Adolescents, Porn, and Mental Health: Understanding the Dangerous Effects of Porn on Developing Minds

The chances of a young person watching porn today — on purpose or by accident — are very high. In a recent report by Common Sense Media, three-quarters of teenagers admitted to viewing pornography by the age of 17. The average age of first exposure is 12. Of those surveyed, nearly 60 percent say they first stumbled upon pornography by accident.

What happens to an impressionable young mind when consuming sexually explicit material? Exposure to pornography can significantly impact a child’s development and mental health. Read more to learn how pornography affects the adolescent brain and the dangers it poses to the psychological and emotional well-being of developing young minds.

Pornography and the Adolescent Brain

Decades of research show that pornography has harmful effects on the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of adolescents. During this critical time of development, young people experience significant social, cognitive, biological, and psychological changes.

Pornography alters the brain, no matter the age of the viewer. It stimulates the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that allows us to feel pleasure. When engaging with pornography, the brain is overwhelmed with unnaturally high dopamine levels. This can alter the brain’s reward circuitry and impact its natural ability to produce that feel-good neurotransmitter. This can negatively impact mood and personality, contributing to feelings of isolation, depression, and anxiety.

Adolescents are particularly susceptible to this because of what is taking place during that stage of brain development. After early childhood, adolescence is the second most active time in terms of brain development — the adolescent brain is highly impressionable and vulnerable to forming patterns of behavior, which can be positive or negative, and they are laying down the foundations of neural pathways for years to come. This period of development can also make young people who watch porn more vulnerable to mental health issues, including:

• depressive symptoms
• reduced ability to interact in social situations
• trouble bonding with emotional caregivers
• behavioral problems
• sexual aggression
• low self-esteem and poor body image
• increased likelihood of emotional, social, and sexual problems in adult life

The emotional side effects of pornography consumption can negatively impact behavior. Adolescents who view porn are more likely to use illegal drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.

Pornography is also linked to poor relationship skills. Adolescent porn users often lack the social-emotional skills to say “no” to unhealthy relationship behaviors and unwanted sex. They rate themselves poorly at choosing trustworthy partners, communicating how they want to be treated, setting limits and realistic expectations, and actively making decisions rather than passively letting things happen to them.

Problematic or compulsive porn use has also been shown to impact academic performance, diminish working memory, interfere with decision-making, and increase addictive behaviors.

These developmental vulnerabilities, combined with rushes of neurochemicals during arousal and orgasm to pornography, result in a rewiring of the brain. While addiction is more common in young men than young women, studies show it can impact both. One-third of frequent pornography viewers admit that they watch pornography more than they want to.

Pornography Teaches Sexism and Violence Against Women

Pornography offers dangerous, misconstrued ideas about sex and relationships. Yet, according to a report by Common Sense Media nearly half of the teen respondents they surveyed said they felt pornography gives “helpful” information about sex.

This is concerning, considering porn teaches sexism and objectification. Adolescent boys who consume porn are more likely to value females only for their appearance and willingness to satisfy men’s desires.

Porn also normalizes violence against women. Reports show that nearly 90% of pornography depicts violence. Both boys and girls who view porn are more accepting of sexual violence against women and rape myths.

They are also more likely to trivialize sexual aggression. Studies have reported that rapes, violent crimes, and sexual assaults are higher in adolescents who spent greater time viewing sexually explicit content.

Adolescents may develop beliefs that what they see in pornography is acceptable and expected. With a lack of comprehensive sex education in the U.S. today, for many teenagers, pornography may be their sole source of “sex education.”

How to Protect Children From Pornography

As parents and caregivers, we can protect our children and teens from the harms of pornography by helping them build resilience to sexually explicit content. Having open and honest conversations is critical. The resources provided in our free courses for parents offer guidance on how to broach the subject. Our step-by-step guide will help you develop the confidence to support young people as they navigate the tricky terrain of hypersexualized culture.

Explore our Program for Parents of Tweens, aimed at parents and caregivers of kids aged 9 to 12 years old.

Explore our Program for Parents of Teens, designed for parents and caregivers of kids aged 13 to 18 years old.