In recent months, we have seen how the issue of pornography and its impact on children and teenagers has taken centre stage in the social debate and how it has become the new big threat - is this view exaggerated?
The massive expansion of pornography stemming from the development of the Internet is a factor that is undoubtedly having an impact on people’s approach to the erotic domain. However, it is not the only factor or the most important one. What does seem clear is that we are letting pornography become a source of learning, and perhaps we are not doing our job properly in that respect.
We need to take educational measures, as the real problem is the lack of a comprehensive approach to sexuality from an early age. As long as this is the case, as long as there are people who do not have access to quality sex education, porn will continue to be the instruction book with which children and teenagers are (mis)educated.
Measures may also need to be taken to regulate the access of minors to pornographic content. Nowadays, the supply of pornography is unlimited and free, something that has never happened before, and it is available 24 hours a day, with only one condition: an Internet connection. At the beginning of this expansion of porn, when the Internet was only available from a given computer, families could prevent their children from being exposed to pornographic material by good parental controls on the computer. Given that they access such content through their mobile phones, it is reasonable to delay the point at which they are given their first mobile phone. This is not being done, and it is certainly the family’s responsibility.
People start watching porn at a very early age (ranging from 7 to 12 on average), often before their erotic dimension has had a chance to develop. This means that they cannot even compare what they see with their shared erotic life, which is yet to develop. In addition, many children approach pornography out of curiosity and with the intention of “learning”. Sexuality is not a minor issue in people’s lives, and curiosity about it will always be there. Satisfying this innate, natural and expected curiosity with other types of materials adapted to their level of maturity is another measure that should be taken.
- What could be the impact of being exposed to pornography at such an early age on children’s psycho-sexual and erotic development?
If you look for information on the subject, you will find numerous articles and news items that convey a variety of opinions: from the claim that those who consume pornographic material are more likely to display violent attitudes in their relationships to the idea that excessive pornography may cause difficulties in ejaculatory control or erection problems in men with penises. It is also argued that pornography can become an addiction, thus becoming a serious health issue.
From our point of view, many of these assertions are not entirely true (or at least need to be qualified) and seem to derive from a sensationalist approach to the issue. However, we cannot overlook the fact that the consumption of pornographic material from an early age is not without consequences. Pornography contributes to the construction of a collective erotic imaginary that normalises violent attitudes while disregarding tenderness, affection and romanticism, which have no place in this porno-erotic model.
Moreover, pornography perpetuates a portrayal of hegemonic masculinity based on strength and taking the initiative, where men make the rules. This contrasts with the portrayal of submissive femininity, which casts women as mere multi-penetrable objects, always available for male pleasure. This dichotomy runs counter to the goal of achieving equality between sexed subjects that we, as a society, have set.
Another detrimental effect of pornography is the anxiety it generates in many young people, who feel under pressure to live up to the standards that pornography sets. This leads to insecurity in shared erotic relationships, as they often neglect their own desires to conform to what they believe is expected of them, adopting a predefined role in human relationships.
- Are sufficient educational measures being taken to address the impact of pornography adequately?
Nowadays, we are talking much more about pornography than a few years ago, both in the classroom and in other types of educational spaces. One example is this course, which was held last year and is being repeated in 2024.
A few months ago, ETB aired the documentary series “Generation Porno”, which had a huge social impact and helped to address the issue from a family perspective. EMAKUNDE’s campaign on the occasion of 25N has also brought porn into the spotlight as an element that favours violence against women. However, the issue of male violence is multifactorial.
In this sense, pornography is one of the many variables and perhaps not the most decisive. Many more educational counterbalances are needed, and those that exist do not reach everyone. It has been four years since Save the Children published its “Sexual (Mis)information” report. It was a kind of slap in the face, and the social repercussions were also tremendous. If you compare the 2020 data with more recent reports, you find that far from improving, it has actually worsened, suggesting that we may not be doing so well.
To address this issue correctly, we need to provide comprehensive sex education, which is not only based on prevention but also helps to develop the erotic dimension of all people. If we can connect people to their desires, the impact of pornography will be much smaller and less important, but this requires guidance throughout the child’s development. Guidance that helps them to understand themselves, to accept themselves and to express their sexual dimension positively in all their relationships, not only in erotic relationships.
