Beyond the “Porn Addiction” Myth

This chapter offers an overview of today’s cultural landscape regarding sexually explicit material (SEM) and the myths attached to it. People can now access SEM on their smartphones, which has led to a dramatic increase in both its use and the visibility of conversations about it. However, there are often alarmist headlines and fear-based narratives about SEM that are not always supported by science. As a result, many clients arrive already primed to interpret a partner’s viewing habits through a moralizing, catastrophic lens, assuming that porn use is inherently harmful or a sign of addiction. The author explains why language matters in clinical and educational settings so that we do not collude with shame and stigma. The chapter proposes that SEM literacy is vital in both clinical settings as a therapeutic tool and sex education, as it can help the public discern what SEM is and is not to promote a critical approach to SEM without demonizing it or idealizing it.