A lack of education and open dialogue with parents is one of the main reasons why young people are using pornography to educate themselves about sex.
A lack of open dialogue with parents is one reason why young people are using porn to educate themselves about sex. Photo: 123RF
The Classification Office has released a national report today on why young people use porn, based on in-depth interviews with 50 diverse New Zealand youth, over three years.
It follows the nationally representative survey NZ Youth and Porn (2018) and an analysis of the content of mainstream porn - Breaking Down Porn (2019).
Findings suggest pornography is normalised for youth and is used as a default learning tool for sex.
Overall young people felt it had a negative impact on body image/confidence and girls who watched porn felt a double standard and that it can negatively influence sex. They also felt they would be judged by parents for asking or wondering about sex.
New Zealand's Chief censor David Shanks hoped caregivers could better equip their children - especially over lockdown when internet usage would be high for most households.
"It will be a surprise to no one that young people use porn for sexual arousal, but it may be news for some that they also commonly use it to learn about sex, sexuality and gender - even when they know it presents an unrealistic and at times unhealthy view of all those things," Shanks said.
In interviews, many young people expressed a perception that girls and boys faced different societal expectations around porn use.
Watching porn was generally seen as more acceptable for boys, while girls described a sense of taboo or stigma around porn use. This was seen in the wider context of a double standard about sex and sexuality generally. Several young people identified this as a reason why girls' porn use is less understood or even acknowledged.
"The young people told us that when it came to porn, issues around consent, body image, gender and sex education were what mattered most to them. They were less concerned about issues that are often raised like addiction or aggression."
There was no clear agreement about the age or year level this education about porn or sex should begin at school. However, most thought this should begin before puberty, and before most young people see porn. Feedback from young people suggests that the intermediate years (age 11-13) would be the best time to start addressing sexuality education and issues around porn.
Key findings
- Porn is normalised for young people, whether they watch it or not.
- Young people are curious about sex and porn is a default learning tool.
- Girls watch porn too, for similar reasons as boys, but see a double standard.
- Porn can have a negative impact on body image/confidence.
- They think it can negatively influence sex.
- Young people and adults are not talking about porn.
- Young people want comprehensive sexuality education which includes information about porn.
- Young people had varying views about filters or age verification, but agreed that children should not have access to porn.
Impact of porn
Participants tended to have a more negative view of porn's influence overall.
Common concerns related to the unrealistic nature of porn and how this can create false expectations or ideas about sex and relationships in real life.
They felt this might impact on consent and communication, safe sex, body image, gender roles, and the experience of sex and intimacy.
Some young people thought porn could promote a sense of sexual entitlement amongst boys, and some expressed concern about unequal power dynamics and the objectification of women in porn.
A small number of participants mentioned concern about racial or minority stereotypes being promoted in porn.
They felt cultural stereotypes portraying men of colour as aggressive or violent, and women of colour often as subservient or as victims, reinforced unhelpful cultural stereotypes, and could easily make non-European young people feel bad about themselves.
Condom use in porn is rare and this was a common concern for young people.
Some identified this as the single most negatively impactful influence of porn. While a number of young people talked about contraceptive measures taken by porn actors and were aware of this, they did not believe that all young people looking at porn had this background knowledge to help them make sense of what they see.
Content perceived as violent, 'extreme' or illegal tended to be seen as less common yet potentially of higher impact on a person. This was a concern for a number of participants, regardless of whether they had personally seen it. Examples mentioned include incest, rape porn, underage content or child abuse material.
A number of young people talked about the genre of 'step porn' (sex between performers playing the role of step siblings or parents). This was seen as concerning for the messages it sends about sex within families, and identified as a specific type of content that is likely to make young people uncomfortable.
Erectile dysfunction is often linked with porn use by some commentators. Only two participants raised this as a potential issue, with one female participant saying that porn can lead to erectile dysfunction in males, and one male participant mentioning this was a concern "from what I've read".
Role of whānau and communities
Talking with trusted adults about the issues was seen by young people as a way to reduce the potential negative impacts of porn. However, the report showed very few young people said they had ever talked to a parent about porn - and most said they would not want to.
"There are real issues here around embarrassment, shame, or fear of punishment," Shanks said.
Young people talked about the importance of parents being open, compassionate, non-judgemental and supportive - parents should let children and young people know that they are open to talking.
He said the findings suggest society is to blame for setting children up poorly, but it is not too late to change that.
"We don't need to panic, most young people do see porn as a fake narrative and unrealistic, but responsible guardians need to have the conversation."
He said talking in a way that resonates with individuals who do watch porn - rather than creating barriers to open conversation based on ideas around gender can work to perpetuate a sense of stigma for girls in particular.
Young people made it clear that education is the best way to deal with the potential negative impacts of porn.
New Zealand schools currently design their own health curriculum with guidance from the Ministry of Education, and boards of trustees are required to consult with their communities on what will be taught.
In taking action as a response to this report, Shanks said information about porn will now be incorporated into the Ministry of Education's updated relationships and sexuality education guidelines.
The Classification Office has also produced a suite of video resources that can be used in schools and gives handy tips for parents on conversation starters.