Do Porn Websites Changes the Way Teenagers Think About Sex?
Recently, one of my previous year students’ parent texted me to discuss her child’s daily schedule and wanted some suggestions. While discussing, she asked, “Sir, is it ok if I forbid my kid to browse over the internet? or if I sit with him while he is using a laptop, would it hinder his privacy?” She seems concerned and confused as she starts asking such questions. When I enquired what exactly puzzling her? she replied, “I think my child watches porn because his internet browser history is full of such websites. I think it’s not normal as he is only 14”. Every year, I came across at least 2 or 3 such parental anxieties regarding their kid’s disturbing cyber behaviour. Parents have become more concerned about their kids’ virtual routine, especially in this Covid era, where the internet is becoming more of a necessity for kids. How browsing pornography can affect teens’ overall idea of sex? What impacts does porn have on adolescents’ cognitive behaviour and personality?
For many young people, both boys and girls, pornography has become the default’ sex educator’. There can be several reasons behind such addiction, for example, the onset of puberty that brings drastic changes in adolescents’ lives. It can be a time of great curiosity and great confusion because Teen’s growing sexuality opens them up to too many questions and fantasies that have not existed before. Similarly, the context and culture where adolescents are growing up also play an essential role in developing such pornography addiction. As the children enter puberty, their sexual curiosities also accelerate, where sex education comes in handy. The countries where sex education is not part of their curricula leaves numerous unanswered questions in the teenage mind. And guess what? As it is now a general belief that Google has all the answers, this is where they ended up finding solutions to their unanswered and most profound queries.
Also Read | Why Parents Need to Aware of What Content Their Child Is Browsing?
The affects of Porn on Teenage Mind
Study shows porn has harmful impacts on young people and adults alike. Some results are deeply troubling, particularly pornography’s contribution to sexual violence. According to Alexandra Katehakis, the Founder of the Centre for Healthy Sex in Los Angeles, when an adolescent boy or girl compulsively views pornography, their brain chemistry can become shaped around the attitudes and situations they are watching. Sadly, pornography paints an unrealistic picture of sexuality and relationships that can create an expectation for real-life experiences that will never be fulfilled.
Another research suggests that pornography can shift sexual interests, behaviours and relationships. The study conducted in Denmark showed that young people’s exposure to (nonviolent) pornography led to less egalitarian attitudes and higher hostile sexism levels. Pornography shows us a world where relationships mean nothing and immediate sexual gratification means everything. Therefore, the adolescent viewer’s brain is wired to expect that sex and relationships are separate and that men and women’s bodies should be sexually exaggerated.
The question is, how much porn has been viewed daily in South Asia? Curiosity leads me to have little research of my own. However, the results may disturb you a little bit. Unfortunately, the recent Google Trend analysis reveals that both India and Pakistan are among the top 10 countries in terms of ‘porn-related searches. Interestingly, the trend drastically increased in 2020, most likely due to Covid-closures.
What can be done by Parents?
Dr Alexandra Katehakis suggests If you’re raising an adolescent, now is the time to talk to them in explicit detail about what interests them sexually. Are they more attracted to females or males? If so, do they have a crush on anyone? Take time to let them know that their sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of and that you’re going to put a filter on their computer to protect them from images that may be too much for their developing brain to handle. Where social networking is concerned, ask them if you can have access to their social site to become a part of their community of friends. Since sex education is profoundly lacking in our public schools, you should involve yourself in guiding and educating your kids about sex so that they can grow into healthy sexual adult.
Similarly, experts also suggest that parental controls on kids devices can go an incredibly long way in reducing the amount of pornography consumed. Creating a ‘Child Account’ on your kid’s devices can significantly reduce their ability to consume pornography or sexually abusive websites. The account restricts pornographic material on their devices, which frees you to educate them about relationships and sexuality to develop healthy attitudes and values. If you need to know how to set up a Child-friendly account on Windows 10, visit Here. Mac users click Here.
Lastly, stereotypically, we all believe that boys are more prone to such addictions than girls. However, some studies suggest girls are equally addicted to porn websites and sexually explicit content. Therefore, consider the above tips despite gender differences.