Have you ever thought something would be a good idea, but eventually it turned out to harm you? That huge chocolate sundae sounded so good, but after you eat it all, you feel sick and your belly hurts. How about staying up late to binge watch your favorite show on Netflix. Sounds fun, right? But after a late night, you wake up tired the next day and can’t get motivated to do what’s on your schedule.

Here’s the point. Some things in life can be enticing and even seem harmless to us. But the reality is—that’s just not the case. Pornography is one such thing. Studies show it is addictive and the effects of it can be damaging to our brains, relationships, and our behaviors. It’s not a harmless pastime as many think.

Here are three reasons why you should consider saying no to porn.

• It teaches the brain that sex is all about you.

Talk about affecting relationships. Sex is not a spectator sport, but porn sure can be. Viewed alone it trains the brain that sex is about the person viewing. Many times masturbation is involved. A healthy sexual relationship is between two committed people in marriage. One where an individual is concerned with the other persons’ needs and pleasure, not about the pleasure they can get for themselves.

• It trains the brain that one person will never satisfy.

Pornography encourages the multiplicity of partners. What watching porn does is reminds a person of all of the potential sexual partners there are out there, which lowers the dedication a person has to the person they are involved with. It can also encourage a person to fantasize about someone they are not in bed with, and probably never will be. There have been studies done on porn consumption in relationships, and it was found that porn consumption lowered commitment in both men and women, but more so in men. (See Pyschology Today)

• It sets a future spouse up for failure.

A person who has viewed porn may have preconceived notions about what sex should be like. If a spouse does not meet these expectations, problems could occur with their intimacy. A healthy, intimate sexual relationship should be exclusive between two people and about experiencing and discovering things with each other.

How do you protect yourself from pornography’s negative effects when it seems to be readily available everywhere? Take away the temptations as much as possible. Don’t use your computer in your room alone with your door shut. It’s too tempting. Don’t keep your smart phone in your room with you all night. It’s too tempting. When someone presents inappropriate material to you, say no thanks, I’m not into that. Guard the purity of your mind. You’re worth it, your health is worth it, and your relationships are worth it.