The massive consumption of pornography during adolescence is a reality that adults are – more or less – aware of, whether they like it or not. There is no point in deluding yourself and thinking that our son does not consume it: the data does not lie. According to the latest Save the Children report, published in 2020, Sexual (Dis)Information: Pornography and adolescence, seven out of ten adolescents regularly consume pornography, mostly boys. But the age at onset is also getting younger and is currently around 11 years, although studies warn that it sometimes starts as early as nine years, usually not through a targeted search.
The implications of this reality, which have already seeped into the deliberations of sexologists, are not at all encouraging. First, there is the issue of addiction, explained by psychologist and sexologist José Luis García, also author of the books Your Children Are Watching Porn, What Are You Going To Do? and your kids are watching porn, what can families do? “The physiological, psychological and social characteristics of adolescence, the profound and rapid changes that take place in a short time, make up a high-risk stage, the mother of all addictions,” says the expert. And pornography is one of the most powerful, he adds.
More information
The reasons for this vulnerability are manifold. But probably the most important is the brain: “Our primary brain is particularly receptive to what has to do with survival and sexual stimuli necessary to initiate and sustain the process of sexual response throughout life.” For García, audiovisual stimuli are the strongest, especially in a screen society; They go like a shot into the brain’s reward center, stimulating the production of dopamine, creating intense sexual excitement and the resulting erotic satisfaction. “Let’s also remember that we are talking about children with developing brains who have fewer resources to deal with stimuli as powerful as porn, which are exciting and enjoyable. It’s very difficult to reason with an orgasm, and even more so at 15 or 16…” he adds.
The Dangers of Addiction
The problem of addiction goes beyond the “a lot” of time that adolescents can spend in front of a screen watching porn; something that, according to Professor Lluís Ballester of the University of the Balearic Islands, 25% of young people could do between 1,000 and 5,000 hours before they turn 20. “By becoming a drug, a dependency pattern is created that affects young people’s tolerance of the content. This addiction can mean that boys and girls have to watch more and more pornography to get aroused, and even when it’s not there, they don’t understand it,” explains Rosa Navarro, sexologist and product consultant at Diversual, a specialist in erotic toys Business.
García adds, “The process of exposure to porn involves some habituation to certain stimuli; That means they need more and more exposure time and stronger films, including illegal ones. Sensitivity is altered and real intercourse loses its ability to arouse, it is not enough to provoke these necessary thresholds”.
Mainstream porn, which is what teens watch because it’s free, unlimited, and very accessible, tends to be violent. How this aggressiveness can affect boys and girls can be very serious. “There are two perverted ideas that bother me greatly that are conveyed through pornographic videos: first, that it is very easy to have sexual relations with any woman, and second, that they all enjoy pressure, they like to be forced , that’s what they want, become one of them, sexual wolves to give the boy unlimited pleasure,” García explains.
power relations and submission
This is happening because, as Anel Martínez, sexologist at Myhixel — a company dedicated to male sexual health — confirms, boys have no references for information: “There is no real sex education and they still use porn as a medium of education about sex that porn is the science fiction of sexuality.” This leads them to believe that sexual encounters are identical to what they see in the videos, which, according to the expert, may mean that young people experience power- and seek relationships of submission. “The reality is that minors today have been raised on porn, their sex education is based on it. The effects that this has are the normalization of group sexual assaults, recording of sexual encounters between minors and their subsequent dissemination without consent,” adds Martínez.
Andrés Suro, also a sexologist, adds: “Today’s minors were brought up in porn, their sex education is based on it. The effects this is having is the normalization of group sexual assaults, recording of sexual encounters between minors and their subsequent dissemination without consent.” There’s another problem, Suro explains, and that’s that porn “can lead to some sexual health issues like erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, orgasmic dysfunction, among others; also relationship problems and low self-esteem”. This expert mentions that according to a study done at the University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires (Argentina) entitled Pornography consumption among adolescents and its impact on mental health before the arrival of the Internet, “the percentage of erectile dysfunction in men under 40 was 3%; currently it is between 14 and 35%”.
This is also indicated in Give it a spin, a porn addiction popularization website, where they cite a decreasing interest in real sex as side effects of overconsumption of porn; loss of sensitivity and affection; understand people as equal to products; loneliness and disinterest in friendships; anxiety, depression and a feeling of emptiness; and risky sexual practices. In this sense, all the experts interviewed speak of a lack of protection. “In this type of content, condom use is conspicuous by its absence. This can lead to the assumption that it is normal not to use contraceptive methods during a sexual relationship, with the risk that this entails,” says Rosa Navarro.
What can parents do?
García is clear: fathers and mothers must educate themselves and their children from an early age. The sooner the better: “You have to reckon that when you see the first images, you will have a radically different view of what you will find. And don’t punish or ban. Don’t blame yourself.” For the expert, adolescents must learn to make decisions aimed at taking care of their health and that of others. García gives the example of anal penetration practiced by adolescents: “Without pleasure, with pain, um pleasing her boyfriend because her boyfriends say so, or because the girl in porn is having a great time and always enjoys it.”
Since you can’t put doors on the pitch, Rosa Navarro suggests leaving the windows open: “Introduce them to other audiovisual alternatives with a less aggressive vision that convey more positive sexual roles to them.” There are alternatives, but sometimes it can be difficult for us as mothers and fathers to recommend adult content to our sons and daughters. They need to do field research beforehand and try to show them alternatives that will show the diversity and enjoyment of the people who engage in these sexual practices.”
You can follow Mamas & Papas on Facebook, Twitter or sign up here to receive our bi-weekly newsletter.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits