10 Signs That Adult Films Are Hurting Your Sex Life

Close your laptop and connect with some actual flesh.

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Image via Complex Original
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Porn isn’t inherently bad. In fact, adult films can be a healthy part of any person's sex life. But like everything else, it's best taken in with moderation.

Recently, one 23-year-old writer spoke out about his problems with adult films. In an affecting essay published by Salon, he describes his descent down a “kink spiral,” and poses a tough question to himself: "Was I more turned on by porn than by real women? What did that mean about my sexuality?"

His answer points to some unsettling conclusions. Of course it's possible to have a functioning relationship with adult entertainment, one that doesn't negatively impact one's romantic relationships. That said, it's well worth considering the ill effects porn can have on one's sex life, if only in the name of, well, moderation.

Check yourself: These are 10 Signs that Adult Films Are Hurting Your Sex Life.

By Shanté Cosme (@ShanteCosme)

Send your anonymous sex and dating questions to complexinsiders@complex.com, and we'll answer them in our new advice column, 99 Problems.

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It doesn't emphasize safe sex.

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It can create friction with your significant other.

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It robs you of the ability to discover your sexuality with another human.

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It can desensitize you, emotionally and physically.

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It creates performance anxiety.

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It can divorce you from the reality of sex.

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It puts zero emphasis on connection.

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It tends to place an unnatural focus on novelty.

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Porn tends to focus on pushing the envelope. How far can we go, how depraved can we get—it can get to a point where you're so overstimulated, nothing is enough.

The most troubling part about this isn't what this can mean for your masturbation habits, but what it might mean for the women you're having sex with. Will she be able to turn you on, or will you be losing your erection when the sex can't compete with the images you've seen on your computer? 

It can skew your sense of what women enjoy in bed.

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It can create unrealistic expectations about women’s bodies.

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