Encore Porn Literacy: How Do Parents Talk to Their Teens about Porn?

In today’s high speed internet world, teens are merely a few clicks away from free access to streaming porn. A Nationally Representative Youth Internet Safety Survey found that the likelihood of a teen or preteen accessing pornography intentionally rose from 8% in 2000 to 13% in 2010. Twenty-five percent of 18-24 year old’s report porn as their most helpful source of information about how to have sex. In this Episode Dr. Emily Rothman, Professor of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health, and author of the upcoming new book, Pornography and Public Health, brings us a well-researched and measured view of the need for “Porn Literacy” for kids and for parents. The issue is not Pornography. The issue is the negative view of sex as violent, misogynistic and without consent that porn portrays. What Dr. Rothman will discuss in terms of “Porn Literacy” for teens is how and why to think critically about pornography as something quite different from sexual relating and sexual intimacy. She will expand her discussion to “Porn Literacy” for parents by answering question that parents pose like, “What do I say if my teen son is regularly viewing porn?” “What do I say to my nine year old daughter when porn appears on her screen?” Whether you are a parent or interested in helping today’s youngsters develop a healthy and loving perspective of sex, this is an important show.