Ore: What It Is and Why We Need It

The Allure of the Algorithm

Ore Oduba's recent revelation about his porn addiction, starting at the age of nine, is disturbing. It's also, unfortunately, not an outlier. While the headlines focus on the individual case, the real story is the systemic factors driving this trend. We need to look at this through a wider lens than just "personal failing". The internet, with its readily available content, is basically engineered to addict.

The key here is understanding how easy it is to get hooked. The numbers don't lie: accessibility is the accelerant. Back in the day, you had to sneak into a seedy store or hope to find something illicit online. Now? It's a couple of taps on a phone. And that's where the danger lies. We're talking about rewiring reward pathways in the brain at an unprecedented scale, and at increasingly younger ages.

I've looked at hundreds of these addiction reports, and what stands out is the age of first exposure. Nine years old? That's not just a kid stumbling across something; that's a kid being pulled in by algorithms designed to maximize engagement. It's a subtle but crucial distinction. The content creators aren't solely to blame; the platforms are complicit. What responsibility do tech companies have in shaping these behaviors?

The Illusion of Control

It's easy to dismiss porn addiction as a "moral failing," but that misses the underlying reality: the game is rigged. The platforms are designed to provide a never-ending stream of novelty, triggering dopamine release. This isn't about willpower; it's about fighting against sophisticated algorithms that are constantly learning and adapting to exploit our vulnerabilities.

Addiction specialists point to warning signs like increased secrecy, neglecting responsibilities, and failed attempts to cut back. But these are symptoms, not causes. The cause is the constant bombardment of hyper-stimulating content, readily available and algorithmically personalized. (The personalization, by the way, is the insidious part.) As Ore Oduba admits to being addicted to porn since he was NINE, addiction specialists share the warning signs you or a loved one is hooked on X-rated material

I've noticed a pattern in addiction narratives: the individual feels a sense of shame and isolation, which only reinforces the cycle. They feel like they're the only one struggling, when, statistically, they're far from alone. The problem is we are not addressing the root of the problem which is the easy access to porn.

So, What's the Real Story?

This isn't about Ore Oduba; it's about the millions of others silently struggling with a system that's designed to addict. The focus needs to shift from individual blame to systemic accountability. Until we address the underlying drivers, these stories will keep repeating.