Teens and porn: Nearly three-fourths of kids say they have seen online pornography by age 17
Three-fourths of teens say they have watched pornography online and more than half say they were exposed to it by the age of 13, a new survey suggests.
The report, "Teens and Pornography," released Tuesday by the nonprofit organization Common Sense Media, found the average age reported for first viewing online pornography was 12.
But 15% said they had seen online pornography by age 10 or younger. For the report, more than 1,350 teens aged 13-17 were surveyed in September 2022.
The survey helps address a lack of research into teens and their exposure to pornography "and establishes a critically important baseline," Common Sense Media founder and CEO James Steyer told USA TODAY.
The report also highlights that parents should address pornography in discussions about sex, relationships, birth control, and other difficult topics, he said. "It’s time for all parents to tackle these tough conversations and help kids navigate online spaces more effectively," he said.
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What is online pornography?
Common Sense Media defined online pornography in its report as any nudity or sexual acts in videos or photos viewed on websites and on social media apps such as Instagram or TikTok. Pornography often features explicit pictures of body parts including the genitals and sexual acts.
How likely were teens to have seen online pornography?
Nearly three-fourths (73%) of those surveyed said they had watched pornography online.
Exposure could be relatively common: 63% of those who reported only seeing pornography accidentally said they were exposed to it in the past week, the survey found.
Online media has led to many teens seeing pornographic content unintentionally, the report said. Slightly more than half (58%) of those surveyed said they had encountered pornography accidentally, while 44% said they had intentionally viewed online pornography. (Note: The percentage adds up to more than 100% because many respondents had seen pornography both accidentally and intentionally.)
Where were teens most likely to view pornography?
Among teens who said they intentionally viewed porn:
44% said they found it on porn websites such as Pornhub.
38% used social media such as TikTok and Instagram.
34% used video sites such as YouTube
16% used subscription sites such as OnlyFans.
18% used livestreaming sites.
How did teens feel about online pornography?
The majority of the teens who reported in this survey that they had seen pornography said they feel "OK" about the amount of pornography they watch (67%). Still, half (50%) reported feeling guilty or ashamed after watching pornography.
Nearly half (45%) of teens said they thought online pornography provided "helpful" information about sex, while fewer (27%) thought it accurately shows sex.
About half (47%) of teens said they were far more likely to have learned about sex from a parent, caregiver or trusted adult than from pornography (27%).
Less than half (43%) of teens said they have had conversations about pornography with a trusted adult, but most who had these conversations said it encouraged them to find other ways to explore their sexuality besides pornography, the survey found.
LGBTQ+ teens were more likely to view pornography intentionally
Two-thirds (66%) of LGBTQ+ teens in the survey said they consumed pornography intentionally, a finding that suggests pornography may play a larger role in exploration for them than for other teens, researchers said.
Also, boys were more likely to say they consumed pornography intentionally, with 52% saying they had done so, , compared to 36% of girls.
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Are there any laws against pornography and minors access to it?
Federal law protects children from obscene or harmful material on the Internet, and makes content depicting minors in sexually explicit conduct illegal.
The state of Louisiana also recently enacted a law requiring commercial porn sites to verify their users are 18 or older or risk being sued.
Similar legislation, introduced in the U.S. Senate, would require the Federal Communications Commission enforce regulations for commercial porn sites to prevent children from accessing the content.
"The landscape has changed a lot with the push of online pornography and there's access to these online spaces in ways that kids have never had before," Steyer said. "The platforms themselves must take far more responsibility to help keep our kids safe, and the platforms must be held accountable."
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Online porn and teenagers: Three-fourths have seen some by age 17
