Gen Z and early exposure to porn
Some of my clients are Generation Z (born between 1997-2012) and as of 2024 the age range of this generation is 12-27 years old. I mostly focus on clients suffering from general anxiety, OCD and trauma. The reports of my Gen Z clients about early exposure to pornography and how it negatively affected their lives, are very disturbing. It is safe to say that around 2010 when smartphones became widely available for the regular public, the situation worsened because the pornographic features unfortunately crept through these devices. My 25-year-old female client suffering from OCD and trauma shared this: “I got my first smartphone at 11, I came across hardcore pornography for the first time accidentally. I didn’t even see any videos, just the thumbnails of what I didn’t know at the time were vaginas, and I was so horrified that I clicked away.”
Unfortunately, by age 12 to13, most of these clients were desensitized to hardcore porn and other pornographic portrayals of alternative sexual behavior, because of the easy access and very little monitoring by the parents that at the time would not understand smartphones’ full capacity. A 24-year-old male client suffering from OCD confirms that watching porn amongst boys aged 12-13 was very common and the knowledge of most popular sites and categories were discussed and shared.
Such early exposure led to porn addiction for many GenZers. It was accessible, easier and delivered quick results with almost no effort. Today the statistics show Gen Z is the only generation having less sex than any other older generation. Due to the unfavorable economic situation, most Gen Zs live with their parents so the lack of privacy and easy access to porn might be blamed for such statistics together with loneliness and disconnection that Genzers report, they are unable to form romantic connections that are appropriate for their developmental stage.
There are other serious issues with early exposure to pornography, according to my clients. Not only was it developmentally inappropriate which affected their mental health, it also steered them towards sex much earlier in life, skipping the age-appropriate intimate moments and “sexual awaking”. It also fooled them to think sex is a routine part of any romantic connection or caused them to view daily social interactions through a sexual lens.
It is safe to say many anxiety symptoms like OCD symptoms could be related to such exposure. Clients reported confusion with their own sexual preferences which produced unnecessary apprehension and unhealthy compulsions, dissatisfaction with their own body and unrealistic body standards, or traumatizing events that inappropriate sexual experiences caused.
All interviewed clients agreed that it set unrealistic expectations of what typical sex and sexual behavior look like and the experience of actual sexual intercourse disappointed the expectation, which brought feelings of hopelessness and inadequacy. Lack of intimacy is the focus in these videos, obscuring the other values people have for engaging in sexual behavior. Furthermore, the porn industry deceptively promotes a one-sided conception of sex by highlighting the needs of men. My 25-year-old female client confirms that pornography taught her “that sex was not mutual—that it was an act men did to women while women pleased men. It handicapped me from advocating for myself sexually to boys and men”.
These are some of the recommendations for parents of small children from my Gen Z clients:
Parents should explain to their children that “porn is not sex, it’s an addictive product that’s bad for them, like video games or junk food” that porn is “false and deceptive depiction of sex”.
Sex is for adults.
Sex is a mutual act, where both parties want to participate.
Children’s internet exposure should be seriously monitored by restricting young children from open internet access or using software with AI features to block pornographic content.