How online porn is hooking more Australians
By Maeve Bannister
More Australians are seeking support for sex and pornography addiction as private, paid content platforms rise in popularity.
In 2023, the number of users and creators accessing OnlyFans, a subscription and pay-per-view platform, increased by almost 30 per cent on the previous year, showing the growing demand for private pornographic content.
The site also reported a 19 per cent rise in gross payments processed, to $6.63 billion.
The Banyans CEO Ruth Limkin says many sex and porn addicts are reluctant to acknowledge their need for help.Credit: AFR/Oscar Colman
The Banyans rehabilitation centre in Brisbane’s Bowen Hills reported a 184 per cent increase in inquiries for pornography or sex addiction support in the past six months alone.
Psychologist Gavin Brown said platforms like OnlyFans had legitimised pornography in an unhelpful way, as more people viewed it as a career option.
“We have people talking very publicly about their careers on OnlyFans and how much money they’re making – it’s an extension of the influencer phenomenon, without people thinking about the long-term consequences,” he said.
“We’ve glamorised something that is actually very harmful.”
Porn addiction was something that needed to be talked about “a whole lot more”, particularly its impact on younger generations, Brown said.
“It’s important to understand the harms of online pornography, which is manifestly different to the old version of magazine pornography,” he said.
“The difference with the internet is that you can literally be looking at a new image every second, which affects the brain circuitry and becomes much more reinforcing than old print forms.”
Experts suspect platforms such as OnlyFans increase the risk of porn addiction because they provide a never-ending stream of explicit content tailored to a user’s own desires.
Some of the warning signs of a developing addiction include loss of interest in a partner, withdrawing from other activities to spend time watching porn, and looking for more and more explicit content.
Online pornography is prevalent in the lives of young people and is first encountered at an average age of 13, according to a 2022 study by the Australian eSafety Commissioner.
These initial encounters are most commonly unintentional, and for about one-in-three Australians, occur before the age of 13.
“Unfortunately, while the symptoms of pornography addiction can be less visible than other behavioural conditions, it can still negatively interfere in daily life, relationships and wellbeing, and have devastating impacts on the individual,” Brown said.
Most first encounters with pornography are unintentional, and for a third of Australians, occur under the age of 13.Credit: Getty
The NSW government has established an inquiry into the effects of harmful pornography on mental, emotional and physical health, with its first public hearing to be held on Monday.
Early exposure to pornography can have a significant negative impact on the development of young people’s attitudes to gender roles, identities and relationships, said anti-violence organisation Our Watch.
In a submission to the parliamentary inquiry, sex-worker organisation Scarlet Alliance said law-makers must engage meaningfully with those involved in porn production to avoid perpetuating stigma and discrimination towards marginalised communities.
“Family, sexual and other gender-based violence cannot be addressed by the implementation of anti-sex work or anti-pornography policies,” chief executive Mish Pony said.
Like any other mental health challenge, treatment and support for sex and porn addiction is available, The Banyans founder Ruth Limkin said.
“The World Health Organisation now formally recognises sex addiction as compulsive sexual behaviour disorder,” she said.
“Many people are reluctant to acknowledge their experience and need for help, [and] this is why it’s important to discuss the widespread need and normalise help-seeking behaviours.”
If you or someone you know needs help, phone Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 22 4636.
AAP
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