October 2024: Advocating for Youth in a Hypersexualized World

Culture Reframed is the premier science-based, global organization working to stop the emotional, behavioral, and sexual harms of pornography to children and youth. Join our online community to receive updates on our work, announcements of upcoming events, and the latest news related to pornography and youth.

Today’s youth are navigating an unprecedented, dangerous digital landscape; we must do everything we can to break down barriers and collaborate for solutions against the harms of pornography on youth.

In this month’s newsletter, you’ll hear from three remarkable individuals — activist Romina Gatt Lopez, child online protection expert Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov, and board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Vian Nguyen. Their collective work spans continents and disciplines, but they share a unified mission: creating a safer digital world for young people. You can hear more from them and many others, myself included, at our international virtual event on December 5th. (Registration is now open for “Breaking Down Silos: Addressing the Harms of Pornified Media on Youth.”)

We’re also revisiting a timely interview with Dr. Gail Dines in which she shares her role in U.S. age verification legislation and addresses common concerns about the laws, which are a crucial step in defending kids from the harms of pornography.

— Dr. Eric Silverman
Research Associate, Culture Reframed

“Effortless online access to pornography is leading to early, often accidental exposure, which harms the overall well-being of young children, particularly their psychological and physical development,” says activist Romina Gatt Lopez. In our latest interview, you’ll hear from Romina alongside Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov and Dr. Vian Nguyen, three women whose diverse work aims to protect young people in our rapidly changing digital world. Though their work spans continents and disciplines, they share a common mission to create a safer environment for youth to thrive. Read the article at the link below, and register to attend our December virtual event, “Breaking Down Silos: Addressing the Harms of Pornified Media on Youth,” to hear more from each speaker.

Join us on Thursday, December 5, 2024, for an international virtual conference, Breaking Down Silos: Addressing the Harms of Pornified Media on Youth. The conference will provide a platform for leading experts and activists from around the world to discuss their experiences and unique perspectives in the fight against the harmful effects of porn on youth.

What you can expect:

• In-Depth Knowledge and Research: Hear the latest research and statistics on the negative impacts of pornography on young people. This includes insights into its effects on social, emotional, cognitive, and sexual health, as well as emerging issues like digital exploitation, dangerous sexual trends, and AI-related challenges.
• Collaborative Strategies and Solutions: Explore innovative solutions and strategies that various communities and experts are implementing to combat the negative effects of pornography. Discover successful approaches and practical resources for building coalitions and enhancing their own efforts against the harmful influence of porn.
• Networking and Coalition Building: Connect with like-minded individuals and organizations — including parents, educators, advocates, professionals, and activists— to foster partnerships and collective action to effectively address the issue of pornography and hypersexualization.

We hope you will join us for this groundbreaking conference and help us pave a path toward meaningful social change.

As age verification laws gain steam in more states across the U.S., we’re revisiting this interview with Dr. Gail Dines, Founder & CEO of Culture Reframed. Gail’s role in the passage of these laws has involved consulting with various state legislators to share research on the dangerous impact of pornography sites on the development of young people. To concerns about whether these laws are foolproof, Gail states, “The technology will evolve, and a changing ecosystem that seeks to block minors from accessing porn is more effective than no system at all.”

Take a look at where you can find Culture Reframed’s Dr. Mandy Sanchez in the coming weeks:

• JuST Conference 2024 (Phoenix, AZ): On Tuesday, October 22 Mandy will present “Connecting the Social Media, Gaming, Porn, & Sex Trafficking Prevention Education Framework.” Learn more and register here.
• One Loud Voice Conference (Biloxi, MS): Mandy will present various workshops during the conference, which will take place November 12-14. View the agenda to learn more and sign up!

High School Is Becoming a Cesspool of Sexually Explicit Deepfakes (The Atlantic)

AI-generated child-sexual abuse images have reached an overwhelming presence in schools across the U.S. A new study from the Center for Democracy and Technology reveals that 15% of students have heard about a “deepfake” of someone associated with their high school. Read more.

Girls of 14 Most Common Group to Report Rape, Home Secretary Reveals (The Times)

Data in England and Whales is showing that female rape victims are getting younger — the most common age is now 14. Lack of appropriate sex and relationship education combined with a flurry of hypersexualized media is one of the main causes. Read more.

Age Verification (LAist)

California is advancing an age verification bill for porn sites, with assembly members emphasizing the need to protect children from exposure to harmful and violent sexual content. Read more.

‘It’s Not a Solution for Teen Girls Like Me’: Instagram’s New Under-18 Rules Met With Skepticism (The Guardian)

Meta’s changes in response to the Kids Online Safety Act still may not go far enough in protecting the well-being of teens in the U.S. — especially when it comes to girls’ body image. Read more.

Our supporters make our work possible, fueling our mission to create a healthy, equality-based culture that supports young people’s well-being. Donations from our community strengthen and extend our global impact, allowing us to produce free and accessible resources. Join our community of Culture Reframed Champions by setting up a monthly gift. Together, we can build this movement to address the emotional, behavioral, and sexual harms of pornography on young people.

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