9 Serious Issues Porn Culture Fuels In High Schools
What’s arguably the biggest issue today’s teens are facing in high school? It’s not social media or learning new TikTok dances, it’s pornography.
Watching porn has become normal for many high school-aged teens, and it’s increasingly becoming a way that teens learn about sex and sexuality. [1] And with the prevalence of porn has emerged a porn-influenced culture in high schools that has led to harassment, sexting, and even instances of image-based sexual abuse, also known as “revenge porn.” [2][3] Here are nine shocking things you may not know about the evolving porn culture in high schools.
1. Porn is an introduction to sex.
Sexually explicit adult content can be found online basically anywhere at any given time. Survey research indicates that children tend to have their first interaction with porn by the time they’re 13 years old. [4] That may be before they learn about sex from their parents or at school.
In this New York Times Magazine article, a boy explains, “There’s nowhere else to learn about sex… and porn stars know what they are doing.”
Porn is often the most easily accessible resource for kids to have their natural curiosities answered, but this is concerning due to the unrealistic and non-educational nature of pornographic content on free, mainstream sites, not to mention the high volume of violent and abusive content. [5][6]
2. Sexting is the new flirting.
Flirting has evolved over the years. It’s 2021, and now teens flirt by “sending nudes” to, or sexting, a crush. The practice of sexting has seen a significant increase, with approximately 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys aged 13–17 sharing their own nudes. [7] In fact, it has now become a more common form of communication. However, there are many issues with sexting, like teens being pressured to share explicit images and the rise of revenge porn and intimate images being forwarded without consent. While 40% of underage teens agree that sending nudes is “normal,” research also reveals that 1 in 3 underage teens report having seen nonconsensually shared nudes of other minors. [8] It’s important to note that explicit images of minors, even when an underage adolescent takes their own photos, is legally classified as “child pornography,” and its possession and distribution are illegal.
3. Porn promotes objectification.
Research has indicated that consuming porn can normalize and perpetuate sexual objectification. [9][10] This can have a significant impact in the ways porn consumers, including adolescents, view and treat other people. [11]
4. “Revenge porn” is becoming more common.
Individuals who sext and send nude images can become victimized by “revenge porn,” or nonconsensual image-sharing. One study shows that 12% of teens have forwarded sexts without consent. [12] A different study from the University of Kent revealed that, of those surveyed, a shocking 99% approved of image-based abuse to at least some degree or in some situations. [13]
This culture of normalized image-based sexual abuse has even led to the proliferation of “slutpages,” which are secret online groups where users can view and post nude images of women without their knowledge. Viewing these images is very common, with 1 in 3 college students claiming to have visited a “slutpage.” [14] Where does this behavior start, and how is it acceptable?
5. Doxing is an issue.
“Doxing” refers to sharing someone’s private information on the internet, and it’s becoming more common in high school, particularly in connection with nonconsensually sharing online someone’s nude photos. Participants in these groups, most often boys and young men, request nudes of specific girls from school. In these secret groups, they post detailed information about the girls, such as their full name, phone number, and address. This is not only a huge privacy violation and safety concern, and it’s extremely hurtful to victims. Consider the research that confirms that image-based sexual abuse victims often suffer the same PTSD symptoms as survivors of sexual assault. [15]
6. Girls are participating in degrading sex acts.
High school girls are increasingly being pressured into participating in sex acts such as anal sex, strangulation, or “facials” because their partners like it, and today’s porn teaches them to expect it. [16][17] Research also indicates that pornography consumption is associated with the enjoyment of aggressive or degrading sexual behaviors. [18] According to one team of researchers, even after adjusting for relevant correlates, “the associations between pornography use and sexual behaviors was statistically significant.” [19] Some of these sex acts are not only uncomfortable but dangerous, like strangulation. In fact, there has been a reported number of strangulation-related deaths from individuals who were inspired by porn to try “choking” their partner during sex.
7. Porn fuels cyberbullying and sexual harassment.
Porn is so normalized in adolescent pop culture that it can be seen as weird, naive, or “boring” if someone says they do not watch it, and can sometimes result in bullying behavior. Porn can also fuel and normalize sexual violence, likely due to porn often romanticizing situations of men abusing women, giving the consumer a toxic example to follow in relationships. [20][21]
8. Girls are pursuing beauty via surgery.
Porn doesn’t accurately portray reality. Women are portrayed as perfect, airbrushed beauties. Some of those who don’t meet these standards opt for invasive, painful procedures to meet unrealistic expectations. In a shocking report, plastic surgery to alter the appearance of the labia (the inner and outer folds of the vagina) increased by nearly 254% in girls under the age of 18 in the last number of years. This is likely due to porn culture.
9. Boys and girls struggle with sexual arousal.
Since the dawn of the internet, cases of erectile dysfunction (ED) have significantly increased in sexually active men under 40, and many experts are beginning to draw a connection between porn and ED. [22] In fact, research shows that porn consumption is associated with increased sexual dysfunction for both men and women. [23] Porn often leaves consumers dissatisfied with the sexual experiences they have with their real-life partners, leading to anxiety and depression.
De-normalize Porn Culture
Normalizing abuse isn’t normal, and sexual assault, harassment, and abuse are not sexy. Porn is trash and today’s teens deserve better than to exist in a culture that’s derived from the toxic, harmful ideals and lessons of porn. Consider the facts, and join us in refusing to accept porn as the status quo.
