What is Your Child Watching? Porn Addiction Stats for Kids

When most people think about porn-watching habits, they mostly assume that it’s adults watching explicit content. However, because the internet is readily accessible across a vast variety of devices, children and teenagers can also be exposed.

Porn viewing habits among minors is a massive problem that most people don’t realize exists. Even worse, they may also deny the severity of the issue because it’s an uncomfortable subject.

Nonetheless, porn addiction cannot be ignored, especially when children and teens are the ones most affected by it. We want to shed some light on this growing problem and show you some ways to combat it at home.

By the Numbers – What’s the Prevalence of Porn Among Kids?

To help you better understand the issue, we want to share some of the hard data surrounding porn viewing habits. Unfortunately, the information out there is limited, but it’s already troubling and can illustrate the need to monitor your child’s habits online.

• 40% of boys in grades four through 11 have admitted to searching for porn. Most of them do so often.
• The average age for a child to view porn is 11 years old.
• 93% of boys and 63% of girls have seen explicit content before turning 18.
• 70% of boys have spent more than 30 minutes searching for porn online.
• 35% of boys have searched for porn more than 10 times overall.
• Only 3% of boys and 17% of girls have not been exposed to adult content.

As you can see, porn is a substantial influence on children and teenagers, whether you’re aware of it or not. The primary issue is accessibility. There are so many internet-connected devices available these days that it can be almost impossible to prevent explicit content from appearing before your little one’s eyes.

How Porn Affects a Developing Brain

The knowledge that your child or teen has probably already seen porn at least once is disturbing, but the fact is that early exposure can lead to addiction much more frequently. Unfortunately, the ramifications of such habits are hugely detrimental to their development, meaning that it can be much more of a problem than you realize.

One study conducted in the 1980s by Dolf Zillman and Jennings Bryant can help shed some light on the adverse side effects of consistent porn viewing. What’s notable about this study is that it was conducted with a control group (as opposed to getting data from volunteers) and it was all before the internet was around. Here are some of the effects they noted.

• Male subjects were more callous towards women
• Most subjects viewed rape as less of a harsh crime
• Men experienced a decreased desire for children
• Women experienced a reduced desire to have daughters
• All subjects were more open to oral and anal sex afterward
• Subjects were more likely to view infidelity more favorably

Although this study looked at mostly college-age students, it can show the vivid impact of explicit content. They were only subjected to porn for six weeks, meaning that more prolonged exposure can amplify these results.

Here are some primary points to consider when it comes to porn addiction and adolescents.

All Sex Becomes Normalized

When kids see pornographic material, they tend to think of sex as a means of pleasure, not intimacy. Because the act is displayed for pleasure only, it removes any emotional bond that would otherwise exist.

A side effect of this is that sex is no longer viewed as special or important. Instead, it’s more of an entitlement. Also, the type of sex that they perceive as “normal” can be much more intense, leading to more violent and abusive interactions.

Women are Objectified

When men watch porn regularly, they stop viewing women as people and more as sexual objects. Thus, they start to believe that women are only suitable for intercourse, and little else. In explicit videos, the women are always submissive, which can make men feel that they are more entitled to sexual gratification.

Sex is Consequence-Free

When learning about sex through educational classes or a parent or guardian, kids can hear about the negative consequences that can happen, such as STDs or unwanted pregnancy. These things don’t exist in porn, so kids don’t realize that they can happen.

Overall, sex becomes much more about immediate pleasure than anything else, and it can warp your child’s mind when he or she is exposed to explicit content regularly from a young age.

Start Paying Attention

The first thing you can do to help your little one from succumbing to porn addiction is to be aware of their habits. Don’t assume that your child hasn’t seen anything – there’s a high chance that he or she has, especially if you have a son. Boys are much more likely to seek porn, meaning that you have to be more vigilant with them.

Porn addiction doesn’t have to take hold of your child. You have the power to do something about it. Talk to your kids and listen to them. The more that they can lean on you for support, the less likely they are to look for this material. You have to set the example, and denial or inaction is not the answer.

Resources:
https://www.covenanteyes.com/2010/08/19/teens-and-porn-10-stats-your-need-to-know/
https://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/the-impact-of-pornography-on-children
http://www.techaddiction.ca/files/porn-addiction-statistics.jpg
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/gabe-deem/porn-many-teens-watch-it-_b_5450478.html