Porn on the Brain

18 September 2013

As part of Channel 4’s Campaign for Real Sex, Porn on the Brain is an authored film by journalist Martin Daubney, who walked away from his position as editor of lad’s magazine, Loaded, after becoming a father. His son is now four. Confused by the alarming headlines and driven by the knowledge that his boy will soon reach the age at which most children first see porn (10 yrs) Martin wants to find some answers. Is porn really bad for kids? Where is the evidence?

During the course of making the film, Martin discovers that porn has changed from what he remembers as a teenager. Today’s hardcore porn is extreme; it’s free and it’s only one click away, and Martin is genuinely shocked by what he sees.

Martin meets internationally-renowned neuroscientists, leading therapists and educators who are all concerned about the effects on vulnerable teenage brains today of free and easy access to hardcore pornography.

Martin finds a 19-year-old who is willing to speak on camera and who feels that his porn habit is out of control. He watches it every spare moment he gets – sometimes 16 times a day. During the programme, he sees a Sexual & Relationship Psychotherapist and opens up for the first time about the profound effect porn is having on his otherwise normal life.

According to some of the experts interviewed, this young man is not alone in experiencing a problem with porn. Martin discovers that the teen brain is uniquely vulnerable to addiction because of its stage of development.

A specially-commissioned survey of teen porn habits, conducted for the documentary by the University of East London, reveals some shocking results about the extent to which porn is affecting young people in Britain today.

So little scientific data exists about porn addiction, that the medical profession doesn’t recognise it as a disorder. With a scarcity of scientific data Porn on the Brain collaborates with the University of Cambridge to conduct the first study of its kind – as part of a wider scientific study. The team scanned the brains of men aged 19-34 who feel they are addicted to porn. Would they show any parallels with the brains of addicts?

Shocked by his discoveries and worried for his son’s future, Martin goes in search of solutions. He investigates whether technology can help in terms of parental blocks.

Martin also meets educators who believe that children need to be taught about sex, relationships and pornography at school – something he, however uncomfortably, believes needs to be done at an early stage in order  to keep them safe and help them understand that porn isn’t real sex – it’s fake.