CITATIONS
[1] British Board of Film Classification. (2020). Young people, pornography & age-verification. BBFC. Retrieved from https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/research
[2] Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A. (2016). A meta-analysis of pornography consumption and actual acts of sexual aggression in general population studies. Journal of Communication, 66(1), 183–205. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12201
[3] van Oosten, J., & Vandenbosch, L. (2020). Predicting the Willingness to Engage in Non-Consensual Forwarding of Sexts: The Role of Pornography and Instrumental Notions of Sex. Archives of sexual behavior, 49(4), 1121–1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01580-2
[4] British Board of Film Classification. (2020). Young people, pornography & age-verification. BBFC. Retrieved from https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-classification/research
[5] Bridges, A. J., Wosnitzer, R., Scharrer, E., Sun, C. & Liberman, R. (2010). Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis Update. Violence Against Women, 16(10), 1065–1085. doi:10.1177/1077801210382866
[6] Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A Descriptive Analysis of the Types, Targets, and Relative Frequency of Aggression in Mainstream Pornography. Archives of sexual behavior, 49(8), 3041–3053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0
[7] Thorn. (2020). Thorn research: Understanding sexually explicit images, self-produced by children. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/blog/thorn-research-understanding-sexually-explicit-images-self-produced-by-children/
[8] Thorn. (2020). Thorn research: Understanding sexually explicit images, self-produced by children. Retrieved from https://www.thorn.org/blog/thorn-research-understanding-sexually-explicit-images-self-produced-by-children/
[9] Skorska, M.N., Hodson, M.N., & Hoffarth, M.N. (2018). Experimental effects of degrading versus erotic pornography exposure in men on reactions toward women (objectification, sexism, discrimination). The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 27, 261–276.
[10] Mikorski, R., & Szymanski, D. M. (2017). Masculine norms, peer group, pornography, Facebook, and men’s sexual objectification of women. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 18(4), 257–267. doi:10.1037/men0000058
[11] Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A. (2016). A meta-analysis of pornography consumption and actual acts of sexual aggression in general population studies. Journal of Communication, 66(1), 183–205. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12201
[12] Madigan, S., Ly, A., Rash, C. L., Van Ouytsel, J., & Temple, J. R. (2018). Prevalence of multiple forms of sexting behavior among youth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(4), 327–335. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.5314
[13] Pina, A., Holland, J., & James, M. (2017). The Malevolent Side of Revenge Porn Proclivity: Dark Personality Traits and Sexist Ideology. Int. J. Technoethics, 8, 30–43.
[14] Maas, M. K., Cary, K. M., Clancy, E. M., Klettke, B., McCauley, H. L., & Temple, J. R. (2021). Slutpage Use Among U.S. College Students: The Secret and Social Platforms of Image-Based Sexual Abuse. Archives of sexual behavior, 10.1007/s10508–021–01920–1. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-01920-1
[15] Bates, S. (2017). Revenge Porn and Mental Health: A Qualitative Analysis of the Mental Health Effects of Revenge Porn on Female Survivors. Feminist Criminology, 12(1), 22–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085116654565
[16] Marston, C., & Lewis, R. (2014). Anal heterosex among young people and implications for health promotion: a qualitative study in the UK. BMJ open, 4(8), e004996. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-004996
[17] Herbenick, D., Fu, T. C., Wright, P., Paul, B., Gradus, R., Bauer, J., & Jones, R. (2020). Diverse Sexual Behaviors and Pornography Use: Findings From a Nationally Representative Probability Survey of Americans Aged 18 to 60 Years. The journal of sexual medicine, 17(4), 623–633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.01.013
[18] Ezzell, M. B., Johnson, J. A., Bridges, A. J., & Sun, C. F. (2020). I (dis)like it like that: Gender, pornography, and liking sex. J.Sex Marital Ther., 46(5), 460–473. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2020.1758860
[19] Herbenick, D., Fu, T. C., Wright, P., Paul, B., Gradus, R., Bauer, J., & Jones, R. (2020). Diverse Sexual Behaviors and Pornography Use: Findings From a Nationally Representative Probability Survey of Americans Aged 18 to 60 Years. The journal of sexual medicine, 17(4), 623–633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.01.013
[20] Fritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A Descriptive Analysis of the Types, Targets, and Relative Frequency of Aggression in Mainstream Pornography. Archives of sexual behavior, 49(8), 3041–3053. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0
[21] Wright, P. J., Tokunaga, R. S., & Kraus, A. (2016). A meta-analysis of pornography consumption and actual acts of sexual aggression in general population studies. Journal of Communication, 66(1), 183–205. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12201
[22] Park, B. Y., et al. (2016). Is internet Pornography Causing Sexual Dysfunction? A Review with Clinical Reports, Behavioral Sciences, 6, 17. doi:10.3390/bs6030017
[23] Bőthe, B., Tóth-Király, I., Griffiths, M. D., Potenza, M. N., Orosz, G., & Demetrovics, Z. (2021). Are sexual functioning problems associated with frequent pornography use and/or problematic pornography use? Results from a large community survey including males and females. Addictive Behaviors, 112, 106603. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106603
