Adult sites such as porn sites or X-rated creator platforms are a real detriment to our dopamine system and our relationships with others.
This article will show you an effective method to block adult sites on your iPhone or your children's devices.
Why are adult sites bad for our well-being?
In recent years, a popular movement called "No Fap" has been fighting against adult websites and their harmful on our brains and well-being. More and more people are joining this movement and taking on the No Fap challenge: stopping masturbation, especially in front of adult sites.
Users of the NoFap forum themselves admit that the challenge is very tough and that there are many relapses, especially at the beginning. A desire to consume porn excessively may be at the root of a deep-seated problem that needs to be identified and corrected before consumption can be reduced effectively.
This movement is clearly not just a trendy whim without foundation. Many studies have been conducted on the subject, and the conclusions are clear: pornography has far more negative effects than positive ones. For example, a 2018 study shows that "Binge porn was related to decreased mood and/or increased stress or anxiety."
We could list dozens and dozens of other cons… but here are the 3 main ones backed by science:
💊 Addiction
Porn watching can quickly become a habit and turn into an addiction - leading to compulsive behaviors (as illustrated in the movie Don Jon). The study “Online Porn Addiction: What We Know and What We Don't - NCBI,” suggests that there is a prevalence of behavioral addictions among substance users, which can include pornography addiction, indicating that such behaviors can indeed become compulsive for certain individuals.
🌀 Reality Distortion
Porn creates unrealistic representations with an image of sexuality often distant from what to expect in reality. Indeed, a review of the research entitled “The Impact of Internet Pornography on Adolescents", published in the journal Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, reviews the impact of porn on adolescents development and suggests that exposure to pornography can influence their sexual attitudes and beliefs, leading to unrealistic expectations about sex.
📉 Excitement Dysregulation
Porn can lead to desensitization, requiring increasingly extreme content to achieve the same level of excitement. This can also create issues with erection and libido as reality differs from adult content. A study that discusses these points entitled "Is Internet Pornography Causing Sexual Dysfunctions? A Review with Clinical Reports," suggests that chronic online pornography use could result in sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction and delayed ejaculation, due to the need for stronger stimuli to achieve the same level of arousal.
These reasons lead users to want to stop watching adult content altogether. But let's be clear: this challenge is tough. However, blocking adult sites on your iPhone is a very effective way to limit exposure to inappropriate content. Thus, many users in this community use the trick that we are going to present to you.
How to block adult sites on iPhone?
One of the features that we quickly implemented in the Jomo app is an option to disable a list of over 2,000 porn sites. With this option enabled, you will instantly block all adult sites on your iPhone. And this feature is free!
4 steps to activate this option for your iPhone
1️⃣ Install Jomo from the AppStore
Jomo is an app for better managing the time spent on your iPhone. You can set time limits on each app, block apps after a certain hour, and have many options and conditions to play with! The goal is for you to spend less time on your iPhone because with all our apps, it's easy to spend the whole day on it, which is not good for our mental health!
2️⃣ Go to "Rules" and under "Templates," swipe until you see "Block Adult Content" and select it.
3️⃣ Now, you can customize the options. By default, adult sites are blocked for 7 days, but by selecting "Immediate," you will also have the option to choose "Always-on" to block indecent sites on your iPhone indefinitely. Note that you can disable this blocking at any time by returning to Jomo.
4️⃣ Select "Start" to initiate the blocking.
Once done, your blocking session will be enabled, and you can try accessing an adult site with Safari, and the blocking works!
To prove that it works, here's the message you get when you try to go to an X site after enabling adult site blocking on Jomo: "You cannot browse this page at X because it is restricted."
Frequently Asked Questions
📱 Is blocking adult sites directly on the iPhone without an app possible?
Yes, it's possible, but the problem is that the list of iPhone sites also includes sites that aren't at all inappropriate —such as clothing sites (because of the lingerie), so it can mess up your Internet browsing. On Jomo, you can add exceptions if some of these websites are blocked. Moreover, you can add other websites of your choice —like OnlyFans, which on some iPhones isn't detected as a Porn Website.
Here's where to find this option if you still want to use this method: Screen Time > Content and Privacy Restrictions > Turn toggle on > Content Restrictions > Web content > Limit Adult Websites.
🚫 Can you also block porn sites on iPad?
Indeed, this trick works for iPads as well. And your large screen is not a reason to leave these inappropriate sites accessible. Jomo also works well on iPad, and the adult websites blocking option will soon be available on Mac so that you can protect all your devices!
🌐 Can adult sites be blocked via DNS on iPhone?
Blocking adult sites using specific DNS that block inappropriate content is also possible. OpenDNS Family Shield is one of them, and you will need to set it up manually in your iPhone settings (Settings > WiFi > Information of your WiFi > Configure DNS > Manual).
It is important to be aware of the harmful effects of adult sites and limit your exposure to these inappropriate contents. It's not a matter of taboo but for health, and numerous scientific studies attest to these negative effects: addiction, deterioration of the quality of interpersonal relationships, dependence, unrealistic expectations in intimate life... there are a lot of cons!
Fortunately, with the Jomo app and various blocking methods available on iOS devices, it is possible to take easy actionable steps now to block adult sites on your iPhone or your child's device.
Whether you're starting the No Fap challenge or simply setting personal boundaries, Jomo will be a valuable ally in controlling your exposure to digital stimuli. By following the steps outlined in this article to block adult sites, you will take a significant step toward better mental health and more authentic relationships.
Made with love in Brittany