Psychological impact of pornography exposure among university students in Kuantan

• Main Authors: Che Nozid, Norzaini Ros, Uzir, Bisha Fathamah, Rostam, Muhamad Ashraf
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kulliyyah of Allied Health Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia 2023
• Subjects: RA790 Mental Health. Mental Illness Prevention
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/105996/7/105996_Psychological%20Impact%20of%20Pornography%20Exposure%20Among.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/105996/; https://journals.iium.edu.my/ijahs/index.php/IJAHS/article/view/780
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Pornography is a medium for sexual pleasure obtained from sources like pictures, videos, audios and written materials. Pornography can cause addiction to the users by stimulating the reward system that will cause significant brain changes similarly seen indrug addiction. Pornographic addiction has become a serious concern in the community worldwide which involves multiple age groups from children, teenagers until adults. This concern is becoming serious as the sources of the pornographic materials are easily available via the internet. Pornography addiction is also shown to give psychological impact to its users. This study was conducted to investigate the psychological impact of pornography usage among university students in Kuantan, Pahang and the comparisons between gender. A descriptive quantitative study was conducted involving 114 college students in Kuantan. An online questionnaire was administered to assess the psychological impact of pornography exposure on anxiety and depression among the respondents. The study showed that more men are significantly involved with pornography compared to women. The common age of first exposure to pornography was between 13 to 17 years old in both genders. Anxiety was higher among those involved with pornography with no differences between gender. Depression was higher among those who consume pornography with a slightly higher percentage of women having moderate to severe depression. This study provides evidence that college students particularly in Kuantan are exposedto pornographic materials. The findings of higher anxiety and depression amongst those who were exposed to pornography suggest that this behavior could negatively affect the wellbeing of students and potentially influence their academic performance.