Washington, Dec 22 (IANS): Porn addiction may be one of the reasons why most Americans are not tying the knot, says a study.

Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS) to analyse how 18 to 35-year-old men used the internet between 2000 and 2004, the team from the University of West Chester in the US measured the correlation between pornography use and marriage rates among 1,500 participants.

They focused on how many reported having used the internet to view pornography, the Washington Post reported.

Higher internet usage was associated with lower marriage rates.

Pornography use was more closely linked, than any other form of internet use, to participants who were not married.

"The results in this paper suggest that such an association exists and that it is potentially quite large," the authors added.

In younger adults, pornography may be viewed as a means of alternative sexual gratification, the study said.

The research was published in the journal of The Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany.