June 2025: Expert Tips on Talking with Your Kids About Sex and Porn

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 summer unfolds and kids’ screen time inevitably surges, now is the perfect time to reengage with how we’re supporting the young people in our lives to navigate the digital world with clarity, confidence, and resilience.

We know the challenges that come with raising youth in an environment saturated with hypersexualized media and easy access to pornography. But we also know the power of community — of parents, educators, and advocates coming together to share tools, evidence-based strategies, and encouragement.

This month’s newsletter is packed with helpful insights. From our upcoming free webinar on healthy digital habits, to expert tips on talking with kids about sexual health, to resources like our “COMPOSE Yourself” model — our goal is to equip you with tools that are not only practical, but empowering.

Together, we can help shape a healthier culture — one that protects the well-being of younger generations and supports their growth into respectful, informed, and emotionally healthy adults.

— Dr. Eric Silverman
Research Associate, Culture Reframed

On average, children between the ages of 8 and 12 in the U.S. spend up to six hours a day on screens. For teens, that number jumps to upwards of nine hours. Studies show that excessive screen time and the content young people engage with can negatively impact their well-being.

Join us on July 31, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET for an eye-opening conversation with digital wellness experts, Julia Storm and Adrienne Principe. Moderated by Dr. Mandy Sanchez, the free webinar will help parents and caregivers empower young people to practice healthy digital habits. You’ll walk away with an understanding of:

• The impact of screens and tech on youth
• A “smart, not scared” approach to digital wellness with youth
• How to keep kids safe online, including how to respond if they’ve been exposed to pornography
• Best practices for keeping tech in check and tips for summer screentime

Sign up to join the webinar:

Are you nervous or hesitant to talk with your child about sexual health? Getting started can be the most challenging — and essential — part. You’re not alone in being reluctant about these conversations, say sex education experts Amy Lang, Founder of Birds and Bees and Kids, and Kerri Isham, Founder of Power Up Education. In this Q&A, they answer common parent questions about sexual health education and pornography.

We understand how daunting it can be to raise children in a hypersexualized culture that normalizes pornography. Our “COMPOSE Yourself” model helps parents and caregivers respond effectively when they discover their young person has viewed pornography. Download and share this helpful resource today.

Dr. Gail Dines was interviewed for an article on the concerning increase in incestual content in media and pornography. These concepts do not disappear once we put our screens away, she warns, saying, “We’re increasingly seeing pornographic ideas in the mainstream.”

Join us in welcoming three new Culture Reframed Board Members!

• Dr. Vian Nguyen, board-certified OB/GYN and CEO of Taboos
• Walter S. DeKeseredy, Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences, Director of the Research Center on Violence, and Professor of Sociology at West Virginia University
• Cathy Raphael, Founding Mother of the Women and Girls Foundation of Southwest PA

We’re grateful for the vital expertise these leaders bring to advance our mission of protecting youth from the harms of pornography and empowering the next generation to develop healthy, respectful, and resilient relationships.

Here’s where you can find the Culture Reframed team next month:

2025 Digital Media and Developing Minds International Scientific Congress

July 13–16 | Washington, D.C.
Experts from across disciplines will explore how digital media use impacts the social, psychological, cognitive, behavioral, and physical development of children and adolescents. Dr. Mandy Sanchez will join the Cyber Risk and Violence panel.

Krimes Against Kids Annual Conference

July 22–25 | Orlando, Florida
This event includes over 50 workshops for law enforcement personnel, child protective service personnel, victim advocates, attorneys, therapists, counselors, prosecutors, and social workers. Dr. Mandy Sanchez will deliver a workshops on “Growing up in a Porn Culture” and “Connecting Social Media, Gaming, Porn, & Sex Trafficking.”

International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference

September 17–19 | Virtual
This virtual conference aims to unite the global community to learn, connect, and collaborate to combat human trafficking and promote social justice. Dr. Gail Dines and Dr. Mandy Sanchez will deliver the presentation, “Social Media, Porn, & Artificial Intelligence (AI): The New Faces of Trafficking.”

The Mass Trauma of Porn (After Babel)

“We learned the wrong things about love,” says Freya India in a powerful essay on the deep harms the porn industry has inflicted on Gen Z. Read more.

Misogyny in the Metaverse: Is Mark Zuckerberg’s Dream World a No-Go Area for Women? (The Guardian)

Graphic sexual content, bullying, abuse, and threats of violence are rife in the metaverse, and the NSPCC says a vast proportion of online grooming offenses take place on Meta-owned products. Read more.

What We Know About Pornography and Adolescents (Psychology Today)

A research roundup from Psychology Today shows that adolescents’ unprecedented access to pornography has led to widespread adverse effects on their sexual and mental health. Read more.

How Parents Can Facilitate Sex-Ed for Teens with ADHD (ADDitude Magazine)

Sexual health conversations should be an ongoing discussion with teenagers, “especially for teens with ADHD,” says ADDitude Magazine. Read conversation starters and more.

What Broke Teenage Romance? (Vox)

The “loneliness epidemic,” the ubiquity of porn, and excessive technology use may be to blame for the steady decline in dating amongst teens. But yearning for connection hasn’t decreased, reports Vox. Read more.

Donors make our work possible, fueling our mission to create a healthy, equality-based culture that supports young people’s well-being. You can be part of the solution. We invite you to make a gift to drive the continuation of this important work. Together, we can work to drive meaningful social change and stop the emotional, behavioral, and sexual harms of pornography on young people.

Sign up here to receive updates on our work, announcements of upcoming events, and the latest news related to pornography and youth