Recognizing the Dangers of Pornography to Children, Parents Must Know

  It is important for every parent to know the dangers of pornography to children because its effects can affect their physical and mental health in the future. Check out the explanation of the various impacts on children in the following review.

The Impact of Pornography Exposure on Children

Technological developments mean that children can easily view pornographic content. There is some evidence that exposure to pornography can increase the likelihood of early sexual experiences, especially in children who are already addicted.

Pornography can influence teens’ expectations about sex. A study revealed that this habit can influence children to try to carry out sexual activities that they see in pornographic films, such as:

• Anal intercourse.
• Ejaculation on face.
• Sex with multiple partners.

Other influences of pornography on children are also associated with unsafe sexual activities such as not using condoms and unsafe vaginal penetration.

In addition, the gap between expectations and reality after watching pornographic content is also associated with sexual dissatisfaction and anxiety. Both men and women who watch pornographic content can experience increased levels of self-objectification.

In some cases, exposure to pornography in adolescents is associated with stronger beliefs in gender stereotypes, especially for boys. Teenage boys who frequently view pornography are more likely to view women as sex objects and have sexist attitudes .

Some other dangers of pornography on children that parents need to know about include:

• Pre Frontal Cortex (PFC) Disorders

Pornography addiction is the same as using illegal drugs, which can damage the brain and mind. When viewing pornographic content, the structure of the brain can change with brain tissue shrinking, gradually the brain will experience a reduction in size and permanent damage to the pre-frontal cortex .

This part of the brain functions to combine information from all the senses and form personality and social behavior, such as language, imagination, making judgments (good-bad, right-wrong), decision-making, and helping plan the future.

• Difficult to Concentrate

The next negative impact of pornography on children is that it makes it difficult to concentrate because a child will be restless due to their great curiosity. Meanwhile, children who have a low IQ generally are no longer able to concentrate and their days will be filled with thoughts about pornographic content.

Concentration problems in children can make it difficult to focus while studying, because they feel that learning activities are boring and do not provide a feeling of joy or satisfaction like when watching pornographic videos. Children who have difficulty focusing can have an impact on decreasing achievement at school

• Pornography Addiction

Although a number of studies reveal that many children accidentally view pornographic content, some children are encouraged to view it again on purpose, and there is even a possibility that a child will consume pornographic content repeatedly or even throughout their life.

This condition is often called narcolemma disease (drugs through the eyes), this term refers to the addictive effects and destructive power of pornography as in narcotics users.

If we look at it based on gender, it is known that men are more likely to be addicted to pornography than women. This is reinforced by research results which show that girls feel disappointed when they see pornographic content.

Most said that girls felt embarrassed, disgusted, and said that it was ‘stupid’, ‘rude’ and ‘degrading to women’, while most admitted to having looked at online pornography and felt sexual excitement if they saw more, only 6% of boys who reported were disappointed by what they saw.

Important Things Parents Can Do

Here are several things parents can do to protect their children from pornography, including:

1. Open Communication

It is important for parents to start an open conversation about their child’s experiences surfing the internet.

2. Teaches critical thinking

‘Arming’ children with critical thinking helps them understand the difference between pornographic content and direct sexual relations.

3. Good Digital Literacy

Parents must be aware of the dangers and benefits of the internet for children. Take an active role in every digital activity carried out by your child. Parental controls are essential to minimize the dangers posed by the internet.

4. Show support for children

Support for children who have been exposed to pornographic content is vital to their ability to process the experience in a healthy way. Therefore, encourage your child to speak up if he sees something on the internet that upsets him.

Tell him that if he reports inappropriate content, he will not be punished or have his internet access terminated. Teach children not to respond when strangers send inappropriate content.