What Porn Teaches Kids About Sex

The internet has made access to pornography easier than ever, which raises concerns about how it influences young people’s perceptions of sex. In the U.S., sex education standards vary by state, leaving half of American teenagers with sex education that does not meet national goals. According to Common Sense Media, 45% of teens who consumed porn did so, in part, to learn about sex. It’s important to consider how pornography can impact adolescents and their understanding of sexuality.

Here, we identify three common and dangerous examples of the misconceptions pornography teaches young people about sex, and one important way to address it.

Misconceptions

1. Sex is violent.

Pornography often portrays dangerous and unrealistic sexual encounters. A study that examined the titles of pornographic videos on 3 popular pornography sites found that 1 in every 8 titles shown to first-time visitors described acts of violence. Violent pornographic videos skew young people’s perceptions of what is acceptable in sexual relationships.

For example, a study about the association between exposure to pornography and teen dating violence found that males are 3 times more likely and females are 1.5 times more likely to perpetrate teen dating violence if they’ve been exposed to pornography.

2. You have to look a certain way.

In many pornographic videos, an excessive emphasis is placed on physical appearance, with actors often conforming to specific body standards. This can lead young people to believe that their own bodies must conform to such ideals, fostering body image issues and self-esteem problems.

In young girls especially, exposure to sexual content is associated with internalization of cultural appearance ideals, body comparison, and body shame, according to a study that compared adolescents’ pornography consumption with self-objectification. While this has long been true of most forms of popular culture, access to pornography has intensified the issue.

3. Consent isn’t important.

Pornography frequently lacks a realistic representation of consent and boundaries. In some cases, scenes may depict non-consensual or coercive scenarios. This can lead to confusion among young viewers regarding the importance of clear communication and consent in sexual relationships.

In the United States, only 11 states require education about consent in K-12 sex education. This alarming statistic highlights the need for proper sex education in schools, because If students aren’t learning about consent properly, then they might not learn it at all.

A Key Part of the Solution

Comprehensive, Porn-Critical Sex Ed

Mainstream pornography perpetuates inaccurate information about sexual health, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and more. Yet porn has become the de facto “sex ed” for most young people.

The reliance on porn for information about sex leads to dangerous misconceptions about sex and a lack of understanding about consent and healthy relationships.

Culture Reframed’s Porn-Critical Sex Ed Curriculum was created for educators and other professionals who teach sex education to young people to fight against the harmful effects of widespread, hardcore pornography. It’s essential for parents, educators, and society as a whole to address these potential impacts of pornography on young people’s perceptions of sex and relationships, and to provide comprehensive and age-appropriate sex education and guidance.

Join our virtual conference on November 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET to explore the many harms of pornography to children with a focus on child sexual abuse. Doctors, psychologists, and front-line child protection professionals will share emerging research and first-hand experience identifying pornography consumption as a driver of child sexual abuse.