Numerous young individuals encounter pornographic content and sexting activities.
A report on the encounters with pornography or sexting discloses an alarming fact: An increasing number of minors are being exposed to such content. For parents and educators, it's challenging to comprehend how effortlessly children and adolescents can access porn material nowadays, as per the study.
In Germany, a significant portion of the youth, ranging from 11 to 17 years old, have had experiences with porn or sexting, according to the research. Approximately 42% of the 3,000 participants declared they had already watched an adult video. This is a considerable surge from the previous year, when 35% reported having done so, according to a survey carried out by the media authority of North Rhine-Westphalia. The spike in the youngest age group, namely 11 to 13-year-olds, is particularly concerning.
The media authority reported, "Pornography is not suitable for children. Yet, children and adolescents are getting exposed to it at an age well below the age of majority, and not only that, they are also increasingly producing and sharing pornographic content themselves." This trend of sexting is quite prevalent: 25% of respondents admitted to receiving a message containing sexual content, explicit images, videos, or suggestive emojis.
The initial encounter is often accidental or involuntary
For parents and educators, it's hard to comprehend the ease with which children and adolescents can access pornography today and, moreover, disseminate such content online, said Tobias Schmid, director of the media authority in Düsseldorf. "However, the study shows it clearly: Incidents happen. We are challenged to safeguard minors."
The first encounter with porn frequently happens accidentally or unwillingly - and usually at the age of 12 to 15, as reported by the media authority. Among those who reported having experienced porn, half mentioned that they had only done so "less than 3 times." Few respondents admitted to watching porn on a regular basis, according to the media authority. Most find it challenging to categorize what they have seen.
Is porn consumption linked to sexting?
Though it's not feasible to establish a direct connection between early porn consumption and involvement with self-created pornographic content, the suspicion is plausible, as 42% of minors who reported watching a porn video and also engaging in sexting admitted that they were influenced by porn for their sexting behavior. However, almost half (48%) of minors with porn experience agreed with the statement, "I have seen things in porn that I would rather not have seen."
Of the 25% who had received a sexting message, it was unsolicited in most cases (79%). Only 9% reported sending a sexting message themselves, with boys doing so slightly more often than girls. Among those who sexted, around a third of both boys and girls said they did so "for fun" or to flirt or to send a "personal image/video" to their partner. However, it was also discovered that the recipients were often not personally known to the senders.
For sexting, WhatsApp is the preferred medium.
As a platform for sexting, WhatsApp has strengthened its position compared to the previous year, with the authority conducting the first study on this topic in 2023. The authority stated that the group chat function on WhatsApp likely contributes to an overall increase in communication with persons unknown to the user. Meanwhile, Snapchat has witnessed a decline in popularity as a sexting medium, particularly among older girls.
Schmid advised that there is a need for more education, support services, and reliable youth media protection in the digital realm. "With initiatives like Media Scouts NRW and our approach to addressing the lack of youth protection on the world's largest porn platforms, we are tackling this issue."
The European Union could consider implementing stricter regulations to prevent minors from accessing pornographic content, as the issue is not limited to Germany.
Given the findings of the study in Germany, it's crucial for educational institutions in the European Union to incorporate lessons on digital safety and responsible online behavior into their curriculum to protect children from unwanted exposure to pornography and sexting.
