How pornography is ruining the growing minds of young adults
Assignment topic:
Is pornography ruining the growing minds of young adults across the world?
Easy access to online pornography and the potential harm of consistent exposure raise concerns about children’s health and well-being. The Internet has made children’s access to pornography a more significant issue. Children and youth who use email or surf the Internet are at risk for unwanted exposure to pornography.1
Although blocking and filtering software can prevent access, unwanted and intentional exposure is always possible.2 In 2005, a study of youth aged 10-17 found 42% reported wanted and unwanted exposure to online pornography in the past year.3 Continued exposure to pornography can have negative effects on children and youth.
Lawyers who represent children and youth should be aware of the possibility of such exposure and prepared to advocate for them.
Research shows that “media has a tremendous capacity to teach.”4 Excessive media use, particularly where the content is violent, gender-stereotyped, and/or sexually explicit, skews children’s world view, increases high-risk behaviors, and alters their capacity for successful and sustained human relationships.5
Dr. Sharon Cooper, a forensic pediatrician and faculty member at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, maintains that “imagery definitely affects children” and that children receive unhealthy sexual images from adult pornography.6 According to Dr. Cooper, pornography normalizes sexual harm by portraying a lack of emotional relationship between consensual partners, unprotected sexual contact, and, in some instances, violence and rape.7
Dr. Cooper argues that children and youth are more vulnerable to pornographic images than adults because of mirror neurons in the brain, which convince people that they are actually experiencing what they see.8 Mirror neurons play an important role in how children learn. Children learn in large part by imitation, with mirror neurons involved in the process of observing what other people do and imitating those behaviors.9 Pornography may have stronger effects among children and youth than other forms of media because it shows a much higher degree of sexual explicitness.10
Pornography is arguably more sexist and hostile towards women than other sexual images in the media.11 The aggression and violence towards women found in much of today’s popular pornography can teach boys and young men that it is socially acceptable, and even desirable, to behave aggressively towards and demean women.
Pornography also portrays people and sexual relationships that do not accurately reflect how real people look and act and behave in intimate relationships. Unrealistic expectations of intimate partners may impede youths’ ability to build and maintain healthy relationships.
Studies on sexual content and violence in the media indicate that youth accept, learn from, and may emulate behaviors portrayed in the media as normative, attractive, and without risk.12 This is particularly concerning in light of the amount of pornographic materials that portray violence towards women. Past studies of the content of pornography concluded that the typical sexual script focuses on the sexual desires and prowess of men.13
A 2010 study of 50 popular pornographic films suggests that popular pornography contains high levels of physical and verbal aggression.14 The study found that only 10.2% of pornographic scenes did not contain an aggressive act.15 Physical aggression occurred in 88.2% of scenes and verbal aggression in 48.7%.16 Men committed 70.3% of all aggressive acts and 94.4% of aggression was directed towards women.17
A 2009 analysis of studies on pornography and violence towards women reveals a significant relationship between pornography consumption and attitudes supporting violence towards women.18 The relationship is much stronger for violent as compared to nonviolent pornography.19 A 2001-2004 survey of middle and high school youth found 76% of boys who reported committing some form of sexual harassment also reported use of sexually explicit media.20
A 2006 to 2008 survey of youth aged 10-15 found that youth who reported exposure to pornographic materials were 6.5 times more likely to report sexually aggressive behavior.21 Youth who reported exposure to nonviolent material were more than three times as likely to report sexually aggressive behavior, while youth who reported exposure to violent material were 24 times more likely to report sexually aggressive behavior.22
Establishing romantic and sexual relationships is a central developmental task for youth and young adults.23 Exposure to sexual content can compromise their ability to establish and maintain healthy intimate relationships. Sexual socialization theory suggests frequent exposure to consistent themes about gender and sexual behavior can affect a young person’s developing sense of what is expected sexually for men and women and may also affect later behavior.24 As mentioned earlier, for example, studies show a significant correlation between the use of pornography and aggressive attitudes and behaviors towards women.25
Sexual content on television often sends messages about sexuality that are distorted, stereotypical, and potentially harmful.26 Frequent viewing of sexually oriented TV content like soap operas, music videos, and prime time programs is associated with greater acceptance of common sexual stereotypes and dysfunctional beliefs about relationships.27
A 2006 survey of high school youth aged 14-18 found regular media use was associated with support of sexual stereotypes and that youth who reported watching television for companionship were more likely to agree that sex is recreationally oriented, men are sex-driven, and women are sexual objects.28 Media images also offer information about sexual relationships without addressing the risks and responsibilities of sex, such as pregnancy and STIs.29
If television can have such negative effects on children and youth, pornography, with its more violent and graphic images, can have an even greater impact. Research shows that young adults who are repeatedly exposed to pornography may have lower levels of trust in intimate partners and may lose hope of finding sexual exclusivity with a partner.30
Addiction is a risk for children and youth who continually access pornographic materials. In simple terms, addiction involves an activity that was once enjoyable and eventually evolves into a necessity.31 Addiction is an extension of reward-based learning that can physically alter the brain and affect later behavior.32 It is traditionally characterized by an uncontrollable urge, often resulting in loss of control, preoccupation with use, and continued use despite problems caused by the behavior.33 The medical field has recognized that pornography consumption can be problematic. The recently updated DSM-V includes the diagnosis Hypersexual Disorder, which includes the compulsive use of pornography.34
Children and teens are capable of developing compulsive sexual behaviors, which can lead to sexual addiction.35 A research article published in 2000 found an increasing number of children and youth seeing mental health professionals for issues related to online sexual activities.36 The time a child or youth spends online may indicate a disorder when it results in clinically significant impairment or distress.37 Failure to resist the urge to view pornographic images, despite the negative effects the behavior has on social or recreational functioning, is a sign of impairment.38
Medical literature supports the premise that a person with one addiction is likely to have another.39 Youth are more likely than adults to be diagnosed with more than one mental health issue, including sexual acting out, substance abuse, and other disorders.40 Personality disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and substance abuse and dependence are associated with sexual compulsivity.41
People recovering from drug addiction are at risk for sexual addiction, as they may “engage in substitute behaviors that serve similar pleasurable functions.”42 Physical, sexual, family, and social trauma can also lead to the development of sexual addiction or compulsivity.43 A history of sexual behavior problems is another potential indicator for online sexual addiction.44
Sexual addiction for children and youth “likely sets up a life-long struggle” in which the youth’s focus, biological reward system, and behavior are interwoven with “themes of sexual pleasure.”45 Lack of impulse control (a consequence of addiction) may lead those addicted to pornography and/or other online sexual activities to engage with sexually inappropriate or deviant material.46 Addiction can also impact other areas of a person’s life. For example, excessive use of the Internet for nonacademic purposes has been linked to poor academic performance.47