Three-quarters of teens have seen pornography online before age 17

Sexually explicit content has become so prevalent online that teens are inundated, according to a new report from a nonprofit children's advocacy group .

The internet has transformed pornography, making it much easier to view and share than it was in the days of Playboy magazine and late-century cable television. evening.

For teens, this has created a deluge of sexually explicit photos and videos that have invaded their daily lives, according to a report released Tuesday.

Three-quarters of teens viewed pornography online before age 17, with average age of first exposure being 12, Common Sense report finds Media, a non-profit children's advocacy group. Teenagers see the photos and videos on their smartphones, on their school devices and on social media, porn sites and streaming sites, he said.

The report highlights just how ubiquitous pornography has become, with 41% of teens reporting seeing images of nudity or sexual acts online during the school day. Much of the exposure was accidental, with 58% saying they didn't search for the sexually explicit videos and photos, but came across them while surfing the web, social media or through search engines or by clicking on advertisements.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Adolescents are increasingly confronted with the role of technology on their mental health and well-being . In recent years, lawmakers have criticized social media platforms like Instagram for exacerbating eating disorders and examined how the sites have been used to sell illegal substances such as fentanyl-containing drugs to teens. p>

The effect of online porn on teens has received less scrutiny, but parents and politicians have been locked in fierce debates about technological safety and the issue whether discussions about pornography should take place at school or at home. Last fall, sex ed classes in Idaho were falsely described in posts and an article as promoting pornography. Tweets linked to the fake report caused outrage online and were mentioned on Fox News. In Louisiana, a new law will require age verification for porn sites.

"We can't sweep this topic under the rug just because it's uncomfortable to talk about," said Jim Steyer, founder and chief executive of Common Sense Media, which plans to present the report this week to White House and federal agency officials. "Pornography is a big part of the lives of kids who have digital access like never before, and we need to have a national conversation about it."

Part The problem is that online pornography is a very lucrative industry, which gives it a solid footing. Although there is little data on the size of the online pornography industry, an estimate by Alec Helmy, the founder of trade publication XBIZ, which surveys payment processors, assesses influencer earnings and adult platforms to at least $15 billion in 2022. He estimated Internet porn revenue in 2012 to be $5 billion.

In recent years, Online pornography has become a business in which thousands of people have their own streaming, text and photo channels that are promoted on sites like Instagram and hosted on platforms like OnlyFans and PornHub, Helmy said.

The Common Sense report was based on a September survey of 1,358 Americans ages 13 to 17. More than half said they had viewed adult pornography. violent acts such as rape, puff or...