June 2026: Protecting Marginalized Communities in Our Digital, Pornified Culture
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.
For many families, summer brings more free time, more independence, and often, more time spent online. While digital technology can offer opportunities for learning and connection, it also increases young people’s exposure to hypersexualized media and pornography and algorithm-driven content that shape how they understand themselves, relationships, and the world around them — increasing the risk factors that marginalized youth already face.
In this issue, we share highlights from our recent webinar, “Raising Boys in the Age of Porn Culture,” exploring how pornography and broader cultural messages influence young people’s developing ideas about masculinity, relationships, and respect. We also invite you to explore “Invisible Harm: The Consequences of Pornography on Neurodivergent Youth,” our recent report examining the unique ways digital sexual media environments may affect neurodivergent young people, and Dr. Mandy Sanchez’s interview on the importance of inclusive sex education for LGBTQ+ youth.
Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, educator, advocate, or professional, your presence in a young person’s life matters. The conversations we have, the questions we ask, and the support we provide can help young people navigate today’s digital world more safely, with greater resilience, and with a stronger sense of connection.
— Maggie Daman
Director of Operations, Culture Reframed
How Pornography Shapes Masculinity — and Why It Matters for Everyone
What does it mean to “be a man” in a culture where pornography, social media, and online influencers increasingly shape how boys learn about relationships, power, and identity?
That question was at the center of Culture Reframed’s recent webinar, Raising Boys in the Age of Porn Culture, featuring educator and author Dr. Jackson Katz and filmmaker and activist Byron Hurt. Drawing on decades of experience in gender violence prevention, media literacy, and work with boys and men, the conversation examined the connections between pornography, the manosphere, and male violence, while also offering practical insights for parents, educators, and community leaders.
Seeking Applicants: Culture Reframed 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 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 anyone who would be a good candidate, please share this opportunity with them.
Invisible Harm: The Consequences of Pornography on Neurodivergent Youth
What do child advocates need to know about the unique risks of pornography exposure to neurodivergent youth? Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship, a recent Culture Reframed report illuminates how highly stimulating, rapidly escalating, and reward-optimizing sexual media environments may interact with neurodevelopmental characteristics, such as heightened reward sensitivity, reliance on explicit modeling, differences in sensory and social processing, and constrained access to sexual learning opportunities.
The Imperative of Inclusive Sex Education for LGBTQ+ Youth
In the absence of comprehensive sex education, youth often seek out information through pornography, imparting inaccurate and harmful messages about sex and relationships that can further intensify the risks faced by marginalized groups. Sex education curriculum that presents traditional gendered identities and heterosexual relationships as normative, along with an absence of LGBTQ+ inclusivity, often promotes stigma and harmful stereotypes. “This places LGBTQ+ youth at a greater risk of violence and creates sexual and reproductive health disparities, especially for LGBTQ+ youth of color,” Dr. Mandy Sanchez says.
In this interview with Mandy, learn more about the critical need for inclusive sex education that fosters acceptance, reduces bullying and violence, and improves the mental and emotional health of all young people.
Hear From US
The Conversation About Men and Pornography That No One Wants to Have
In a recent interview with Deseret News, Dr. Gail Dines weighed in on a new American Institute for Boys and Men report calling for more research on pornography’s effects on boys and men. Gail argued that the report’s data did not match the conclusions and that decades of evidence already point to significant harms, stating: “If you want (boys) to learn intimacy, connection, and how to develop trust, you don’t go to pornography; you learn the very opposite there.” Read more.
Teen Pornography: The Conversation Parents Can’t Avoid
In a recent appearance on the Step Up to Save Our Children podcast, Dr. Mandy Sanchez discussed how pornography influences young people’s developing brains, mental health, relationships, and self-image. She also offered parents practical tools for setting digital boundaries, starting age-appropriate conversations, and building resilience in a hypersexualized online world. Watch now.
Upcoming Events
Take a look at where you’ll find our team in the coming months:
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. The event provides training to government and nonprofit agency employees in law enforcement, child protective services, social work, children’s advocacy, therapy, and medicine who work directly with child victims of crime. 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 annual 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.
What Others Are Saying
Young People Want to Know Whether They’ve Perpetrated a Sexual Assault. A Non-Profit Made a Tool for Them (The Guardian)
Vibe Check, a free and anonymous alternative to AI, guides teens through consent, boundaries, and apologies. Read more.
How to Get Your Kid off Screens for the Summer (Mashable)
A straightforward guide to reducing your child’s screen time when they’re out of school. Read more.
All the States and Countries With Online Age Verification Laws Right Now (Yahoo Tech)
The UK and Australia aren’t the only places cracking down. Read more.
What Is Teaching Teens About Love? (Psychology Today)
Lessons about love are everywhere, but new research supports parents stepping in. Read more.
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