I don't really think the huge variety, instantly available without interaction with another human or any payment, viewable on a variety of devices, including handhelds ones you can take anywhere is “equivalent for most purposes” to VHS porn.
> Many people see dating as an enjoyable activity, not an annoyance that stands between them and their appetite for sex.
I dunno, I've known lots of people who saw dating as a annoyance that stands between them and their appetite for sex, and lots of people who see it as annoyance that stands between them and their appetite for a meaningful committed relationship, and relatively few who see dating in and of itself as an enjoyable thing, especially very few who do so after their early 20s.
Possible but I doubt most people enjoy dating that much. From my estimation, most people are annoyed while they are on the market and feel better when they are settled into a relationship. In fact, I suspect that the crappiness of dating is an evolutionary mechanism that pushes people into monogamy. In other words, the fact that dating is unpleasurable makes people more monogamous, improving offspring chances. Just my speculation.
Now you can have your _exact_ fantasy, at no social embarrassment, in the privacy of your home.
I can see why porn has an impact in people having less sex but, porn is nothing new. When I was a teenager in the 80s, porn was readily available in VHS. Slightly less convenient that online porn, but equivalent for most purpose.
> Men are far less willing to deal with all the pitfalls, annoyance and cost of dating
There's much more than sex in a relationship, and even in dating. Many people see dating as an enjoyable activity, not an annoyance that stands between them and their appetite for sex.