Understanding the Impact of Internet Pornography
Internet pornography is generally defined as professionally produced or user-generated material from the Internet that shows unconcealed and close-up depictions of sexual activities. Over the past two decades, various types of pornographic materials have existed, but the most prevalent and readily accessible form has been Internet pornography. This is largely due to the rapid growth of digital technology, the widespread availability of smartphones, and high-speed internet, which have made accessing explicit content easier and often free.
The anonymity provided by online viewing has made porn consumption more common than ever, especially among teenagers and young adults. According to a 2024 study published in the L’Encephale journal, most adolescents are aware that the majority of pornographic material is exaggerated and unrealistic. The study highlighted the main negative impact of pornography among consumers, which includes increased preoccupation with sex, higher levels of sexual risk activities, permissive sex behavior, female sexual objectification, and sexual aggression.
Regular users may also struggle with addiction to explicit content, emotional disconnection, poor academic performance, desensitization, unrealistic sexual expectations, sexual performance issues such as erectile dysfunction and anorgasmia, loss of productivity, isolation, anxiety, and depression. Most experts consider the Internet a more sexually charged environment than other media, making it easier for youths to accidentally or intentionally encounter pornographic material online and become addicted to it.
Strategies to Protect Yourself from Online Pornography
Tech consultant Solomon Nwadike noted that many young people who struggle with addiction to Internet porn are triggered by pop-ups of explicit content on websites, gaming consoles, and social media platforms. Here are several strategies to help protect yourself from accessing online porn:
Set Browsing Time Limits
Browsing the Internet late into the night can predispose you to relapse into looking at porn. It can also deprive you of quality sleep because of the light entering your eyes. The best way to control porn cravings is to establish a firm limit on how long you will browse the Internet, especially when you are alone. Avoid browsing on your device late into the night.
Use the Internet Responsibly
Make a personal choice to visit Internet sites that are intellectually stimulating and morally acceptable. Delete apps on your phone that promote pornographic videos and photographs. Be selective about the kind of apps that you install on your phone. This approach helps in maintaining a healthier online environment.
Avoid Online Triggers
For many Internet users, explicit content frequently pops up on social media, blogs, and even some news sites under the guise of promoting a 'hookup' site or aphrodisiacs. These are triggers that can stimulate the urge to view Internet porn. The best thing to do in such instances is to leave the site, close the page, or exit the platform as soon as possible. Viewing such explicit content can draw in the Internet user to download it to watch it repeatedly, leading some individuals down the path of addiction.
Filter Out Explicit Content
Use a content filtering service to disallow explicit content from showing up on your website. You can use CleanBrowsing and also activate Safe Search on Google. Some content filters are available on browsers, routers, and apps that can be used to remove what you don’t want to see.
Managing Your Digital Footprints
Digital footprints refer to the trail of data left behind by Internet users, including what they post online, websites they visit, and other information collected about them by apps, browsers, and other online platforms. A tech expert, Abisoye Olatunde, explained that websites can track your browsing habits using cookies, and social media apps have algorithms that can detect what you like based on the sites you visit and accounts you engage with frequently.
So, if you engage with or visit the sites of porn models on social media, the algorithms will suggest more pages related to porn videos to you because it has tracked what you want to view. Therefore, you have to be intentional about who you engage with online and where you visit.
Scrutinizing Social Media Platforms
Olatunde advised parents to make use of settings embedded in social media platforms to protect children from explicit material online. While TikTok has screen time management within the app that parents can use to ensure control of what their children have access to, some social media apps like X, Snapchat, and Instagram do not have this feature. These apps have become havens of adult material.
The key for parents whose children are on social media and are on holidays is prevention, scrutiny, and frequent communication. Enlighten them on the dangers of viewing explicit content and let them confide in you enough to tell you if their friends are introducing them to it.