly believe that pornography helps with sexual education.

Summary: The use of pornography has increased across cultures even in very conservative countries which has consequently led to an increase in PPU. Therefore, there is a need for further studies in each of these cultures in order to design bespoke treatment protocols for people with PPU. Copyright © 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.