Personal Accounts: How Problematic Pornography Use Affects Lives

Shaun Flores was 11 years old when he first began viewing pornography, introduced to it by a friend. “I was hooked almost immediately,” states the now 30-year-old. “It was just like, wow, what is this that people are doing where they look like they’re just having the time of their lives.” Shaun’s initial curiosity rapidly evolved into a habit he found difficult to discontinue. He describes watching pornography morning, noon, and night, asserting it became as “common as brushing your teeth.” Shaun has shared his experience in a new BBC iPlayer series, Sex After. “I realised there was an issue when I had no energy to do anything,” he recounts. “I didn’t want to play football, I just wanted to be inside. “But there was the guilt and the shame that came with it, and no matter what I tried to do, I couldn’t stop watching it.” He adds, “That’s when I knew there was something up.” While not everyone who views pornography develops an unhealthy relationship with it, Shaun is not unique in his viewing patterns. Ofcom’s Online Nation 2024 report indicates that 29% of UK adults accessed online pornography in May 2024. Furthermore, new research from the addiction treatment centre, UKAT, suggests that millions of Britons regularly view pornography – with 1.8 million watching daily, some multiple