Pornography often carries with it an uncomfortable reputation, yet society has come to accept its popularity through Times Square billboards, international bestseller lists and inclusion in sexual-education curricula. Yet despite being popular, pornography can have adverse impacts on teens’ mental and physical wellbeing.1
Experts warn that teen porn can skew viewers’ views of gender and sexuality, encourage harmful behaviors like sexting and viewing online child abuse videos, and can lead to dangerous sexual practices like rape. While many teens watch teen porn for entertainment purposes or to learn sex skills, experts caution that viewing it teaches teens manipulation tactics to use against other people and control others.
Recent surveys on teens found that many reported searching for “baby porn,” also referred to as “mild porn.” While child pornography is illegal in almost every nation on earth, its availability can still be found online and on social media; moreover, its distinction from adult-oriented content can often lead to mistakes being made between regular sex videos featuring adults and baby porn videos.
Fight the New Drug is a young-adult led anti-porn campaign for which Carroll serves as research consultant. Their message to youths includes school presentations, website research on its effects on adolescent brain development, an engaging social-media campaign, and anti-porn swag they can proudly display themselves.