Pornhub Data Shows 5 Surprising Trends in Americans’ Porn Habits
This was a banner year for the internet pornography industry. Not only did it continue to provide us a necessary service in 2013, but it taught us something, too. We learned the favorite fetishes of different states, and how national holidays affect online porn viewing worldwide.
Now, Pornhub has released even more data, which means there’s so much new stuff to learn. And with 14.7 billion views this year, Pornhub can teach us a lot about ourselves. First of all, those nearly 15 billion views equal 1.68 million views per hour this year. Some sites would be lucky to get that in a week. So yes, I’m thinking that by this point, internet porn is something of a national – and international – institution.
And if we can get a roundup of the 2013’s best maps, infographics, and economic charts – why not a breakdown of the year in porn? As always, Pornhub is there with exactly what we need. So without further ado, here is what 2013 looked like according to Pornhub.com.
1. The World Spent More Time Watching Porn This Year
If the internet porn industry was worried about losing traffic any time soon, all it needs to do is look at Pornhub's 15 billion views, and this graph. The average time spent on the site during those 15 billion visits actually increased in 2013, by 26 seconds worldwide. The average visit was just shy of 9 minutes this year.
The U.S. takes the crown in duration of visit, with an average over 10 and a half minutes, up 39 seconds from last year. Honestly, I'm not sure if we should be proud or ashamed, so let's just move on.
2. More People Watched Porn on Their Phones Than Ever Before
Mobile dominated desktop when it came to porn viewing in the United States. Over 60% of Pornhub's U.S. traffic this year came from a smartphone or tablet, up almost 10% from 2012. The world, too, is seeing an increase in porn watching on the go: 49% of worldwide traffic came from mobile or tablet in 2013, more than a 10% increase from last year.
Why is mobile kicking ass when it comes to porn viewing? Maybe it's because mobile devices are taking over desktop computers in general internet traffic, and porn is simply on the forefront. Or maybe it has something to do with privacy or intimacy. A smartphone certainly seems more personal than a desktop. Is that why more and more people are opting for their iPhone to watch porn?
3. Income Inequality Affects Porn Watching
President Barack Obama isn't the only one looking at income inequality in the U.S. this year. Pornhub looked at cities with the highest and lowest average incomes, and then analyzed how people in those cities watch porn. And it turns out the income gap affects porn viewing, too.
Viewers in cities with lower average incomes spent longer on the site per visit, and clicked more pages during each visit than viewers in high-income cities. But when looking at pageviews per capita, high-income cities dominated.
One explanation Pornhub offers for the income gap: "Slower internet connection speeds in low income cities may explain the longer visit durations."
Or maybe they just need something to distract them from their less affluent lives.
4. The World Has a Favorite Day to Watch Porn
When it comes to porn watching during the week, viewers worldwide have a clear favorite day: Monday. Every country Pornhub looked at (except Japan, because of course) saw peak traffic on Mondays in 2013. Now when someone says they have a case of the Mondays, I'm going to know exactly what they mean.
The world's least favorite day to watch porn? This one is a little mixed, but worldwide, the lowest traffic for Pornhub comes on Sunday. Which makes sense, I guess. In the U.S. though, the lull during the week comes on Thursday. Maybe people are so excited for the weekend they forget to watch porn? Or maybe they just have something better to do? Who knows.
5. And a Favorite Month, Too
Apparently porn watching during the year is a sprint and not a marathon. Pornhub's traffic comes hot out of the gate, seeing its peak in January in the U.S. and worldwide. In the cold, bleak days after the New Year, we need something to occupy our days. Plus the sun goes down early, so that helps.
The lowest month for porn traffic is August worldwide and in the U.S., proving porn is no match for some summer fun.
