Digital Social Hour – Dr. Trish Leigh: Why Young Men Are Getting Performance Issues So Fast | DSH #1787

Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Dr. Trish Leigh, neuroscientist and author
Date: January 26, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of the Digital Social Hour, Sean Kelly sits down with Dr. Trish Leigh to dive deeply into the alarming rise of sexual performance issues among young men, focusing on the direct impact of digital overstimulation—especially pornography and social media. Dr. Leigh, drawing from her extensive clinical experience and research (including her recent book "Mind Over Explicit Matter"), discusses the neuroscience behind addiction, dopamine regulation, the widespread effects on relationships, and actionable pathways for recovery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Escalation of Pornography Use and "Edging"

• Hyperavailability & Edging:
  Dr. Leigh begins by describing how digital access has revolutionized pornography consumption:
  "Now, with the click of a button, you can get any genre, any type of person, any acts. You can get 100 of them at one time. 100 tabs, 200 tabs. And people do that. Edging, it's called, where people go from tab to tab to tab." (00:00)

  • Edging (continually switching videos to prolong arousal before climax) is highly harmful, leading to severe dopamine flooding and subsequent desensitization of brain receptors.

• Effects of Edging:
  "People who edge are the worst off of the people that I see. Some of them are non functional, honestly, like nonfunctional in society. Can't get the job they want. Definitely can't get the relationship they want. Their brains feel like mush, depressed and anxious at all times." (00:18, 05:38)

2. Science-Backed Perspective: Porn, Dopamine, and Erectile Dysfunction

• Addiction & Brain Science:
  Dr. Leigh emphasizes the scientific basis behind her claims, referencing over 400 studies cited in her book and her own ongoing EEG study of 201 men with porn-induced erectile dysfunction.
  "My book came out. It's called Mind Over Explicit Matter...it had over 400 studies in it." (01:53)

  • 70%+ of men with ED under age 40 are heavy porn users (02:46).

• Neuroplasticity and Hope for Recovery:
  "The good news is, neuroplasticity, you can heal your brain and bring it back." (03:31)

3. Gender Disparities and Social Trends

• Predominantly a Male Issue, But Growing Among Women:
  "It's on the rise with women, but it's predominantly male." (04:06)

  • The hidden epidemic: Survey stats are likely underestimates due to stigma and underreporting.

• Dopamine Dependency:
  "It's a dopamine dependency...once you get past that, you need to consume it to not feel bad. It's no longer a habit to feel good." (04:36)

4. The Cycle of Compulsion: Porn, Masturbation, and Social Media

• Compulsive Masturbation Linked to Porn:
  Dr. Leigh explains that compulsive masturbation often follows porn use and can be equally damaging, with some experiencing 4+ sessions per day (07:32).
  "Who wants to masturbate four times a day? People don't. When they get quiet with themselves...they have to get a little dopamine hit to get through the next hour." (07:38)

• Broader Impact: Testosterone, Motivation, and Cognitive Issues:
  "Your brain controls...testosterone is first made in the brain...It basically confuses most of the neurochemicals and the hormones in a person's body." (08:30)

  • Men increasingly seek testosterone replacement rather than address the underlying dopamine dysregulation (09:00).

• Dopamine Overload from Social Media & OnlyFans:
  "Social media and OnlyFans, they're all supernormal stimuli. They give your brain too much dopamine." (09:36)

5. How Digital Overstimulation Undermines Intimacy and Relationships

• Relationship Erosion:
  "The number one thing that men say to me...they want either a relationship or their relationship back. Because usually it's destroyed." (11:02)

  • Dr. Leigh outlines how digital dopamine from endless novelty “cheapens” the dopamine rewards of real-life intimacy, training the brain to prefer fantasy over reality. (11:02-11:55)

• Attention Span Decline:
  Human attention spans have dropped below that of a goldfish—down to under seven seconds—due to rapid digital consumption. (10:30)

6. Solutions: Digital Dopamine Detox & Brain Training

• Digital Dopamine Detox:
  Dr. Leigh emphasizes intentionality and dopamine stacking in real life:
  "No porn, no masturbation, limiting your social media to motivation and intention. No OnlyFans, no dating apps. For married men...get off those things and connect your brain back to your life." (13:07-13:39)

• Brain Mapping and Neurofeedback:
  Dr. Leigh has developed protocols using at-home EEG brain maps to objectively measure dysfunction and provide "brain workouts" for recovery:
  "I can use the technology to have a person engage in brain workouts. It's all natural...takes a person's brain from the level of dysfunction they're at, and begins reducing it immediately." (14:44-15:39)

• Recovery Timeline:
  "Four months is my program...all the people with ED, they do double sessions..." (15:43)

