What role did porn play during the lockdown?

It seems ages since Pornhub, the biggest and most famous adult entertainment website, announced - at the beginning of the health emergency - that its services would be free throughout Italy until the beginning of April. As the weeks went by, and as the situation worsened, locked in our homes, Pornhub became a company difficult to give up even when we finally left the house. 

After reporting on how the porn industry has dealt with the pandemic, with new security measures and unprecedented types of narration, today it is Pornhub, together with Eumetra, to release an investigation on how the sexual habits of Italians have changed during the lockdown. The research - carried out between September 19 and October 1 - focused on a large sample, 1202 people, representative of the Italian population in terms of gender, age, geographical area and demographic. 

There is an unequivocal fact that can be seen as the engine that drove many to Pornhub: loneliness, or rather, the lack of company. If among the things the interviewed people missed the most the interviewees included moments of conviviality and intimacy, the same cannot be said fully for sex. In fact, what was missed the most were festive and recreational moments (81%), while the lack of sex weighed only on 37% of those interviewed, mostly young ones or the ones living alone. Added to this are the concerns and in fact, the risks that accompany dating life, so much so that many have preferred not to meet new people, avoiding establishing a relationship for fear of contagion. Specifically, 43% did not go to places where they could have met a potential partner; 34% avoided kissing someone and 27% avoided having sex.