Nobody will argue that new technologies have made life better in a lot of ways; however, there are also some unavoidable problems that come along with constant internet connectivity. One of the most notable is the rising level of porn addiction.
While a mental reliance on pornography is troublesome enough in a grown adult, the problem is not limited to people who are of age. Teen porn addiction has reached an all-time high. One of the root causes is social media.
Although Instagram has stricter rules than say, Twitter, about the kind of material that is acceptable, there are a startling number of accounts dedicated to a more “soft-core” or “safe for work” variety of pornography that can be just as damaging.
The Normalization of Porn
Highly sexualized images are nothing new; there were battles about music videos in the 1980s, and many controversies over “X-rated” films before that. The difference was, back then, people weren’t carrying around a device that could access this type of content 24 hours a day.
The culture on social media platforms such as Instagram is unhealthy for teenage boys and girls alike. For girls, the endless stream of Photoshopped models provides an unrealistic body image and a warped sense of values. For boys who see a lot of this material, it conditions them to think about women mostly in a sexually-charged way (young boys don’t need any external help to think about girls all the time).
Is There An Answer that Lets Teens Keep Their Phones and Devices?
A cell phone is virtually essential these days, as is some form of social media. More than half of American teens use some form of social media everyday. While it’s up to parents to stay vigilant about their teenager’s phone usage and the content they view, it seems impossible to be there all the time.
When to Seek Help
If you’re a teenager or the parent of a teenager, you’re not alone. Teen porn addiction isn’t an incurable problem–it just might be that you need to find a program for teen sexual problems. There are a few such programs available through STAR Guides, with groups for teenage boys and girls.
If an addiction to pornography is affecting you or somebody you love, it may be a time to look into a program for teen sexual problems. The road to recovery can be a rocky one, but it’s well worth travelling for your mental and spiritual health. Don’t let the increasingly immoral online landscape change you or your loved one.