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The Independent reports:
Psychologist and professor emeritus at Stanford University Phillip Zimbardo (who led the team of researchers who conducted the Stanford Prison Experiment) has made the warnings, which form a major part of his latest book, Man (Dis)Connected.
Zimbardo says (in this TED talk) there is a "crisis" amongst young men, a high number of whom are experiencing a "new form of addiction" to excessive use of pornography and video games. Citing the research he and his team conducted for the book, he says: "It begins to change brain function. It begins to change the reward centre of the brain, and produces a kind of excitement and addiction."
An article from Psychology Today, however, argues that there are no demonstrable scientific links between porn consumption and the disputed phenomenon called 'Porn-Induced Erectile Dysfunction.'
Could this problem be manifesting itself as the rise of the Hikikomori?
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday May 10 2015, @10:34PM
I've read that, due to the rapid increase in the use of plastics over the past 30 years, the additives in these plastics have caused a number of different health issues. One of the main issues is that of undersized external genitalia in human males. In other species, such as animals that have consumed particles of these plastics, the health issues can include hermaphroditism. Although not as pronounced in humans, I can't help but wonder if this explains why Millennial male adults, on average, have penises and scrotums that are much smaller than those of of the males of previous generations who weren't exposed to plastics and their additives. This does explain why Millennial men have adopted so many traits associated with women, including a fascination with fashion. It also explains why so many Millennial males have no interest in women. When you're an adult male with a penis that's so small that it's virtually useless to use for copulation, you may as well just not even bother trying. The energy and other resources consumed to acquire a female mate may actually be better spent, in the short term, by playing video games with male companions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 11 2015, @01:11AM
That comment should be modded up. It's actually one of the most scientific and relevant comments so far.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday May 11 2015, @06:42AM
Plastics caused Japan??!
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by tathra on Monday May 11 2015, @06:05PM
no, but plastics contain substances like bisphenol a [wikipedia.org] which function similarly to hormones, and in bisphenol a's case it was apparently created to be a synthetic estrogen, to be used in hormone replacement therapy [about.com] before it started being used in plastics. naturally taking hormones, synthetic or not, will alter one's body and behavior [epa.gov] when taken over a long period of time, especially if taken during development. the prevalence of synthetic estrogens in the food supply could explain the underdevelopment of masculine traits and overdevelopment of feminine traits.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Monday May 11 2015, @06:19PM
While that's technically true, consumption leeched from plastics is a grain of sand at the beach compared to the phytoestrogens contained in flaxseed meal and soy products that now go into so many foodstuffs, and consider that modern urbanites eat a helluva lot higher proportion of plant-based foods than did their rural ancestors... all of which contain more phytoestrogens than does meat. If you're looking for an external source of hormones to blame, look first at diet.
http://web.archive.org/web/20110812014148/http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/ [archive.org]
[BTW my parent comment was facetious, a poke at the common perception that Japanese males are not well-hung.]
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.