Advocating for Youth in a Hypersexualized World
Pornography and hypersexualized media have become pervasive in the lives of young people. Over 70% of teens admit to watching online pornography, and more than half report seeing pornography by age 13.
“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. The statistics on the negative effects of this exposure on young people’s social, emotional, cognitive, and sexual health are staggering.
“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.”
For years, Lopez has raised awareness about human rights and social justice, focusing on women’s issues. She is part of a dedicated global community — including advocates, doctors, parents, educators, and policy professionals — working to mitigate the impact of hypersexualized media on youth. Based on their professional experience, each offers unique insights and solutions to these pressing challenges.
To effectively combat the harms of pornography, we must break down silos that hinder collaboration, allowing us to enhance our knowledge and share resources. In this interview, we hear from Lopez and two other women whose diverse work aims to protect young people in our rapidly changing digital world. Though their work spans continents and industries, they share a common mission: to create a safer environment for youth to thrive.
On December 5, 2024, they will join Culture Reframed and more than 15 professionals for an international virtual conference, Breaking Down Silos: Addressing the Harms of Pornified Media on Youth. This groundbreaking event will dig deep into critical issues, sharing insights and solutions to reframe the conversation about pornography and drive meaningful social change. Learn more and register to join here.
Meet the participants:
Romina Gatt Lopez is a feminist activist, researcher, and freelance consultant who raises awareness about human rights and social justice, particularly women’s issues. She focuses on prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Europe. She has collaborated with many organizations, including Dar Hosea, Malta Women’s Lobby, European Women’s Lobby, Payoke, and SexSense. Lopez builds networks to fight violence against women and girls through awareness and comprehensive sex education.
Dr. Elizabeth Milovidov is a lawyer, law professor, child online protection expert, and founder of DigitalParentingCoach.com, a resource for parents and caregivers. With more than 20 years of experience as a digital child rights advocate, she has advised government and child protection agencies, non-profits, and think tanks on public awareness campaigns, research initiatives, and public policy strategies related to digital safety, parenting, and well-being.
Dr. Vian Nguyen is a board-certified OB-GYN. After five years in private practice, she joined Legacy Community Health as a provider, later serving as the OB-GYN Medical Director before being promoted to Chief Medical Officer. As CMO, she worked to reshape community healthcare through education, technology, and quality care. Today, Dr. Nguyen is committed to pioneering healthcare, drawing inspiration from the innovative approaches of other industries.
Can you describe your professional background and how it relates to protecting children from the harms of hypersexualized media and pornography?
Romina: More than seven years ago, I started working at a drop-in center for women involved in prostitution. I learned about the traumatic realities they face and realized that prostitution is often the result of grooming, coercion, and manipulation — not a choice. These women ignited my passion for advocacy. At the same time, I was completing my Master’s in Gender, Society, and Culture, where I learned how social scripts influenced by the media and the social sphere are prominent factors in shifting attitudes and behavior, particularly for youths. Since then, I’ve built networks with other international NGOs to develop comprehensive sex education and raise awareness of trafficking, prostitution, and sexual exploitation of women and girls.
Vian: While in college, I served as a Child Advocate for several years, which gave me my first real insight into the challenges and risks that children face. As an OB-GYN, I later witnessed how these early, unmanaged exposures can profoundly shape the decisions my patients make later in life.
More and more frequently I encounter parents who are concerned about pornography but do not know what to do or how to speak to their children about it.
Elizabeth: I am a lawyer, law professor, and child online protection expert who provides resources on digital parenting to parents and caregivers. I found my passion in this after completing my doctoral dissertation on children’s rights and the internet. Through my work, I empower parents to protect children from online dangers, among them pornography. More and more frequently I encounter parents who are concerned about pornography but do not know what to do or how to speak to their children about it.
What motivated you to work in this field?
Elizabeth: In 2005, I started a Ph.D. program where I researched the intersection between law, technology, and children. A few years later, I created my consulting practice, where I tasked myself with creating awareness for digital families in order to boost their digital confidence and citizenship. I was not always successful, but I continued my outreach to families. Eventually, I concluded that parents and caregivers were ill-equipped to parent in the digital age because they were not aware of online harms and risks in general and they had no idea of the impact of pornified media specifically.
I spoke to teenagers who told me that apps like OnlyFans, were becoming the norm and that it wasn’t uncommon to find links to adult entertainers in their social media feeds. The hypersexualization that teenagers saw in their daily feeds became banal.
My mission shifted slightly, and I took it upon myself to provide parents with the tools and strategies to connect with their children and conversation starters for some of these topics that parents wanted to avoid. As I continued my own work, I found the Cultured Reframed Parents Program, and to this day, I continue to share this invaluable resource with parents and caregivers.
Romina: The women I’ve met over the years who have been trafficked and prostituted have taught me invaluable lessons. Their courage, resilience, and determination in the face of trauma ignited a fire within me and deepened my interest in studying the cultural contexts fueling the sex trade.
