In the form of films, clips or images, pornography is easily accessible on the Internet. Although this type of content is not new, the lack of regulation online has given way to images sometimes reaching heights of vulgarity and violence. Although reserved for people of legal age, porn is easy to find on the web. However, regular consumption of pornography is not without consequences for young people’s sex lives. That’s why being well-informed is an excellent way to protect yourself.
What exactly is pornography?
Pornography is the staging of sexual acts in the form of films, videos, photographs and so on. Unlike eroticism, which deals with sexual pleasure and desire, pornography seeks to provoke rapid sexual excitement.
Pornographic content is a commercial product created by industries that use the sexual act as a commodity. Their purpose is not to educate viewers, but simply to capture their attention.
The vast majority of pornographic scenarios are written and filmed to excite cisgender men. As a result, boys are more attracted to this type of content than girls.
Generally speaking, statistics show that young people are consuming more and more of this type of content, and at younger and younger ages. It’s mainly content that’s freely available on the Internet that’s being used. When questioned, over half of young people admitted that they think their first experience viewing porn was premature.
It’s also important to know that pornography is reserved for people aged 18 and over. This restriction exists to protect young people. Indeed, heavy consumption of pornographic content can lead to addiction, anxiety and risky behavior.
Why does pornography have nothing to do with reality?
The aim of pornography is to create rapid sexual excitement. In fact, that’s its sole purpose. It is not informative content. It’s not based on current sexual practices, but on scenarios featuring different kinds of fantasies.
The majority of pornographic content disregards consent, affection and emotion. It’s not uncommon for scripts to feature a power imbalance between actors and actresses, resulting in varying degrees of hostility. What’s more, women are often portrayed as sexual objects.
Pornography has nothing to do with reality, because it transmits a distorted image of sexuality. The tenderness and respect that ideally accompany sexual relations are absent.
Thus, it is important to remember that it is not because one’s sexual relationships in real life do not resemble pornography, that they are not fulfilling.
The consequences for young people who consume high levels of pornographic content
It’s normal to be curious and to want to look at pornography. It’s also perfectly normal to have no interest in it. In any case, it’s important to know that a high level of porn consumption can be detrimental to your sexual development. And that’s why pornography is reserved for people over 18.
Porn has no positive consequences
In fact, there’s nothing strictly positive about watching pornography for young people. You won’t become better informed or a better partner. Rather, absorbing these images may give you a distorted idea of reality, creating false expectations and the wrong points of reference.
What’s more, some pornographic films contain vivid images of abuse, violence and dangerous practices. And once you’ve absorbed these images, you can’t get rid of them.
In many ways, it is best to avoid looking at them, especially as there are plenty of other resources available. For example, you can use erotic media (manga, comics, magazines, etc.) and get creative.
The impact of pornography on young people’s sex lives
Pornography can also be addictive. The younger you consume pornography, the greater the risk of developing an addiction.
And the more porn young people watch, the more difficult it can become to have an intimate relationship in the real world. And there are many reasons for this. For example, by immersing themselves in this fiction, some people:
- Are more prone to anxiety
- Have a genital and unrealistic image of sexuality
- Believe that everything is possible and desirable
- Try to conform to pornographic scenarios
- Consider these behaviors to be the norm
- Adopt unsafe sexual behaviors
And depending on whether a young person is a girl or a boy, the consequences for love and sex life can be different.
Here are some behaviors and feelings that can manifest among girls who watch porn:
- Feel they are not competent enough.
- Feel they can’t express what they want.
- Develop obsessive preoccupations with their bodies.
- Feel they have to conform to film scripts to keep their partner.
And here are some behaviors and feelings that can manifest among boys who watch porn:
- Feeling they’re not good enough.
- Think they have to arouse their partner as much as they do in the movies.
- Adhere to a stereotypical vision of male and female sexuality.
- Believe that their sexual impulses are uncontrollable.
It’s normal to feel anxious about sex, but pornography only amplifies this feeling. Imagining that sex is like pornography generates real pressure to perform.
To learn more about sexuality, there are books, documentaries and web capsules available. It’s also a good idea to talk about it with people you trust, such as family members, friends and health professionals.
In any case, it’s with time and communication between partners that we discover our tastes, preferences and erotic imagination. And it’s impossible to be a bad partner if you’re attentive to your own pleasure and that of your partner.
https://publications.msss.gouv.qc.ca/msss/fichiers/2006/06-314-03.pdf
https://www.open-asso.org/actualite/2017/03/exclu-ados-et-porno-une-etude-de-lopen-et-lifop/ https://pausetonecran.com/pornographie-en-ligne-comment-en-parler-avec-votre-ado/
