Written by Lea Rose Emery for BUSTLE. Originally published on June 15th, 2016.
Thought it was pretty obvious that mainstream porn is nothing like sex IRL? Not to everyone. In fact, most boys aged 11-16 who have viewed porn think it’s realistic, new research finds, as do nearly 40 percent of girls the same age. The research came from Middlesex University and was commissioned by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the children’s commissioner. They surveyed 1,001 young people from 11-16, and also looked at online discussion forums and discussion groups. Over half of those surveyed had viewed pornography and, according to The Guardian, 53 percent of boys who viewed porn felt it was a realistic depiction of sex, while 39 percent of girls who viewed porn thought the images were realistic. That’s worrying. And the idea that mainstream porn may be shaping people how young people view sex is an issue.
“As the founder and CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn.tv, Cindy Gallop, first pointed out in her 2009 TED talk, our society’s inability to talk openly and honestly about sex combined with the ready availability of free hardcore porn online has led to porn becoming today’s default sex education in not a good way,” Sarah Beall, curator and community manager at MakeLoveNotPorn.tv, a website where users can share their #realworldsexvideos, tells Bustle. “The mission of MakeLoveNotPorn can be summed up in three words: talk about it. As in, don’t just talk to your children about sex but be prepared and willing to have a conversation that addresses how the sex you see in porn often isn’t the same as the sex people have in their everyday lives.”
What’s even more worrying is how a lot of children are being exposed to it — and the lack of sex education that accompanies it.
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