The Andrew Klavan Show How The P*rn Industry Works To Keep You Addicted w/Jo Bartosch and Robert Jessel
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Apr 22, 2026 Robert Jessel, communications consultant and free speech campaigner, and Jo Bartosch, journalist and women’s rights advocate, discuss their book Pornocracy. They unpack how the industry designs algorithms and products to escalate use. They examine effects on young people, consent, queer theory’s cultural role, and looming risks from VR and sex tech.
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Porn Hacks The Brain's Reward System
- Pornography hijacks primitive reward circuits so the brain treats screen sexual arousal like real sex and can 'fall in love' with porn.
- Robert Jessel explains orgasm-linked neurotransmitters and the lizard brain fail to distinguish mediated images from relational sex, replacing real intimacy.
Push For Enforceable Age Verification And Bans
- Enforce age controls and content bans to reduce youth exposure, but ensure regulators hold platforms accountable.
- Jo Bartosch notes UK age verification and bans on pseudo-incest and strangulation exist but compliance and enforcement lag.
Industry Designs Escalation Into Extreme Content
- Porn companies intentionally design platforms and feeds to escalate users toward ever-more extreme content to prevent boredom and keep engagement.
- Jo Bartosch and Robert Jessel say algorithmic design and 'the hunt' for arousal push users into spirals of increasing depravity.
