I posted a bit about this in a comment on Culture Vulture , but I thought it was fascinating enough to deserve a post of its own. I am sure there are people who won't even read the linked PDF, and will jump in and say that this is a lot of rubbish. To those people I can only - read it before passing comment. The first part of the argument is that porn can become an addiction; I don't think there is much disagreement there. Stars like David Duchovny (from TV's The X-Files, and Californication) have gone to rehab for porn and sex addiction. The linked article (see below) argues that porn addiction is no different in the brain than any other physical addiction, such as drugs or overeating. The second part of the argument, is that addiction can actually change and impair the brain by shrinking the frontal lobes, and that this is no different from the damage to the frontal lobes that people suffer in car accidents; and yes, there are studies to back it up.