What's the Harm in Teens Checking Out a little Porn?
Here is an article reprinted with permission of its author, Roy Sinclair about Teen Porn Addiction. Thoughtful reading!
The existence of Internet pornography in mainstream America is not exactly accepted but it is arguably a socially tolerated by-product of our First Amendment rights as Americans. One missed click of a computer mouse provides a virtual portal into Pandora's Box of sensual enticements. No big deal, right? Our disgusting shake of the head or a knowing chuckle is followed by a correcting mouse click to our intended site. Even the innocent eleven year old working on an Internet search about the history of the White House may unsuspectingly discover that a mis-keyed .com vs. .org can produce subject matter that is not presentable for tomorrow's homework assignment. Hey, somewhere in the recesses of the attic in the home of my youth is a tattered Playboy
magazine with a centerfold of Miss July 1966. Isn't today's adolescent kid simply experiencing a technologically updated version of an age old rights of passage? Well, not exactly-the following Questions (Q.) and Answers (A.) are intended to help parents distinguish today's titillating electronic portals from a "boys will be boys" nod to the past.
1. Q. What does this topic have to do with my pre-teen or teenager anyway?
A. "Middle school boys are becoming addicted to sex on the Internet in numbers that would startled most clinicians and parents", said Ms. Ann Freeman, a program director for the Colorado Division of Youth Corrections at a symposium on addiction disorders (Jancin, 2005). Dr. Kevin Skinner, a family therapist and noted author on treatment of pornography addiction, indicates that in the majority of his cases, the earlier the exposure to pornography, the deeper the client's level of addiction. Skinner indicates that he sees most pornography addictions starting between the ages ten to fourteen (Skinner, 2005).
2. Q. Isn't Internet porn simply one more temptation facing any young person like alcohol, drugs, and normal sexual experimentation?
A. Yes and No. In most states the legal drinking age is, at a minimum age 18 (age 21 in North Carolina). Even though marijuana, cocaine, illegal pills etc. can be obtained through readily available dealers, the illegal possession or consumption of these substances have negative legal consequences. Internet pornography is efficiently provided to adolescents and teens through the three A's of affordability, accessibility, and anonymity, while a young student is ostensibly working diligently on their homework in their bedroom. Paul Isenstadt, the Director of Program and Residential Services at a non-profit community corrections program indicates: "Almost every kid I see in my private practice, including those who are supposedly not seeing me for any kind of sexual issue, has some issue around arousal to the Internet" (Jancin, 2005).
3. Q. Drugs and alcohol have chemical components to addiction. What can be addicting about watching activities on a computer screen?
A. It is commonly accepted that alcohol and other chemical addictions can produce changes in the brain. These addictions, including sexual compulsion addictions, can produce measurable changes to the front part of the brain. This can damage the "braking system" of the brain and one's ability to control sexual behavior (Hilton & Watts, 2011).
4. Q. Like some drug or alcohol users, is there an emotional or physical need to view increasing amounts of pornography?
A."Dopamine is essential for humans to desire and value appropriate pleasure in life" according to Dr. Donald Hilton, a practicing neurosurgeon and clinical professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center (Hilton, 2010). Hilton suggests that frequent use of pornography produces a steady stream of dopamine, which quickly starts to lose its effect on the pleasure center of the brain. Over-time, Hilton asserts that more shocking porn is required to achieve the same high (Hilton, 2010).
5. Q. Are you suggesting that a preteen or teenager who frequently watches porn could become a sexual offender or predator?
A. "Some of the kids, unfortunately, while still feeling inadequate, will transfer that (inadequacy) and will molest or sexually touch a younger child. This is not an unusual progression." says Ann Freeman (Jancin, 2005). Freeman sees clients in a private practice and indicates that many young adolescents and teens who turn to porn feel socially isolated and inadequate. She states that the cyber-sex problem is particularly prevalent among young people whose families are marked by domestic violence or substance abuse problems. She speculates that these kids go to the Internet to get their power since they are so powerless in their own family system (Jancin, 2005).
6. Q. Aren't you making a big deal out of an issue that will resolve itself anyway once typical dating begins?
A. According to Dr. Donald Hilton, "We are wired to bond to the object of our sexuality, the sexual side of a heavy porn user becomes in a sense, dehumanized when the resulting high from porn becomes more important than real-life relationships" (Hilton, Jr., 2010). Dr. Hilton explains that the production of the naturally produced hormone oxytocin occurs during sexual encounters to help us form emotional bonds. Internet porn becomes the sex education source for many adolescents and teens with a significant risk for their distorted sexual expectations, body image distortions, and a void for any negative physical or emotional consequences (Hilton, 2010).
7. Q. So, are you suggesting that the regular viewing of pornographic images in adolescence can have more long range implications?
