After several weeks of self-isolation, Americans are taking matters into their own hands — literally. With more states issuing stay-at-home orders and citizens practicing social distancing, popular pornography sites are reporting steady traffic spikes. Yes, with nowhere to go and no one to see, America is watching more porn.
Pornhub reported on March 17 that they have witnessed a 6.4% increase in visitors in the United States and an 11.6% increase worldwide. The site partially attributes the spike to its free Premium service feature, which was recently made available for all users isolated at home. But there's another reason people are racking up a little more data: Self-isolation has made them very, very horny.
"Having a girlfriend would be sick right now," Holden, 25, tells Bustle. "But porn will have to do."
Before social distancing began, Pornhub reported its highest traffic numbers between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and midnight. But as of March 26, the site is gaining more and more viewers at 3:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., which suggests people are staying up later — and taking little breaks from work throughout the day — to watch porn.
"I've been watching a lot more porn than usual," Anthony, 25, tells Bustle. "I basically open Chrome and search, then click anything new from the past few hours."
According to Psychology Today, the traffic increase could also be linked to coronavirus anxiety since it's not uncommon to turn to sex as a coping mechanism to relieve stress. For Maria, 24, that anxiety manifests in her loneliness. "I've been all alone in my house for two weeks," she says. "At this point, I'd honestly prefer a hug. But rubbing one out while watching porn will have to do."
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