Some fascinating brain research on how the ready availability of Internet porn has changed things for younger generations — and more importantly, the medical reason why:

[…] Your brain didn’t evolve to handle today’s erotica-at-a-click. It doesn’t just see videos; it perceives endless fertilization opportunities, and it will use its dopamine “whip” to make sure you fertilize as many as possible—whatever the cost to you. Instead of getting off and getting on with life, today’s viewers often continue for as long as they can stay awake—unaware that they may be at risk for addiction or performance problems. […]

The blog (aptly named “Cupid’s Poisoned Arrow: Biology has plans for your love life”) has a lot of other similarly-themed articles too, such as Are You Hooked on Porn? Ask ASAM and Porn-Induced Sexual Dysfunction Is a Growing Problem:

[…] Lots of guys, 20s or so, can’t get it up anymore with a real girl, and they all relate having a serious porn/masturbation habit. Guys will never openly discuss this with friends or co-workers, for fear of getting laughed out of town. But when someone tells their story on a health forum, and there are 50-100 replies from other guys who struggle with the same thing. This is for real. […]

I’ve always been of the opinion that it didn’t hurt anything for teenagers to look at porn. I did, and I know most my friends did too, and almost all of us went on to healthy adult relationships. But my porn was always in small doses, rather than as an endless supply, which apparently makes a big difference:

[…] There’s a kicker though. The capacity of our teen to wire up new sexual associations mushrooms around 11 or 12 when billions of new neural connections (synapses) create endless possibilities. However, by adulthood his brain must prune his neural circuitry to leave him with a manageable assortment of choices. By his twenties, he may not exactly be stuck with the sexual proclivities he falls into during adolescence, but they can be like deep ruts in his brain—not easy to ignore or reconfigure. […]

And then there’s the “Coolidge Effect?”:

[…] What happens when you drop a male rat into a cage with a receptive female rat? First, there’s a sexual frenzy. Then, the male progressively tires of that particular female. Even if she wants more he has had enough. However, replace the original female with a fresh one, and presto! The male revives and gallantly struggles to fertilize her. You can repeat this process with fresh females until he nearly dies of exhaustion. […]

With my interest in both the human brain and feedback systems in general, this stuff fascinates me.