How does pornography affect adolescents’ sexual perceptions and behaviors?
The recent growth of online technology has significantly changed the way teenagers use and are exposed to pornographic material. While Internet access used to be provided through a desktop computer, it is now offered through laptops, mobile phones, and other devices.
Interesting data is presented by a study that attempted to synthesize the existing literature on the effects of internet pornography on teenagers.
Most studies (including the Greek population) agree that young people who use pornography are more likely to develop unrealistic beliefs and expectations about sex.
Additionally, adolescent pornography use was associated with greater sexual involvement, more experimentation, and more “open” sexual perceptions.
Moreover, there is considerable evidence that adolescents who use violent pornography are more likely to engage in violent sexual behavior themselves.
Can it also affect how they perceive themselves?
According to the above review, girls feel physically inferior to the women shown in pornography, while boys worry that they might not be as strong as the men in the porn or might not be able to function like them.
Also, adolescents report that their use of pornography decreased when their self-confidence and social activity increased.
In general, the existing literature is still incomplete, and it is not clear whether pornography causes the above behaviors or whether adolescents who have the above behaviors are also those who are more likely to use pornography.
But what we need to understand is that the way teenagers perceive and manage pornography is qualitatively different from the way adults do, since young people are at the age where they are forming their personal beliefs and values.
By extension, their personal resources are likely to play a key role in how they manage online sexual information.
References:
Owens E, Behun R, Manning Ji et al. (2012) The Impact of Internet Pornography on Adolescents: A Review of the Research. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention 19:99-122.