7. The Culture Trap: Simps, Toxic Masculinity, and AI Girlfriends

• Hypersexualized Youth Culture:
  Early porn and social media exposure lead to toxic patterns; 75% of teenage girls have received unsolicited genital pictures, and 70% are asked for nudes. (18:23)

• Simp Culture & Distorted Intimacy:
  "Online masculinity is encouraging simp culture...especially OnlyFans, you pay and get your name said. That's not real intimacy." (19:16, 19:56)

  • The rise of AI ‘girlfriends’—a logical extension of this conditioning.
    "What man wants an AI girlfriend?...Are they conditioned to want it? Yes." (21:24–21:34)

• Red Pill and "Alpha" Extremes:
  Dr. Leigh critiques both passive (simp) and aggressive (red pill/alpha) extremes, advocating for calm, assertive, emotionally intelligent masculinity:
  "Men want women. Women want men. We're pair bonded creatures." (25:48)

8. Emotional Intelligence and Leadership

• Healthy Masculinity:
  "Healthy masculinity is passion, it's purpose, it's leadership, it's legacy." (27:17)

  • True leaders regulate their emotions, form deep connections, and pursue personal growth.

• Critique of Escapism:
  Porn functions as escapism, undermining vulnerability and real intimacy in relationships. (28:14)

• Assertion, Not Aggression:
  Dr. Leigh champions an assertive, compassionate approach to masculinity—rather than passive or aggressive extremes. (29:36)

9. The Algorithm, Media Diet, and Future Steps

• Algorithmic Influence:
  The algorithm rewards drama, violence, and hypersexuality—curating one's digital diet is now a survival skill.
  "Drama, violence, hypersexuality...you gotta really cater your feed these days because the algorithm rewards drama." (31:38-31:42)

• Dr. Leigh's Next Steps:
  Dr. Leigh is working on further debates, educational material for parents, expanding her nonprofit (soon to be rebranded to address social media as well), and an upcoming documentary (32:28–33:32).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Edging:
  "People who edge are the worst off...Some of them are non functional...their brains feel like mush, depressed and anxious at all times."
  — Dr. Trish Leigh (00:18)

• On the Coming Crisis:
  "We are going to have a generation of men with sexual arousal dysfunction. And I know people think it's hyperbole, but it's not."
  — Dr. Trish Leigh (03:05)

• On Recovery:
  "You can heal your brain and bring it back...neuroplasticity is amazing."
  — Dr. Trish Leigh (03:31)

• On Dopamine and Intimacy:
  "But if you weren’t on social media getting those high levels of dopamine, your relationship and your sex life would be the highest dopamine producing activity."
  — Dr. Trish Leigh (11:36)

• On AI Girlfriends:
  "What man wants an AI girlfriend? None. Are they conditioned to want it? Yes."
  — Dr. Trish Leigh (21:24)

• On Healthy Masculinity:
  "That's masculinity...it's self-regulation. Like, it’s a superpower I want people to be able to tap into."
  — Dr. Trish Leigh (25:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–00:56: Rapid escalation in porn consumption & “edging”
• 01:53–03:05: Dr. Leigh’s book, scientific studies, and rising erectile dysfunction stats
• 04:06–05:36: Male-centric trends, denial, compulsive use
• 07:32–08:57: Compulsive masturbation; dopamine and testosterone dysregulation
• 09:36–10:27: Social media and OnlyFans as supernormal stimuli
• 11:02–12:23: Relationship breakdown & loss of real-life intimacy
• 13:07–13:38: Digital dopamine detox strategies
• 14:44–15:53: Brain mapping, neurofeedback, and recovery programs
• 18:23–19:16: Teenage hypersexualization and toxic patterns
• 19:56–21:33: Simp culture, OnlyFans, and the rise of AI companions
• 21:58–23:15: Conditioning and normalization of extreme sexual behavior
• 24:21–27:17: Healthy masculinity, leadership, and assertiveness
• 31:38–32:13: Curation of one’s digital algorithm/feed
• 32:28–33:36: Dr. Leigh’s future projects and book debut

Final Takeaways

Dr. Trish Leigh’s appearance offers a sobering look at how digital culture—porn, social media, and algorithm-driven distractions—is profoundly impacting the brains, relationships, and futures of young men. Through scientific evidence, clinical stories, and practical advice, she challenges listeners to reclaim their neurochemistry and relationships through intentional detoxes, real-life dopamine stacking, and authentic emotional connection.

For more resources, check out Dr. Trish Leigh’s book, “Mind Over Explicit Matter,” and her nonprofit (soon to be rebranded) for parental education.