As a teen, your brain is still growing and developing, and some of the experiences you have now can impact you later in life—and not always in a good way. This is why watching pornography without really thinking critically about what you’re seeing is not the best idea.

Pornography shows fantasy versions of the human body (regardless of gender), exaggerating and glamorizing bodies that are unnatural versions of perfection. As a result, porn can lead to having unfair and unrealistic expectations when it comes to sex, your own body and your partner’s body.

Another problem with pornography is that it is often male-focused—made by and for men. Most porn objectifies women and often fails to acknowledge or respect women’s sexuality. To ‘objectify’ someone is to treat them as nothing more than a sex object solely for your own pleasure, without thinking about who they are as a person, or what their wants or needs may be.

Watching porn can also (but not necessarily) lead you to spend more time with it (as it can be an easy and emotion-free way of achieving an orgasm), instead of putting in the time and effort needed to connect with a real person in a meaningful relationship.

Lastly, porn can also affect how you view people you are sexually attracted to, leading you to objectify them instead of caring about how they feel. This can be particularly problematic when trying to form and maintain romantic relationships.

Let’s face it—we are all sexual beings, there is no denying that, but with that said, you want to make sure that you have a positive self-image and a healthy sexuality. If you have more questions about porn, Ask the Mediatrician.®
-Jill