"Data, is not the plural form of anecdote."

The number of unsourced, or "it worked for me!" comments are a little more than I would have expected for HN.

Here's the wikipedia page on masturbation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masturbation#Health_and_psychol...

Is it the best source of information? No. But its linked medical studies carry a little more weight than "Stopping changed my life and it will change yours!"

Until there is cold hard medically relevant data to support these claims, you may as well also start wearing magnetic bracelets and donning aura crystals. Both have equal bodies of evidence.

Not to mention, a lot of this seems to be a masked religious gilt as well as FUD. The current top comment has a link here: http://www.feedtherightwolf.org. After a brief look around the site, I stumble across the post "30 Sample Reasons to Avoid Pornography." Lets look through them.

* My hopes of having a wife and a child will come true if I walk away.

* I will be able to hold down and maintain a job if I walk away.

* Remember the pain and hurt I caused my family and myself?

* I am a good person and do not need to prove it by using.

* I will live a more independent and worthwhile life if I walk away.

* I will be a positive role model for my children if I walk away.

* I want and deserve a good future for myself.

* I am a worthwhile and productive person.

* I will regain my self-respect and dignity if I walk away.

* I don’t want to end up like my father.

* I will be able to feel better about myself if I walk away.

* My Family will be proud of me if I walk away.

* If I continue to use I will die.

* I will be proud of myself if I walk away.

* If I walk away my physical health will improve.

* I will reduce my chances of going to jail if I walk away.

* My hopes and dreams for future will come true if I walk away.

* I will be a positive role model for my friends if I walk away.

* I will be able to get in touch with my true feelings if I walk away.

* I will live a calmer and more peaceful life if I walk away.

* I will be able to spend my time on healthy alternatives if I walk away.

* Remember the high risk situations I faced while perusing my addiction?
* I will be able to open my own business if I walk away.
* If I continue to use I will lose everything.
* I will be a positive role model for my family if I walk away.
* Remember the stupid things I did to get my high?
* Remember the look at my Girlfriends face when she found out about my addiction?
* I will be stronger and more in control if I walk away.
* I accept full responsibility for everything that takes place in my life.
* My mission in life is to be a good man, to love my family, and to carry out God’s will for me to the best of my ability

Really? "If I continue to use I will die?" This list is heavily slanted towards appeals to emotion, and, of course, a little religious guilt. I'd like to see "you'll die because reason x [link to study]"

I see the /r/nofap people on Reddit all the time spouting this same nonsense. The critical error is taking an anecdote, and extrapolating it out into a generally applicable result.

I'm not saying that porn addiction doesn't exist, I mean, good lord, some of the comments here.. Like the 3 hours a day guy, or the marathon guy -- those, are legitimate problems with negative results. However, a TedX talk and a couple of blog entries do not science make.

A wank every now and again is medically beneficial for a the average person.