Craig Mueller - Source 1

Is pornography addictive?
Greenblatt, Alan. Impact of the Internet on Thinking. N.p.: n.p., 2010. CQ 
     Researcher. Web. 30 Sept. 2015. <http://library.cqpress.com/ 
     cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2010092400&type=hitlist&num=14>. 
     Notes that pornography, among other things consumed online, build reward 
     pathways in the mind and puts consumers of the pornography are in danger of 
     addiction developing. 

This article talks about how teens are spending more and more time online. It is also noted that their is an accompanying decrease in the happiness of those who consume a heavy amount of online media. It is noted that that light users (of the internet) get better grades, get along better with their parents, are happier at school, are less bored, get into less trouble, and report less sad or unhappy feelings than those who consume the internet heavily. This argument develops with both statistics and commentary, as well as some non-statistical polls of random population samples. The article is not explicitly against pornography, but does show that there is a clear and present danger to the reward pathways and addiction it can create. After the addiction is developed, it does however lend to increased time, which leads to less happiness, worse grades, poorer relationships and other social issues.

This source makes me think about not just pornography consumption, but the rise and amount of youth internet consumption as a whole. I feel as though more research will indicate that websites and media outlets like Facebook, Fox News, and CNN will have less of a negative impact than pornography on the brain and the social skills and mental state of consumers. I do agree that there are serious problems and that pornography is likely to develop addiction, but I am inclined to think that pornography can do more damage and has deeper addictive holds then Facebook or similar internet sites because of the binding sexual nature of pornography. This source does help me to determine that pornography can be addictive, and based on the science of brain pathology and how we develop reward systems in our brain that need increasing consumption, lending to addiction. I would like to see more research that corroborates with the idea that pornography is strongly addictive before I accept it as fact, no matter how logical it may seem.

This source leads me to ask: "How does pornography become so addicting?" and "Should their be education to keep people from consuming it at the middle school and high school level?" I believe the next steps for me would be to find sources that confirm or refute pornography and its addictive characteristics, and then see the scholarly as well as the statistical analysis of the consequences of this, and if said contributors believe these to outweigh the pros of consumption, or if the consequences are negatives at all. I do however have increased confidence that pornography is addictive, and that it does lead to decreased social abilities/satisfaction, as well as decreased overall happiness.