Pornography is a huge problem in the US, and while there are many reasons that one can guess why this may be so, it is likely related to stress. Basically, it is a substitute for cocaine or heroin, since a lot of people are frustrated, tired, and use it to “relax” since many lead miserable, unhappy lives.
However, could the stress level of Americans be too high? A recent study reported on by Zero Hedge notes this, as it found that 37% of Americans would give up porn usage for a peaceful rest.
Perhaps the most widely-discussed psychological phenomenon of the coronavirus crisis is the stress and lack of sleep that have led to, among other consequences, a surfeit of suicides. Millions of Americans have also self-reported experiencing vivid “stress dreams”. Among them is host of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Joe Kernan.
As brands and marketing strategists parse what this means for consumer attitudes, one recent survey answered by 1,000 American adults during the month of May, more than a month into the lockdown, found that products claiming to help with sleep might soon experience a mini-boom, as millions of Americans struggle to develop the discipline often required to successfully work from home.
The study mentioned above asked respondents what they would give up for a year of good sleep; some of the answers might surprise you.
For example…the survey by SleepStandards found:
37% of Americans would give up sex or porn
41% of Americans would give up social media
40% of Americans would give up alcohol and smoking
39% would give up video games
26% would give up steaming services such as Netflix or Hulu
21.5% would become a vegetarian for a year
Some key findings from the survey: the premium Americans would be willing to pay for a perfect night’s sleep has risen. (source)
Now the study does not say for how long or other important details that said items would be given up. However, the general idea reflects the principle that today most Americans are overstressed, tired, and find it increasingly difficult to function in society.
This is the human cost of the breakdown. Often times one will speak about finances and the financial cost, but there is also a human side, and in this case it is how the people are breaking apart more so than what they already are.
Most people simply want to live their lives, pay their bills, and do what is socially good and appropriate, but the fact is they are being prevented from doing so because the standards being required of them to function are so high that it takes all their energy, meanwhile a very elite class of people essentially profit from doing nothing and continue the exploitation.
Such a continual paradigm cannot end well, for this how social unrest is generated and societies all apart.