The guys behind the men’s purity movement

Are men ashamed of their porn habits? The majority of men consume porn, and most use it for masturbation, but two thirds of men under 25 think porn should be harder to access, according to research from the Survey Center on American Life. There's a broader discussion now among some men about the role of porn and masturbation in their lives – and manosphere figures like Andrew Tate and Hamza Ahmed are urging their listeners to stop watching it. Some men are cutting it out entirely: they congregate on Reddit pages like r/pornfree or use porn addiction alleviation apps like Quittr and Fortify. But what do men think watching porn says about them? And is this just “purity culture for boys”? Brittany is joined by Rebecca Jennings , features writer at New York Magazine who wrote a piece about anti-porn men, and Scott Burnett , assistant professor of African Studies and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies at Penn State University, who has published research about men's anti-masturbation trends. (00:00) Why are (some) men turning against porn? (03:49) Gen Z men and shame around porn (11:18) "Real sex with real women": how anti-porn men view women (14:30) The fear of losing control to porn addiction (19:15) Is this just "purity culture for boys?" (22:27) Desire can be embarrassing - but maybe that's okay For more episodes about gender, sexuality, and internet culture, check out: The price women pay for being online The joy of breaking up with dating apps Gen Z is afraid of sex — and for good reason Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week,

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The guys behind the men’s purity movement is an episode from It's Been a Minute by NPR.

This episode is 26:35 long.

This episode was published on Apr 22, 2026.

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