Pornography didn’t always function the way it does today. In fact, for most of human history, porn was rare, contextual, and limited—not endlessly available, algorithmically optimized, or financially dependent on keeping people stuck in a loop of arousal without satisfaction.

Understanding how pornography used to function helps explain why modern porn feels so different—and why so many people now describe their relationship with it as compulsive, numbing, or out of control.