色情成癮的科學（工作場合安全）：英語精讀講義

Sexual tastes vary from person to person, 片語搭配

性偏好因人而異，

but with the current pornography epidemic,

但面對當前這波「色情內容氾濫」，

as some call it, 語氣意圖

正如有些人所稱，

one has to wonder how exactly this may affect our desires and perception of sexuality. 表達脈絡

我們不禁想問，這究竟會如何影響我們的欲望與對性的認知。

Moreover,

此外，

how does it affect our sex lives?

它又會如何影響我們的性生活？

Pornography constitutes about 25% of all search engine requests 用詞

色情內容約占所有搜尋引擎查詢的25%

and is the fourth most common reason people give for going on the internet.

也是人們上網的第四大常見原因。

And while it may seem to simply facilitate an instinctual sexual response 表達脈絡

它看似只是促成一種本能的性反應

linked to millions of years of evolution,

而這種反應與數百萬年的演化有關，

the truth is pornography has dynamically changed over time,

但事實上，色情內容一直隨著時代不斷變化，

ultimately molding our tastes and desires. 慣用語

最終塑造了我們的偏好與欲望。

The not-so-shocking truth is that pornography has profound consequences for the brain 片語搭配

一個不怎麼令人意外的事實是，色情內容會對大腦產生深遠影響

and acts in many ways like a drug. 表達脈絡

而且在許多方面都像毒品一樣發揮作用。

With prolonged exposure,

長期接觸後，

your tolerance is increased and many often find themselves addicted. 文法

你的耐受度會提高，很多人最後會發現自己已經成癮。

Though it's not a physical substance,

儘管它不是一種實體物質，

it leads to the same general loss of control, 片語搭配

卻同樣會讓人失去控制，

the compulsiveness to seek out the activity despite negative consequences, 片語動詞

即使會造成負面後果，仍會強迫性地尋求這種活動，

and withdrawal when it goes away,

一旦停止還會出現戒斷反應，

much like that of gambling or running, 文法

這與賭博或跑步成癮的情況很相似，

for example.

這裡只是舉例。

The issue is that continued exposure can cause long-term 表達脈絡

問題在於，持續接觸可能導致大腦出現長期

or even lifelong neuroplastic change in the brain.

甚至終生的神經可塑性變化。

Dopamine is released as a reward whenever we accomplish something,

每當我們完成某件事，大腦都會釋放多巴胺作為獎勵，

whether it be eating to sustain life 文法

無論是為了維持生命而進食

or sexual activity to produce future life.

還是為了孕育下一代而進行性活動。

And this dopamine consolidates neural connections

而釋放出的多巴胺會鞏固神經連結

in order to drive us to perform the same activity in the future. 片語搭配

促使我們未來重複同樣的活動。

In other words, 表達脈絡

換句話說，

it alters and forms the brain cells

它會改變並重塑腦細胞

to motivate certain actions.

從而驅動某些行為。

It rewires your brain. 慣用語

它會重塑你的大腦迴路。

The National Institutes of Health measure drug addictiveness 文法

美國國家衛生研究院衡量藥物成癮性的方法

by testing rats.

是用老鼠進行實驗。

The rat is trained to press a button in order to get a drug,

研究人員訓練老鼠按下按鈕來取得藥物，

and the harder it works

而牠為此付出的努力越大，

indicates how addictive the substance is.

就表示這種物質越容易讓人上癮。

It turns out that the more addictive a drug is, 表達脈絡

結果顯示，藥物的成癮性越強，

the more dopamine we see released.

釋放的多巴胺就越多。

And while there is unfortunately no rat porn that we can give to them,

遺憾的是，我們沒有能給老鼠看的色情片，

we do know that dopamine is also released during sexual excitement, 文法

但我們知道，性興奮時也會釋放多巴胺，

which pornography plays right into. 片語動詞

而色情內容正好利用了這一點。

The more time you spend doing it, the more dopamine gets released, 文法

你花在這上面的時間越多，釋放的多巴胺就越多，

which reinforces the behavior and makes you not only desire it in the future, 文法

這會強化這種行為，讓你未來不只想要它，

but require it.

更會覺得非它不可。

And as you begin to imagine these images away from the computer

當你離開電腦後開始想像這些畫面時，

or while having sex, they become reinforced.

或在做愛時想到它們，這些畫面就會進一步被強化。

Furthermore,

此外，

each orgasm releases even more dopamine,

每次性高潮都會釋放更多多巴胺，

which consolidates the connections made during the session.

從而鞏固在這個過程中形成的神經連結。

It's a feedback loop that becomes harder to escape. 用詞

這是一個愈來愈難擺脫的回饋迴路。

And just like a drug,

就像毒品一樣，

your tolerance for visual stimulation has now compounded,

你對視覺刺激的耐受度已經愈來愈高，

making it more difficult to be turned on by reality. 片語動詞

因此更難對現實中的性刺激感到興奮。

Pornography addiction can often lead to finding your mate less attractive.

色情內容成癮常會讓你覺得伴侶沒那麼有吸引力。

The good news is,

好消息是，

it doesn't have to be permanent. 文法

這種情況不一定會永遠持續。

Usually,

通常，

when people understand the mechanism and realize it's affecting their relationships,

當人們了解其中的機制，並意識到它正影響自己的親密關係時，

they can stop.

他們就能停下來。

The brain is often described as a use-it-or-lose-it system 慣用語

大腦常被形容為一個「用進廢退」的系統，

because the neural connections you stimulate grow stronger

因為你經常刺激的神經連結會變得更強

and desire to be activated,

並渴望被啟動，

while the ones you ignore become weakened.

而被你忽略的連結則會逐漸弱化。

Much like your muscles,

這很像你的肌肉，

which if sitting still all day,

如果它們整天都不動，

itch for activity, 慣用語

就會渴望活動，

but after prolonged non-use,

但長期不用之後，

they become complacent.

它們便會習慣不活動。

Luckily,

幸運的是，

because of this use-it-or-lose-it brain,

正因為大腦有這種「用進廢退」的特性，

the same neuroplastic system that proliferates these habits

這個讓上述習慣不斷強化的神經可塑性系統

can also be used to acquire healthier ones.

也可以用來養成更健康的習慣。

Got a burning question you want answered?

有什麼迫切想知道答案的問題嗎？

Ask it in the comments or on Facebook and Twitter.

歡迎在留言區、Facebook 或 Twitter 上提問。

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訂閱我們的頻道，每週觀看更多科學影片。