Do you also get awkward when you are watching Television with your parents and an intimate scene comes up? This is what happens in most of the houses. Talking openly about topics like periods and sex is still considered to be taboo. Maybe this hush-hush behaviour around talking about sexual intimacy is what leads to youngsters finding different ways to satisfy their curiosity about sex education.
Read More: Importance of Sex Education
One such method for young people to find out about sexual intimacy is PORN.
Most of people think talking about these things in front of their children will give their children wrong ideas and believe that when the right time comes they will learn about it, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Not talking about these things makes the child more curious which leads them to use unauthorized sources like porn sites to educate themselves about it.
Read More: How to Introduce Sex Education in Schools?
Importance of sex education
Rahul was a 16-year-old teenage boy, like every adolescent he and his classmates were also curious about sexual intimacy. Whenever he or his friends tried to ask questions about it to their teachers or parents they would tell them to shut up and concentrate on their studies. One day while sitting in the garden with his friends Rahul came across a porn website, their curiosity got the better of them and they watched it. They believed that whatever was shown in those videos was true and got some unrealistic ideas about sex. Unfortunately, no one was there to clear their misconceptions and give them the right education about it.
This is not just an example but a story of most of the young people.
Educating your children about sex is as important as teaching them other things in life. Learning about it at the right age makes them aware of sexual intimacy, and the appropriate age for engaging in sexual intimacy, it also includes information about contraceptives. It helps children to know the difference between right and wrong and make the right choice in life. They understand what is sexual abuse, and sexual violence. Sex education also teaches children the importance of consent and helps reduce teenage pregnancies.
Read More: Sexual Stigma and its relation with Psychological Well-Being
Due to the stigma attached to sex education, many people refrain from talking about it in front of their children but this causes a lot of problems for them.
Porn becoming alternative for Sex Education
A survey by Allo Health, a sexual health clinic showed that 57.32% of Indians rely on Pornography for sexual education. Not having a reliable source that will give correct information about sexual intimacy drives them to use pornography as their source of information. Children might not understand that it is fictional and think that things like that happen in real life. Sometimes they might even try to recreate the content shown.
Read More: The Impact of Technology on Sexual Behavior
Using porn as an alternative to sex education can lead to many harmful effects including –
1. Not understanding that it is fictional
Children watching it may not realize that it is fictional leading them to believe that things are similar in reality. They might get unrealistic expectations from it later causing them problems in their relationships. For example – When a person grows up watching porn and it has been their only source of sex education, they will start thinking that this is what sexual intimacy is. However, porn often depicts sexual intimacy unrealistically. When he gets into a relationship and realizes that things are different in reality he will need time to adjust to it.
Read More: Understanding Sexual Desires in Teenagers
2. It is not teaching material
The purpose of porn is not sex education. Therefore the main focus of pornography isn’t educating young minds about sex. Whatever knowledge they will get from it can be faulty and unrealistic.
3. Objectifying women
In pornography women are often shown as being treated as objects, this might get imbibed in the young minds which will lead them to not take into consideration the women in relationships. For example, a young boy who watched this content will grow up and get married and might treat his wife the same way he has watched not valuing the consent of the woman.
Read More: The Psychology Behind Rebound Sex
Another side of the story
Though right now porn content cannot be used to teach sex education to children. Seeing the widespread use of the internet, in the future professional sex educators and porn providers and come together and work for developing content that can be used as a teaching aid to talk about sex education. Porn developed with the help of sex educators can be used to develop realistic content that promotes healthy relationships and respect between partners.
Conclusion
Sex is one of the primary needs of humans, it is important for us as a society to build a healthy image of it and have open, age-appropriate conversations about it with our children. Try having open conversations about it with your children at an appropriate age. Things might be a little awkward initially but we have to start somewhere. Hearing about it from their parents will ensure that they have the right information about it and would not need sources like porn to answer their questions. If you feel you are not able to answer their questions take them to a professional who can solve their doubts and help them build a healthy, realistic image of sexual intimacy.
FAQs
1. Why sex education is important?
Sex is one of the primary needs of humans, not having proper; factual information about it can later create issues in their relationships. Sex education ensures that children know about consent, contraceptives, appropriate age, etc. which helps them make the right choices in the future.
2. What are the harmful effects of using Porn as the only source of sex education?
Porn is not an educational content therefore it is necessary to understand that it cannot be used as a teaching aid to talk about sex education. Whatever is shown in pornography is fictional and unrealistic but the young population watching it might not understand this and develop unrealistic expectations about sexual intimacy. Also, the depiction of women is often objectified in such content, children watching it might think that it is right and later similarly treat their partners.
3. How can you start talking about sex education with your child?
Initially, things might be awkward, and both you and your child might feel shy. However, it is important to have open, age-appropriate conversations about sex education with your children. Answer any questions they might have. If they have any doubts about anything, instead of shutting them up, try to explain things to them. If you feel you are not able to clearly explain things to them, take them to a professional.
References +
- Akchayaa Rajkumar, Maria Teresa Raju, Akchayaa Rajkumar, & Maria Teresa Raju. (2023, September 25). Over 57% of Indians still rely on pornography for sex education, says survey. The News Minute. https://www.thenewsminute.com/news/over-57-of-indians-still-rely-on-pornography-for-sex-education-says-survey#:~:text=Niharika%20Beeja%20Pradaush%2C%20a%20sexuality,to%20be%20abusive%20towards%20women
- Pornography is no substitute for sex Ed – NYTimes.com. (2012, November 11). https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/11/11/does-pornography-deserve-its-bad-rap/pornography-is-no-substitute-for-sex-ed
- Oosterhoff, P. (2021, September 8). Can porn be a positive for sex education? TheGuardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/dec/21/porn-positive-sex-education
- Admin. (2021, September 29). Importance of sex education in today’s scenario. Cupid Limited | Manufacturer & Supplier of High Quality Male Condom, Female Condom, Lubricant Jelly & IVD Kits. https://www.cupidlimited.com/blog/importance-of-sex-education-in-todays-scenario/
Let’s Talk About Sex: 5 Reasons Why Media Shouldn’t Be the Primary Source of Sex Education. | Sexual Health | Blogs | Proactive For Her. (n.d.). Proactive for Her. https://proactiveforher.com/blogs/sexual-health/lets-talk-about-sex-5-reasons-why-media-shouldnt-be-the-primary-source-of-sex-education/