Dylanrockin

That was a very detailed explanation and was exactly what I was looking for. Kudos to you for giving such a great explanation to that! I was really pondering this one day and really needed to dive more into it, because after watching that video it made me really question a lot of things I've experienced or indulged in myself and thought "how far is TOO far?" Thank you for clarifying that for me, that was an excellent response.

There's a big body of evidence piling up when it comes to internet, and especially explicit material addiction, with people abstaining from it reporting the resurfacing of emotions, feelings of well-being, sharp senses, reduced or inexistent brain fog, lessening and in some cases lifting of depressive symptoms, reduction of OCD symptoms, preexisting or otherwise, (re)manifestation of empathy, and even removal of social awkwardness. Seeing as this is in line with the addiction model (by the book), and that the "addiction pathways" (oversimplified) in the brain respond in the same way for every addictive behavior, external substances or not, all the aforementioned factors and early exposure might as well be a huge contributing factor to the problem you mentioned and the multitude of accompanying psychological problems that are associated with this kind of attachment.
 

There's even evidence for the re-shaping of "strange" preferences, even...you know, of that kind. The plasticity of the brain seems to adapt to what is perceived as a potential partner, but enforced by the addictive nature of the behavior and the hyperstimulation caused by the material's novelty (or perceived novelty) and exaggerated, accentuating features. This essentially reshapes your brain into recognizing something that literally isn't human (even if the depiction of that is of a human on camera) as ...a partner you're "bonding" with.
However, during actions that elevate pleasure, the dopamine response may be high, but oxytocin (loosely, a human bonding hormone) is not released as it happens in a true bonding case. This leaves the addict in a state of "self-love but with an object that mimics a human through exaggeration", causes or reinforces asociality, and strips the person of their potential for love for others . (Even worse, because of that exact attachment to the self-loved object, the person will defend their behavior or "subject" (well, object) of their behavior as if they're defending...a real person they love).
 

If this behavior is reinforced, especially if someone has been exposed to it young, the result is: numb dopamine receptors, which means: lack of motivation, depression, inability to feel pleasure from daily activities, "emptiness", and a pseudo-stoic, rationalized attitude (the addict compensates for their numbed emotions through rational brain activity, which, however, cannot rescue them from their robot-limbo state, making them even more miserable and, as is self reported, "cynic").
 

The good news is that brain plasticity is a real thing, and total abstinence (or at least attempts at it) from the behavior, especially after a 3months to 2years period (depending on intensity of exposure, length of exposure, and starting age) can actually "format" the brain and bring back the emotions, physical and mental strength, and vigor that had always been there. Of course, engagement with "hard" and out-of-the-comfort-zone activities are necessary in order to speedup this process. Some people might feel increased anxiety after being sober, but that's more due to the "new" emotions resurfacing and the person not having learned how to deal with these for years, rather than the anxiety itself. Although general sensitivity to both bad and good things is elevated too.
 

It's really exciting from a humanistic point of view to see so many people reporting that they can finally feel pleasure from just being with others, from enjoying the morning sky, from achieving something! From a scientific perspective, we're constantly discovering that we know too little about biology, neurochemistry and human psychology, but what we do know, seems to suggest that while the human being is an incredibly complex one, the simplicity of some of the old ways and societal customs seem to hold the wisdom we've managed to re-discover for after hundreds of years of research. In a nutshell: overindulgence is bad for most, indulgence is generally not that good, joy from achieving (or even aiming for) a long-term goal lasts for a very long time and makes one whole, egocentrism is the root of personal problems, delayed gratification provides contentment in life (and not simply pleasure), discomfort must be pursued, and a fake world will always be a fake world, no matter how many attempts at rationalization the "denizen" of that world makes.
 

When it comes to the influence of fictional characters, in animation and games especially, on people with either pre-existing conditions or much sensitivity, or too much imagination, or perhaps, a creative spirit, and reward system that would otherwise compensate them really well for being productive, the pleasure-seeking behavior that accompanies the young-age, or novel excitement of watching or playing during the first few times, grasps them much more firmly than others, and is difficult to throw off. Years pass, and the response to these activities is far lower. To compensate for this...the person indulges even more in these activities, just to feel that they can feel a bit more.

Holy toledo! You should make a video essay on this subject, like... for real! I bet you could do a damn good job on discussing it and making really good content out of it. Give this person an award for the best explanation that I never expected on the planet - like seriously! You quite literally covered all your bases and explained it all so well and answered any and all questions I could have.