Talking with Your Teen About Porn: Is Today’s Porn Harmless? Part 4 of 4

Do I really need to talk to my son? It seems like viewing porn is pretty harmless and just a normal part of being male these days. Isn’t this just a phase most boys (or young people) go through?

Although it is certainly normal to be curious and interested, the average young male today will not “casually” view pornography without being seriously impacted by what he consumes.

There are several reasons for this and therefore several reasons parents need to be talking with their kids about pornography.

Here is the fourth and final consideration in our series, as you weigh the “harmlessness” of porn:

4.  Once interest is piqued, it’s difficult to stop viewing because Internet pornography offers unlimited access to sexually stimulating content, within the context of an anonymous and affordable environment. In fact, in our current age of constant access to wireless technology, where the Internet is increasingly porn-saturated, in order to not view sexually explicit content, deliberate protective measures must be taken. It’s no longer necessary for a person to intentionally seek out pornography; nowadays, pornography will come to you. “One study reports that 93% of boys are exposed to Internet porn before the age of 18.” The accessibility, affordability, and anonymity of Internet porn, combined with the reward cycle, make it the perfect storm for creating a powerful addiction.

Check out additional blogs on:

  1. Talking with Your Teen About Porn: Part 1
  2. Talking with your Teen About Porn: Part 2
  3. Talking with your Teen About Porn: Part 3

A few great books that address the above themes more thoroughly are:

  1. Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Mail Brain by Dr. William Struthers
  2. The Porn Trap: The Essential Guide to Overcoming Problems Caused by Pornography by Wendy Maltz and Larry Maltz
  3. Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children by Joe S. McIlhaney Jr. and Freda McKissic Bush

A few free downloads:

  1. Covenant Eyes: “Your Brain on Porn”
  2. Covenant Eyes: “Parenting the Internet Generation”
  3. Covenant Eyes: “Protecting Your Family Online: A How-To Guide for Parents”

Mindy Pierce, LPC
mpierce @ growcounseling.com

Photo Cred: captured views