A. Yes. It is estimated that 87% of college age males view pornography with 50% doing so weekly and 20% viewing porn at least every other day. Additionally, it is also estimated that 31% of college females view pornography (Dedmon, 2002). Many porn addicts seem doomed to a life of sexual dissatisfaction. They may loose the ability to create an intimate bond with their mate because their heightened drive for more intense stimulation, fueled by the porn addiction, destroys their partner relations. A study by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers indicates that 56% of divorce cases involve "one party having an obsessive interest in pornography websites" (Dedmon, 2002).
8. Q. Well, what about kids who play around with sexting with their computer or smart phones? How does that relate to pornography?
A. In response to my email inquiry about sexting trends, Special Agent Alan K. Flora of the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) computer crimes addressed this issue in his email response to me on April 27, 2012. To paraphrase Special Agent Flora, he indicated that teens and parents need to understand that they do not have the right to send, receive, or possess nude pictures of anyone under the age of 18. The Special Agent explained that as the law is currently written in North Carolina, a 16 year old has the legal right to have sex (with a legally appropriate partner) but the 16 year old does not have the right to take or send sexually explicit photos of themselves. The Special Agent stated that it is entirely possible for a teen under the age of 18 to be charged with the production, distribution, and possession of child pornography for images on their cell phones or computers. This action could result in a criminally convicted teen becoming a registered sex offender for behavior that may have seemed like a joke at the time. It is apparent from the actions of some convicted sex offenders that common sense concerning the legal consequences of sexting behaviors is not very "common". In this regard, The SBI references extensive computer related website materials at the following website that is available to the public:
.
9. Q. Short of taking away home computers and mobile phones, what can a parent do? My kid needs a computer and smart phone.
A. Information at the www.empoweringparents.com website indicates that filtering or Internet blocking software may be helpful to prevent kids ages 6-9 from going on to a porn site. However the information also indicates that once kids are about 12, they know how to get around blocking programs and turn them off. Kids know how to change browser history, so it is best to have the conversations-the sooner the better. This information and more is available
at the website: http://www.empoweringparents.com/What-Teens-are-Really-Doing-Online.php#ixzz1zVNdJ9UB. The following site checklist is also provided for parents or guardians:
Become familiar with the way that the Internet works and check out popular teen sites for yourself.
Check into and use a filtering or tracking software control through your Internet provider. (However, remember the information above about the computer expertise of most kids age 12 and older!)
Keep the home computer in a family common space, making it easier for the adults to see what computer sites are viewed.
Talk with kids about what they've seen online. Talk with them about what to do if they end up on a site that made them feel uncomfortable or if they receive computer messages that are inappropriate.
Establish Internet house rules about Internet expectations and consequences.
Limit the amount of time your child spends on the Internet.
Use Internet "incidents" as an opportunity to communicate, not as a platform for endless lectures.
Talk with your kid about how she or he feels about pornography. Revisit family rules about the Internet, discuss which sites are Okay and which ones are not.
10 Q. If I want to do more reading about the hazards of teen porn and communications with teens, what are some resources?
A.The following are some reading sources that address Internet considerations and effective communications:
Bauerlein, M. (2008).
The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardize Our Future.
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin.
Chapman, G., (2000).
The Five Love Languages of Teenagers.
Northfield Publishing.
Erickson, C.K., (2007).
The Science of Addiction: From Neurobiology to Treatment.
Norton.
Feinstein, S., (2007).
Parenting the Teenage Brain: Understanding a Work In Progress
. Rowman and Littlefield Education.
Kastleman, M.B., (2007).
The Drug of the New Millenium: The Brain Science Behind Internet Pornography Use.
Power Think Publishing.
Skinner, K.B., (2005
). Treating Pornography Addiction: The Essential Tools for Recovery.
Growth Climate, Inc. Provo, Utah.
Tennenbaum, L., (2008).
The Addiction Conspiracy: Unlocking Brain Chemistry and Addiction so You Don't Have to Struggle.
AuthorHouse.
11. Q. Are there any parting facts or words of encouragement about this issue about kids and porn?
A. The Harris Interactive-McAfee poll of October, 2008, provides information concerning pre-teen and teen computer use. The following paraphrased points from the poll concern teens and porn:
11% percent of teens have either unlocked or disabled parental filtering controls.
16% percent of teens have created private email addresses or social networking profiles to hide what they do on-line from their parents.
32% of teens clear their browser history to hide what they do online from their parents.
43% have closed or minimized the browser at the sound of a parental step.
It is good news that there are a bunch of computer savvy teens. However, it is very important for teens and parents to have open communications about computer content issues to help reduce family conflict and unchecked computer behaviors. The reality is that children and adolescents will eventually see inappropriate Internet sites. Knowledge and advance preparation by parents are the best defenses against unwanted pornography.
