In the 1950s, many can recall watching Lucy and Ricky Ricardo on TV sleeping in separate beds. Flash forward a couple of decades and our TV screens are filled with not only many couples sharing beds, but also getting pretty intimate with each other. What once was deemed a sacred act is now open for discussion and normalized. And while there was a time when pornographic magazines were hidden under those same mattresses, barriers have been broken not only in the industry, but also in the bedroom.

A survey out by Bespoke Surgical asked over 900 people a series of questions regarding how often they watch porn, the type of porn they prefer, how porn has impacted their sex lives and more.

On average, the survey found that people watch porn for a little under 2 hours (1.61) each week, and 25% of Americans who identify as gay or lesbian view porn daily. While many may jump to conclusions as to why people want to watch porn, 62% feel that watching it relieves stress.

But just what exactly is helping many decompress? Across Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z, everyone favors amateur porn over staged/scripted. Though, Gen X doesn’t favor it by much, with only 51.9% favoring over staged/scripted (48.1%).

Nearly every person surveyed (93%) believe mainstream porn sets unrealistic expectations in the bedroom. But in the eyes of communication, that’s no roadblock. 86% feel comfortable asking their partner to try a sex act they witnessed while watching porn.

Overall, this survey made a lot of things apparent to me. Porn, a once taboo topic, is more mainstream than many might want to admit. After all, not only is it a stress reliever, but also a motivator to try new things in the bedroom. And while platforms such as OnlyFans have made it easier for creators to control their activity and compensation, it also helped break down those walls and stereotypes when it comes to sex work.