July 2026: The Key to a Safer Digital World? Talking About It
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.
As Dr. Gail Dines said in a recent interview, no parent can be expected to solve a public health crisis alone. “It takes many people to come to the table,” she said. All of us—families, schools, professionals, advocates, researchers, policymakers, and young people—have a role to play in building healthier environments for the next generation.
In this issue, you’ll meet our newest team member, Erica Merrill, a former Child Forensic Interviewer working with her local CACs, whose passion for advocacy and prevention is helping us expand our impact. You’ll also find our latest fact sheet on the complex ways pornography affects neurodivergent youth, and information about joining our Youth Advisory Council. If you know a young leader who cares about the effects of hypersexualized porn culture on young people and wants to make a difference, I encourage you to share this opportunity with them.
One of the most meaningful ways to create change is simply by starting conversations. Discover our latest resources below, share them with a colleague or friend, and discuss what you’ve learned with a young person in your life. Every conversation shifts our culture toward one that allows young people to thrive. Thank you for being here!
— Dr. Mandy Sanchez
Director of Programming, Culture Reframed
Meet Erica Merrill, Program Assistant!
“That’s what’s important to me: being brave enough to say when something is wrong, standing by that, creating change for younger generations and those to come, and being an advocate.” –Erica Merrill, Program Assistant
Join us in welcoming Erica Merrill to the Culture Reframed team as our new Program Assistant! After years of supporting children and families through social work and forensic interviewing, Erica saw firsthand the evolving challenges young people face in today’s digital and hypersexualized culture. Those experiences shaped her commitment to advocacy, prevention, and creating safer environments for children and families.
In this Q&A, she shares what drew her to Culture Reframed, why its mission resonates so deeply, and what she’s most excited to support to help advance education, advocacy, and prevention efforts to create a safer future for young people.
New Resource: Understanding Pornography’s Effect on Neurodivergent Youth
Because neurodivergent youth learn primarily through direct examples, are more sensitive to highly stimulating content, and often receive less comprehensive sex education, they may be especially vulnerable to pornography’s harms. Our new fact sheet illuminates the top takeaways from our review of the latest research on pornography’s effect on neurodivergent youth—and what adults can do to help.
Make a Difference on Our Youth Advisory Council!
We are seeking youth leaders aged 15–24 who can help us shape Culture Reframed’s future programs and initiatives through our Youth Advisory Council. Council members have the unique and exciting opportunity to:
- Engage and foster community with other like-minded youth passionate about cultivating authentic, healthy relationships with themselves and others.
- Develop a professional skill set (advocacy, problem-solving, marketing, etc.) and build a robust resume.
- Advocate for critical digital media literacy for young people.
If you know someone who would be a good candidate, please share this opportunity with them!
Hear From Gail
Gail Discusses the Growing Reality of Young People’s Exposure to Pornography
In a recent interview with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Dr. Gail Dines discussed the ways hypersexualized digital environments and pornified culture are shaping childhood, relationships, and development.
Drawing on decades of research, Gail explains why this issue requires more than individual action from parents—it demands education, public awareness, and collective responsibility. “You can’t expect [a parent] to solve a public health crisis,” she shares. “It takes many people to come to the table.”
Gail also highlights the importance of equipping adults with the tools to have ongoing, age-appropriate conversations with young people—not one big conversation, but many small ones that build trust and resilience over time.
Upcoming Events
Crimes Against Children Conference
August 2–6 | Dallas, TX
Internationally recognized, the conference is the largest of its kind, presented annually by the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, and provides practical, interactive instruction to those fighting crimes against children and helping children heal. Dr. Mandy Sanchez will present “Growing Up in a Porn Culture: The Harms to Youth and New Resources for CACs.”
40th Annual Children’s Network Conference
September 2–3 | San Bernardino County, CA
Mandy will deliver a workshop, “Growing up in a Porn Culture: The Social, Emotional, & Cognitive Effects & A Public Health Solution,” to one of the Inland Empire’s premier training events for hundreds of social work, mental health, juvenile justice, child development, and child welfare professionals, as well as parents and caregivers.
GFNF4Kids Treasure Coast Child Summit
September 22–26 | Port St. Lucie, FL
Mandy will deliver a keynote presentation and a breakout session at this summit—an educational experience and training opportunity for professionals who work closely with children and others with an interest in children’s issues in the community. Law enforcement, child advocates, and special guest keynote speakers speak on topics regarding child abuse and safety.
New York State Children’s Alliance Leadership Conference
October 27–28 | Saratoga Springs, NY
Multidisciplinary team members and child advocacy professionals come together at this conference to connect, learn, and strengthen their work supporting children and families. Mandy will deliver the keynote presentation, “Growing up in a Porn Culture: The Social, Emotional, & Cognitive Effects & A Public Health Solution.”
JuST Conference
October 27–29 | Washington, DC
This conference provides practical knowledge and actionable responses to raise awareness and ultimately end juvenile sex trafficking (JuST) in local communities. Gail will present one of our new talks, “OnlyFans: Where Social Media and Pornography Meet Trafficking.”
What Others Are Saying
What Is Pornmaxxing? “Love Island” and the Performance of Desire (Psychology Today)
Porn scripts are learned early and reinforced constantly, not just from pornography itself. Reality TV is teaching a generation to perform desire and re-enact these scripts, and the costs are serious. Read more.
The Malignant Rise of OnlyFans Managers: ‘It’s Exploiting. It’s Grooming. It’s Predatory’ (The Guardian)
As the pornography platform has exploded in popularity, a side industry has emerged: middlemen who encourage young women into the industry, then take a large cut of their earnings. Read more.
OnlyFans: Inside the Machine Review – Monumentally Grim and Unsexy TV (The Guardian)
Amber Haque’s film shows how hordes of men are using online platforms to exploit young people—and how big tech is turning a blind eye. Read more.
Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse (The New Yorker)
How the defining figure of the manosphere built a fortune—and became a political force—by systematically exploiting women. Read more.
Thank You for Taking Our Survey🧡
Thank you to everyone who took our survey this month! We received over 250 valuable insights to help shape our programming, communications, and fundraising strategies going forward. Your time means so much to us.
