Countering “The New Sex Education”- Preventing Pornography Use and Sexting Among Teens

About this talk

Pornography has become “the new sex education” for many young people. Today’s technology has brought both potential risks and rewards literally into their back pockets. From early exposure to adolescent addiction, the damage porn’s dangerous images and messages is havocking should cause us all concern. At the same time, sexting has been normalized, and further leads to objectification and de-humanization of relationships. The objective of this session is to help parents and professionals “work upstream” in reaching the hearts and minds of young people with prevention. This session will present current “Gen Z” cultural research and explore practical ways to reach young people with relevant protective health messages. Key practical strategies for raising awareness of their physical, mental, emotional, and relational risks- both for the short- and long-term will be explored, and ideas for replacing negative uses of technology with positive uses will be shared.

Takeaway Ideas

1. Prevention is possible- and is critical- for helping young people avoid the risks of sexting and pornography

2. Practical ways to translate “adult” research into relevant messages for youth for both parents and professionals

3. Current research on the physical, mental, emotional and relational risks of pornography use for young people