Why Do Men Like Reading Erotica

Do men really read erotica? When “Fifty Shades of Grey” came out, erotica came to the forefront of our attention. It’s one of the most popular movie-book adaptations, and women flocked to cinemas and bookstores to see the movie for the first time and buy their copy of the book.

During that time, men stood aside, and nobody really expressed any interest in the movie. Some guys would jokingly talk about watching it, but that was all that it was — a joke. Or was it?

For some of them, it was something the Internet people would call a Schrodinger’s douchebag. Or, in this instance, perhaps it’s more fitting a Schrodinger’s erotica fan. Basically, they would put the idea out there, and they would decide whether they were sarcastic or not based on the other guys’ reaction. So, while “Fifty Shades of Grey” is a series of sexy stories aimed at women, there were still guys who gave it a peak. In fact, about a quarter of all FSoG audiobook downloads were men.

Generally speaking, men are into porn. There’s been an unspoken agreement that men will watch porn more often, while women will fulfill their sexual desires by reading explicitly erotic stories. There’s almost a social pressure on men to watch sex scenes instead of reading or listening about them. But, as we know, that’s not always true. There are plenty of men who (secretly or not) enjoy erotica. Let’s check out why!

How Is Reading Erotica Different From Watching Porn?

Both porn and erotic novels have pretty much the same purpose. That’s to send our brains into a sexual mode, where we get excited by what we see or read. But, there’s a big difference between the two. Watching porn is a lot more visceral experience than reading a book. When we watch porn, our brains are stimulated visually. That way, it’s easier to get excited (and erect), and there’s little to no work to get our juices going. That is especially true for men, who are more attached to the visual side of sex life.

All men really need is to see specific areas of the body, and they’ll be ready to perform. Another good thing about porn is that its effect is instant. If you want to get yourself ready and rub one out quickly, you can do it with porn. If you read a 300-page novel, the results, obviously, won’t be as fast.

However, porn can make your brain lazy. Since everything is happening in front of you (in HD), you don’t really activate your imagination. You just blink less often and pump away. That can cause problems with unrealistic expectations of what real sex is like. Consequently, a lot of men suffer from porn-induced ED, which means they can’t get it up without a video in the background.

That’s perhaps the main advantage of erotica. As with every book, if you enjoy it, you transfer to a different world, and you try to imagine all the situations in your mind. As opposed to watching them on your screen, relieving fantasies in your brain will ultimately lead to more vivid visions. Your brain will enjoy it more, and you’ll have a more imaginative experience than the one you get from porn.

Know more about the effects of reading erotica here.

Audiobooks

Now that you know the main difference, let’s find out how you can consume erotica. The traditional way is to read a book, obviously. But, books are not as practical as their audio versions. With an audiobook, you can listen to someone reading the novel out loud. That way, your eyes don’t have to be focused on the letters, and you can do other things at the same time, such as drive, walk, and so on. Additionally, depending on the version you buy, you can receive some added excitement from the voice. Imagine a girl with a sexy voice talking dirty words to you through your headphones, wouldn’t that be a treat?

Lastly, let’s not kid ourselves — audiobooks are amazing because they come in electronic form. You don’t have to walk around with everybody glaring at your book cover! Just pretend you’re listening to your favorite music band or a podcast. Speaking of podcasts…

Podcasts

Today, it seems like everybody has a podcast of their own. You can find dozens of podcasts about virtually any topic, from history and education to interviews and showbiz news. Of course, there are erotic podcasts as well.

There are many podcasts out there, and they all cover a specific subtopic or a fantasy. For instance, there’s a podcast named Gayish, and we really don’t need to explain what that one is about. Others, like Foreplay Radio, feature a sex therapist who talks about various kinks, fetishes, and how you can explore them.

What Do Men Get From Consuming This Type of Content?

One man who consumes erotica often says that he prefers such content over porn because it is more realistic. He claims that the dialogue and the characters are more believable, it’s easier to identify with them and the situations they are in. As a result, when he starts feeling sexy, it’s more intense than during a porn session.

Erotica novels contain lengthy descriptions, powerful dialogues, and when the sex scene arrives, it doesn’t feel out of place. It lets you grow an emotional connection with the sex act that you’re reading about. Furthermore, it helps you develop a more realistic image of your own sex life. Your brain will learn to be more imaginative in a sexual way, and this can only help you in your own sex life. Basically, it’s more time-consuming than porn, but it’s more powerful and has positive effects on you and your brain.