Contradictory experiences of problematic pornography use in China: A qualitative study of multi-layered stigma within a morally restrictive socio-cultural context.

Authors

Feng Jin, Wenwen Zhang, Pengshuo Wang, Joshua B Grubbs, Beáta Bőthe, Ziqi Wang

Published in

Addiction (Abingdon, England). Aug 28, 2026. Epub Aug 28, 2026.

Abstract

Problematic pornography use (PPU) has received growing scholarly attention; however, much of the existing research has been conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic (WEIRD) sociocultural contexts and may not fully capture how sociocultural factors can shape experiences of PPU in contexts characterized by stronger moral regulation surrounding sexuality. This study explored the lived experiences of individuals with PPU in China and examined how multi-layered stigma processes might have shaped PPU-related experience.
A qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interview data.
Online recruitment and data collection conducted in mainland China.
Thirty-one adults who self-identified as experiencing PPU participated in online semi-structured interviews (26 males and 5 females; mean age = 31.32 ± 7.77 years).
In-depth interviews explored pornography use experiences, motivations, perceived consequences, stigma and coping strategies.
Five themes were identified: multi-layered stigma processes; motivations for pornography use; manifestations of PPU; negative consequences of PPU; and personal coping strategies. Participants' motivations broadly aligned with motivations reported in prior PPU research conducted in WEIRD contexts, but also reflected sociocultural factors emphasized within participants' local context, including limited opportunities for open sexual communication, perceived gaps in sex education and concerns related to social and interpersonal risks. Participants described impaired control, psychological distress, shame, secrecy and self-blame, experiences that have also been documented in WEIRD contexts. However, participants described these experiences within a context of legal, familial and sociocultural regulation surrounding sexuality. Coping strategies were predominantly individualized and short-term, frequently accompanied by distress, intrusive sexual thoughts and recurring difficulties regulating use.
Although many experiences associated with problematic pornography use may be shared across cultures, sociocultural environments may shape how pornography use is morally interpreted, socially regulated and experienced as problematic, as well as how individuals cope with related distress and stigma.

PMID:
42666045
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Aug 2026.

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