Pornography Use During Adolescence: The Current State of Knowledge and Recommendations
摘要
This chapter outlines the current state of the literature on adolescents’ pornography use and sexual socialization (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, behaviors). Most adolescents have seen pornography, with over half reporting first viewing pornography prior to age 14, whether intentionally or not. In general, adolescents’ use of pornography has been associated with (1) more erroneous sexual expectations and beliefs about sexual violence, (2) sexual activity offline, including risky sexual behavior, and (3) sexual violence perpetration and victimization. Although pornography use is associated with these undesirable outcomes for adolescents, it is difficult to isolate pornography as a direct cause of these outcomes. Therefore, we suggest that more longitudinal studies that include intensive measurements of pornography use and offline behaviors are employed. Interdisciplinary research approaches that are used to study how other immersive online activities (such as gaming and social media) impact development should also be applied to the study of pornography use. We recommend that local and regional legislatures propose systematic professional development opportunities for those who provide youth services (e.g., pediatricians and social workers) and school staff to learn about contemporary digital media environments, including pornography, and how to address them with adolescents.