Use of Internet Pornography and Men’s Well-Being ANDREAS G. PHILARETOU Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
AHMED Y. MAHFOUZ Prairie View A&M University College Station, TX
KATHERINE R. ALLEN Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, VA
The widespread and relatively inexpensive influx of high speed Internet technology has rendered the Cybersex pornographic industry a considerably profitable e-commerce business. This exploratory investigation attempts to delineate the intricacies and effects of such technology on individual well-being using ethnographic field research methodology. Although most individuals utilize the Internet for occupational, educational, recreational, and shopping purposes, a sizable male minority exists, known as Cybersex compulsives and at-risk users, who invest an inordinate amount of their time, money, and energy in the pursuit of Cybersex experiences with negative intrapersonal ramifications in terms of depression, anxiety, and problems with felt intimacy with their real-life partners. Such individuals find themselves in a compulsive Cybersex quest for the “perfect” sexual visualization that will match their “lovemap,” only to get disappointed at its fleeting nature. Keywords: Cybersex, sexual compulsion, obsession, flow, interactivity, love map
From Internet shopping to electronic bill pay to booking travel and lodging all the way to Cybersex, we, as individuals living in the 21st century, are becoming increasingly identified by online, virtual, and Cyber usernames, passwords, and code names (Lohse, 1998). Even though there does exist a lag between technology and culture, the sudden availability of inexpensive personal computer and Internet technology to
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Andreas Philaretou, 1501 Harvey Road, Apt. # 526, College Station, TX 77840. Electronic mail: aphilare@hotmail.com. International Journal of Men’s Health, Vol. 4, No. 2, Summer 2005, 149-169. © 2005 by the Men’s Studies Press, LLC. All rights reserved.
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