Pornography, more than ever, is harming children
“Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent (and obscene) material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions.” – U.S. Department of Justice
The increase of pornography usage among children is staggering.
In today’s world, with the Internet, smartphones, mobile technologies and few regulations or monitoring, pornography is abundant, easily available, free, private, and in our own homes.
That bears repeating. Pornography is freely and abundantly available in our own homes. Pornography sites do no limit access based on age.
- A 2016 survey at a large U.S. Catholic high school found:
- 49% of the students viewed pornography more than once a week
- 82% of their pornography use was in their home
- In a report released by Google Analytics, pornography searches increase by 4,700% when children are out of school.
- New research from the security technology company Bitdefender has found that, among the online porn users under 18 years of age, 22% are children under the age of 10
“This material is more aggressive, more harmful, more violent, more degrading and damaging than any other time in the history of the world. And this generation growing up is dealing with it to an intensity and scale no other generation in the history of the world has ever had to.” - Clay Olsen, Co-Founder and CEO of Fight the New Drug
A child with a smartphone can potentially view more sex acts, acts that are increasingly more aggressive, harmful, violent, degrading and more damaging, than anyone else could in the history of the human race.
Damaging effects
“Pornography, by its very nature, is an equal opportunity toxin. It damages the viewer, the performer, and the spouses and the children of the viewers and the performers. It is toxic miseducation about sex and relationships. It is more toxic the more you consume, the ‘harder’ the variety you consume and the younger and more vulnerable the consumer.” – Dr. Mary Anne Layden
Pornography is playing an ever greater role in forming children about sex, marriage and families, about the dignity of their own person and the dignity of others.
Unfortunately, there is much confusion regarding the harms of pornography. We live in a culture that, at best, is neutral on the subject, and at worst, promotes pornography as a healthy expression of sexuality and disputes the harms caused by pornography.
- A 2007 survey from six U.S. schools found that 66.5% of young men and 48.7% of young women said viewing pornographic materials is an acceptable way to express one’s sexuality
- Another survey found that 22% of young adults aged 18-24 consider porn to be “good for society”, and 8% of that age group think it is “very good for society”
On an adult brain, pornography usage has damaging effects. For a child, pornography has even more devastating impacts. A child’s brain has not yet fully matured and continues to develop until about age 20 to 22. In this active state, the brain is forming neuronal wiring. The part of the brain that controls judgement and impulses, and regulates emotions, isn’t fully developed. The child’s brain can’t contextualize the misinformation of pornography the way an adult’s brain can.
Pornography distorts normal brain development causing a variety of long lasting damage and harm. A child is more susceptible to addiction which can lead to additional compulsions and problematic behaviors such as “sexting” and promiscuity at a young age.
No longer can parents assume their children are safe. Now, more than ever before, it is critical that parents and guardians take concrete action to protect their children from pornography and the harm it causes.
Covenant Eyes
It may seem overwhelming and unavoidable, but problems due to pornography are preventable. There are many web sites and software programs available to help parents protect their children.
Covenant Eyes is an excellent resource to help parents protect their children. They are the pioneer of Internet and Screen Accountability software and they are the corporate leader in cultural recognition of the public health crisis of pornography and sex trafficking. Their software services and free resources are a valuable help for parnets.
Internet Filtering
Covenant Eyes provides software services to block access to all known adult, pornographic, and explicit websites. It can also be configured to block mixed-content sites (like Reddit), as well as proxy and VPN domains that are used to bypass filters. Parents can also create a custom list to block websites of their choosing.
Accountability Partner
Covenant Eyes provides software services to establish an accountability partner. This helps parents monitor their children’s Internet activity. Parents will receive a daily report of any pornographic activity. Parents can then talk to their kids, providing them crucial guidance as they grow and mature, helping them understand the proper use of technology as well as equipping them to not give into sexual temptation and embrace a life of chastity and holiness.
Excellent Resource for Information
Covenant Eyes also is an excellent source of information for parents. They provide informative resources to help parents better understand the threat of pornography, how to protect children in a pornified world, as well as how to have honest, age appropriate conversations with children regarding self-image, sexuality, sin and shame, all in the context of faith.
Covenant Eyes has partnered with the Unites States Council of Catholic Bishops. The information provided is consistent with Catholic teaching.
Learn more
Visit the Covenant Eyes web site for more information, view their resources page for a variety of informative documents, and view their video entitled “Unfiltered”, for an excellent overview of this issue, how it harms children and their brain development, how it conflicts with God’s plan for love, sex and intimacy, and the video outlines practical steps for parents protecting their children.
Additional resources
The battle against pornography can seem overwhelming. Parents don’t need to be the expert. However, the more parents know, the better prepared parents will be. In addition to Covenant Eyes, there are many web sites and software available to help parents protect their children. See the Available Resources page for additional sources of information and tools.