Eighty percent of 18-year-olds have said that it’s too easy to find porn online a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has suggested, and nearly half have said that sending naked pictures has become routine for today’s teens.
The survey undertaken by the IPPR showed that seventy percent of the 18-year-olds thought that “accessing pornography was seen as typical” whilst they were at school. It became typical by the age of 13 to 15 years old.
The polling taken by IPPR shows that many teens are uncomfortable with the ease of finding porn online and the impact of attitudes to sex and their relationships.
• Almost half (46%) say “sending sexual or naked photos or videos is part of everyday life for teenagers nowadays.”
• Seven out of ten (72%) 18 year olds say “pornography leads to unrealistic attitudes to sex” and that “pornography can have a damaging impact on young people’s views of sex or relationships” (70%).
• Two thirds of young women (66%) and almost half of young men (49%) agree that “it would be easier growing up if pornography was less easy to access for young people.” Two thirds (66%) say “people are too casual abut sex and relationships.”
There was a gender divide to, with nearly 80 percent of young women saying, “pornography has led to pressure on girls or young women to look a certain way,” while almost as many (75%) say “pornography has led to pressure on girls and young women to act a certain way.”
Nearly half (45%) of young men agreed that porn was a good teaching aid for sex, compared to 29% of young women.
However teaching sex and relationships in school was still seen as a high priority by those who were surveyed, with nearly 90% saying that sex and relationship advice should be given at school.
Dalia Ben-Galim, IPPR Associate Director, said,
‘This new polling data shows that pornographic images are pervasive in teenagers’ lives and that young women in particular are acutely conscious of how damaging they can be. It paints a worrying picture about the way online pornography is shaping the attitudes and behaviour of young people. It is also clear that young people believe the sex education they currently get in school hasn’t kept pace with the realities of their digital and social media lifestyles. Young people want sex education that includes relationships, taught by experts, preferably who are visiting the school rather than having to discuss these issues with their teachers or their parents.’
The IPPR interviewed 500 UK adults aged 18 for the survey.