As a mother of two teenagers, I feel even more compelled to engage in this field. Influential female academics and activists, especially Dr. Gail Dines, whose TED Talk “Growing Up in a Pornified Culture” was eye-opening, have shaped my perspective. Her insights highlighted the dangers of normalizing pornography and its links to violence against women and girls, emphasizing how these issues are trivialized and glamorized as “sex work.”
The realities of the victims I meet through international anti-trafficking NGOs have made me realize that we cannot combat prostitution and human trafficking alone. We urgently need comprehensive sex education in schools, incorporating a porn-critical lens, feminist perspectives, media literacy, and a critical view of human trafficking and exploitation. This education should extend to students, teachers, and caregivers alike.
What strategies do you recommend for parents and caregivers to build resilience and resistance to hypersexualized media and pornography?
Vian: I encourage parents to find a balance between staying informed about what their children are watching and empowering them to make healthy decisions on their own. It’s not as simple as turning on parental controls or restricting access to certain platforms — it requires deeper conversations. If parents don’t feel equipped to have these discussions, it’s important to find a trusted resource for their kids to turn to when they’re curious or exposed to something unexpectedly.
“It’s not as simple as turning on parental controls or restricting access to certain platforms — it requires deeper conversations.”
Elizabeth: As with any online issue, parents and caregivers need to have open and honest communications with their children and young people. Parents and caregivers need to be supportive and non-judgemental as they guide their children in the digital age and they need to realize that the child-curious ‘playing doctor’ of yesterday has been replaced by online chat and behavior. Rather than freaking out, parents and caregivers can recognize that they have a role to play by starting a dialogue and stressing healthy online behaviors. With respect to resilience and resistance, parents and caregivers can regularly talk with their families about consent, boundaries, and respect, while providing strategies to help children exit inappropriate or uncomfortable online communications.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work when addressing the influence of pornified culture?
Romina: The main challenges I’ve faced come from both schools and parents when trying to introduce comprehensive sex education. The absence of sex education leads to increased curiosity for pornography, which tends to blur the lines between fantasy and reality. Consequently, this creates harmful gender stereotypes, often resulting in early unhealthy and unprotected sexual encounters, a lack of empathy, and the inability to build healthy and balanced relationships.
Many schools are resistant to openly discussing this topic due to cultural concerns, which they believe would impede conversations about pornography. Common responses I hear include claims that “Our students do not engage with such material” or “We never had experiences like this in our school.” For an effective and fruitful outcome, families should be informed about such measures beforehand through sensitive and cultural-based conversations in schools.
Vian: Our challenge in protecting our kids from the adult industry is greater than ever because it is deeply woven into our daily routines through social media and our devices. Now more than ever, we need to educate our children about the warning signs before they are exposed, as the age of exposure is not only younger but much easier than it once was.
What emerging trends do you think could either help or hinder efforts to protect children from hypersexualized content?
Vian: Emerging trends that can help protect children include more sophisticated parental control tools, AI-based content filtering, and educational programs that teach kids about digital literacy and media consumption from an early age. These advancements can empower parents and give kids the tools to navigate online spaces safely. However, the rise of platforms with disappearing content, like certain social media apps and the increasing ease of accessing adult material through private or encrypted channels can hinder these efforts. The hypersexualization of content on mainstream social media, often driven by influencers and trends, blurs the line between what is considered “normal” and what is inappropriate for kids, making it crucial to have ongoing conversations and proactive education to help them recognize harmful content early on.
“The hypersexualization of content on mainstream social media, often driven by influencers and trends, blurs the line between what is considered ‘normal’ and what is inappropriate for kids, making it crucial to have ongoing conversations and proactive education to help them recognize harmful content early on.”
Romina: To protect children from harmful exposure to hypersexualized content, we must address gaps in legislation by enforcing age-appropriate material, implementing secure identification tools, and ensuring user-friendly parental controls, including default ad-filtering and blocking on home devices. We also need to raise public awareness about the harms of pornography and introduce and/or strengthen comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education in schools. Additionally, hotlines and helplines should be made available for children seeking safe assistance related to pornography exposure.
What advice would you give to other professionals looking to make a difference in this area?
Elizabeth: I would advise other professionals to stay the course! Even though at times, it may seem as if it’s one step forward, three steps back, we are truly making a difference. In today’s world, where hypersexualized content is seen in public spaces, billboards, televisions, streaming services, and more, we have a huge role to play in creating safer online spaces for children. Every step that we take allows children to grow up with healthier, positive experiences online and allows parents and caregivers to support their children with time-tested strategies that build resilience. Stay the course — impact is being made.
Romina: Equip yourself with current research and tools in the field and continuously explore new approaches. Network and collaborate with organizations dedicated to making a difference. Reach out to other professionals to seek support — this is a massive industry and success requires support. Share your knowledge and voice. The more we collaborate and share, the better understanding we will have. These are all key factors that have helped shape my career. I am constantly building and reaching out to other professionals and activists who continue to inspire and encourage me along the way!
Join Culture Reframed on December 5, 2024, for an international virtual conference to help us build coalitions for action against pornography. This important and timely event will bring together the widespread, dedicated community of passionate individuals around the world who are working tirelessly to counter the effects of hypersexualized media and porn on young people.
