Although access to sex ed may not be guaranteed to kids in 2017, access to pornography is guaranteed to any kid with wifi. To address the epidemic of children learning about sex through X-rated content, a new campaign has porn stars give parents "the talk" about how to discuss internet porn. This slippery subject is often ignored by adults who don't believe their kids could possibly be watching adult entertainment, or by adults who are unsure of how to start the conversation.
According to research by The Novus Project, 90 percent of young people will encounter hardcore porn online by the time they are between eight and 11 years old. Whether it's accidental or intentional, the results are often the same: a confusing and wildly inaccurate introduction to what young viewers perceive to be IRL sex. (Even adults could use a reminder about the differences between porn sex and civilian sex, tbh.) But now, through a series of porn star-led videos and a partnership with AMAZE — a coalition of national sex ed experts creating sex ed content geared towards 10-14 year olds — parents have a place to look for resources to counter this phenomenon.
"Just an innocent Google search about sex can lead kids to explicit content," explains Nicole Cushman, Executive Director of Answer — one of the partner organizations behind AMAZE. “It can be really confusing and potentially disturbing, especially if it's their first exposure and they haven’t gotten previous information about sex." By using the sex educator approved content provided by AMAZE, parents have an opportunity to help their kids understand why porn isn't like real world sex, particularly when it comes to consent and protection.
"Most teens do use condoms when they have sex, but you wouldn't know it from porn."
"Consent is a really important topic for a lot of parents," says Cushman. "One of the things we see commonly in pornography is that there’s no conversation about consent." With the tools offered by AMAZE, "parents can help pick apart this issue in an age appropriate way." This also applies to discussions about STDs and condom use, which aren't normally shown in porn, either. "Most teens do use condoms when they have sex," explains Cushman, "but you wouldn't know it from porn."
Through Give The Talk's videos starring adult industry insiders coupled with educational resources from AMAZE, parents and their children are afforded a life-changing way to both demystify porn and champion an open dialogue about sexual health. And given how much sex ed can impact life choices, this campaign is a definite sex-positive win for future generations.
Image: Give The Talk/YouTube
