Youth View Porn as Just "Harmless Fun..."
 

Friends,

Nowadays, teens and young adults consider “not recycling” to be more immoral than viewing pornography. Let that sink in for a moment. Attitudes among youth today when talking about pornography with their friends are neutral, accepting, and sometimes even encouraging. 

Just as alarming, more than half of young adults are coming across pornographic images once a week – even when they are not seeking it out. The free, easy and unprecedented access to online pornography continues to fuel now a second generation of kids to consume—and often become addicted to—this toxic content. Internet pornography, as one researcher said, is "the largest unregulated social experiment in human history." 

The hard-core extreme porn pervasive in the digital world includes depraved images of group sex, sexual violence, bestiality and anal sex.....all of which have become the new normal for today's youth. Folks, NONE of this is protected under the First Amendment, which is why EIE continues to fight for the aggressive enforcement of the federal obscenity law.

 "There are a couple of images that stuck in my mind. I'd just be sitting there and all of a sudden, it'd pop up in my mind, and I'd be like 'whoa, why am I thinking about that?'" 

                                                           -Megan, Age 15

Folks, you have been hearing us beat this drum since 1995, calling for parents, educators, the tech industry, Congress and law enforcement to do their part to end the digital exploitation of our children caused by illegal child pornography and unprosecuted obscene pornography. 

Recently, Josh McDowell, a Christian apologist and evangelist who has been at the forefront of cultural trends and groundbreaking ministry for more than 50 years (and also a dear friend and EIE advisory board member), met in Washington D.C. with leaders of numerous child advocacy organizations to speak on this very issue. He reiterated that science has shown that within minutes of watching pornography the brain undergoes neurochemical changes.

He also shared how pornographic images become “tattooed” into the brain and can distort the way people see reality. It actually rewires the brain, and can never be erased from the brain's hard drive.

This is more damaging to the young brain because the prefrontal cortex is not yet fully developed. While parents must be the first line of defense and do everything they can to prevent children from being exposed to this toxic material, once they leave the protective environment of their home, chances are, they will see porn elsewhere, so we "must prepare them”.

"It's not a matter of IF your child will come across online porn, but WHEN" 

Donna Rice Hughes

Here are a few stats to consider:

Teens and young adults, both girls and boys have a cavalier attitude toward porn

• When they talk about pornography with friends, 90% of teens, and 96% of young adults say they do so in a neutral, accepting, or encouraging way.
• Only 1 in 20 young adults and 1 in 10 teens say their friends think viewing pornography is a bad thing.

Teens are watching more porn and seeking it out more than any other generation.

• Among ages 13-17: 8% daily; 18% weekly; 17% once or twice a month.
• Among ages 18-24: 12% daily; 26% weekly; 19% once or twice a mon
   

  The "New Normal"

• 83% of boys and 57% of girls have seen group sex online; 32% of boys and 18% of girls have viewed bestiality online. (Covenant Eyes)
• 88.2% of top-rated porn scenes contain physical aggression (spanking, gagging, slapping, etc.); 48.7% contain verbal aggression (name calling). Perpetrators were usually male, 94% of the targets were women. (Psychology of Women Quarterly)

At Enough Is Enough^®, we’ve been educating the public for decades of the harms of this “drug of the new millennium” on the emotional, mental, and sexual health of children. And, we have been in a full court press fighting to defend and protect the dignity and innocence of youth in the digital world with culture-changing prevention programs and campaigns like our Presidential Pledge, Porn Free WiFi Campaign, Public Health Campaign and Internet Safety 101^® Programs.

I hope you will use the resources we’ve compiled for you below to help get these conversations started. And remember, it’s never too late to have these discussions.

This summer, for a gift of $25 or more, we will send you a free copy of the Internet Safety 101^® Workbook and Resource Guide. Don’t wait and Donate today to get this valuable resource that will educate, empower, and equip you to protect your children and grandchildren online. 

For their Sake,