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What is Pornography? How Does It Affect Young Children and Teens?

What is Pornography?

Pornography refers to visual material that commonly portrays individuals in the nude and/or engaging in sexual behaviour. It is designed with the intention to stimulate sexual excitement/pleasure.

What is considered Pornography?

It is difficult to define pornography because there is no consensus on what constitutes it, as it is heavily dependent on the context. For example, a picture of a naked person in a museum or art gallery would not be considered as pornography as it is designed for artistic appreciation and not to elicit sexual arousal. In this article, we will refer to materials designed to elicit arousal as pornographic.

What are the effects/consequences of watching pornography?

There are consequences of watching pornography – some of which may not be evident until much later in life. These are some of the more common and detrimental symptoms and effects:

• Laziness
  Porn addicts can spend hours on the phone or on the computer watching erotic videos and pictures. In the long run, they will feel like they do not want to do anything else, especially after spending numerous hours watching pornography.
• Short-tempered
  Porn addicts have the tendency to be short-tempered, angry and easily irritable, especially when something or someone gets in their way which in turn, destroys relationships.
• Lack of interest in women or men in real life
  Every individual in pornographic materials is made to look visually attractive because the intention is to elicit arousal. However, people in real life can hardly match or resemble those images seen in pornography. As time goes by, the porn-addicted may begin losing interest in real women or men. Consequently, they might also decide not to engage in real relationships  because they can easily access pornography to satisfy their urges.
• Erectile Dysfunction (ED)
  ED otherwise known as impotence may be one of the most fearful effects of excessive pornography among males. Many teens and youths are unaware of ED as a consequence. Excessive pornography consumption may cause addicts to require higher levels of stimulation in order to experience the same amount of arousal in their real relationships.  The chances of having children may also lower, as ED may reduce sperm count.

Tips for Parents

There are many reasons why youths may turn to pornography – such as stress, curiosity about sex or they may just be seeking excitement. Understanding your child’s motivations for turning to pornography can better help them find healthier alternatives to their needs.

Many parents have avoided talking about sex to their children because they feel embarrassed or fear exposing their children to the concept of sex too early. However, parents should talk to children to help them understand about sex in a scientific and non-perverse manner, instead of learning from the pornography industry.

It is also important they are aware of the consequences of pornography. Parents can take the initiative or find opportune moments to engage him or her in a conversation about sex and explain it in an age-appropriate manner.