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Gone are the days when one has to go to great lengths to be exposed to sexual material.
Ever since the advent of the internet and other digital technologies and devices, it has become
easier to access inappropriate material – ranging from suggestive images to explicit
pornography.
I have a friend. He is a wonderful person. He has done so much good in his life. He has a
promising future ahead of him. But behind his bright potential lurks in the darkness his
entanglement with pornography. There is shame. There is fear. There is sadness that he would
rather keep as a secret than connect with those whom he loves and who love him. And it is all
because he became curious with a pop-up advertisement while he was playing a mobile game
at the tender age of twelve.
Each one of us may know someone like him. A survey conducted by the organization
Common Sense showed that 73% of teenagers aged 13-17 are already consuming pornography.
The survey also showed that “some have seen it by age 10 or younger. And while some have
discovered it accidentally, a significant number of teens said they were viewing online
pornography intentionally on a regular basis.” So, whether we are aware or not, there is a
teenager somewhere near us who already had a glimpse or, even worse, has now fallen in the
trap of pornography.
A study by Cerniglia and Cimino just this year also showed that “emotion regulation and
internalizing/externalizing problems were associated with higher consumption of pornographic
material” in pre-adolescents and early adolescents. This causes a huge issue in the family
because adolescence is a time when emotional regulation is best learned by associating with
parents and family members. However, pornography has made it even harder for teens to
develop their cognitive and social skills normally and may even result to maladaptive behavior.
Just last June 2024, there was a United Nations report by Reem Alsalem, a UN Special
Rapporteur. She moves that “laws that allow, tolerate or condone the violence and exploitation
in the prostitution system and pornography” must be abolished. She recommended that UN
States must “adopt international legislation to abolish pornography and its consumption”.
Although it is well-meaning and impactful when enforced by the government, the education for
avoiding pornography and all its other forms must start in the home.
It is high time for us to address this debilitating problem the way we address bullying,
substance abuse, body image, and the like. Learning materials must be more accessible for
parents to know how to discuss sex and pornography in a more comfortable way to their
children. That way, children will also be more trusting and open to their parents especially in
asking for help. Pornography is real and dark, and it is dimming the bright futures of the children
who are unintentionally exposed to it even just once. Let us be the light who will dispel
confusion and bring clarity to our children’s lives.
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References
Cerniglia, L., & Cimino, S. (2024). Pornography consumption in pre-/early adolescents: A study
on the links with emotion regulation and internalizing/externalizing symptoms. Current
Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06380-z
Robb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.
UN Report takes a Stand against pornography. European Centre for Law and Justice. (2024,
September 20). https://eclj.org/family/un/onu--un-rapport-prend-position-contre-la-
pornographie
