Fernandez David P, Kuss Daria J, Griffiths Mark D
Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UK.
Arch Sex Behav. 2021 Feb;50(2):711-728. doi: 10.1007/s10508-020-01858-w. Epub 2021 Jan 5.
A growing number of individuals using online forums are attempting to abstain from pornography (colloquially termed "rebooting") due to self-perceived pornography-related problems. The present qualitative study explored phenomenological experiences of abstinence among members of an online "rebooting" forum. A total of 104 abstinence journals by male forum members were systematically analyzed using thematic analysis. A total of four themes (with a total of nine subthemes) emerged from the data: (1) abstinence is the solution to pornography-related problems, (2) sometimes abstinence seems impossible, (3) abstinence is achievable with the right resources, and (4) abstinence is rewarding if persisted with. Members' primary reasons for initiating "rebooting" involved desiring to overcome a perceived addiction to pornography and/or alleviate perceived negative consequences attributed to pornography use, especially sexual difficulties. Successfully achieving and maintaining abstinence was typically experienced to be very challenging due to habitual behavior patterns and/or cravings triggered by a multiplicity of cues for pornography use, but a combination of internal (e.g., cognitive-behavioral strategies) and external (e.g., social support) resources made abstinence attainable for many members. A range of benefits attributed to abstinence by members suggest that abstaining from pornography could potentially be a beneficial intervention for problematic pornography use, although future prospective studies are needed to rule out possible third variable explanations for these perceived effects and to rigorously evaluate abstinence as an intervention. The present findings shed light on what the "rebooting" experience is like from members' own perspectives and provide insights into abstinence as an approach for addressing problematic pornography use.
越来越多使用在线论坛的人因自认为与色情内容相关的问题而试图戒除色情内容（通俗地称为“重启”）。本定性研究探讨了一个在线“重启”论坛成员戒除色情内容的现象学体验。使用主题分析法对男性论坛成员的104篇戒除日记进行了系统分析。数据中总共出现了四个主题（共九个子主题）：（1）戒除是解决与色情内容相关问题的方法，（2）有时戒除似乎不可能，（3）有合适的资源就能实现戒除，（4）坚持戒除会有回报。成员开始“重启”的主要原因包括希望克服对色情内容的成瘾感和/或减轻因使用色情内容而产生的负面后果，尤其是性方面的困难。由于习惯行为模式和/或多种色情内容使用线索引发的渴望，成功实现并维持戒除通常极具挑战性，但内部（如认知行为策略）和外部（如社会支持）资源的结合使许多成员能够实现戒除。成员们认为戒除带来的一系列好处表明，戒除色情内容可能是解决色情内容使用问题一种有益的干预措施，尽管未来需要进行前瞻性研究，以排除对这些感知效果可能的第三变量解释，并严格评估戒除作为一种干预措施的效果。本研究结果揭示了从成员自身角度来看“重启”体验是什么样的，并为戒除作为解决色情内容使用问题的一种方法提供了见解。
