Porn Addiction Science: 4 Videos to Help Kids Reject Pornography

This article was originally published on 7/9/2015 and updated on 9/8/2023

Have you ever wondered how to help kids understand addiction: what it is, how it feels, and why it’s harmful to their brains. The following four videos are short but powerful, and will help with this understanding. We hope you enjoy watching and talking about them with your family.

Nuggets: Showing Kids How an Addiction Feels

This first video is called Nuggets and it's pure genius! It shows kids how an addiction begins as a choice and then devolves into a desperate, dark need. It’s only about five minutes long but you’ll have a lot to talk about after you watch it with them.

Note: Nuggets doesn’t show everything that happens with an addiction (continuing to use despite negative consequences, lying to loved ones to hide the addiction, the shame involved), but it does portray how an addiction can feel from the point of view of the addict.

The Science of Pornography Addiction

Our second video is The Science of Pornography Addiction brought to us by AsapScience. It’s only 3 minutes long, but packs in a lot of information about how pornography acts like an addictive drug and re-wires the brain. This video is appropriate for older kids (tweens and teens).

Related: Porn Addiction and Kids–Neuropsychologist Reveals Who Is Most Vulnerable: An Interview with Dr. Gola

[[CTA]]

‍

Dr. Hilton speaks to Youth and Parents about Pornography

Donald Hilton is a neurosurgeon and an amazing anti-pornography activist. He knows A LOT about the brain and helps us non-brain surgeon types to understand how porn impacts the brain just like a drug. This video is only 13 minutes long, but really helps kids and parents understand the neuroscience behind pornography addiction. Dr. Hilton uses several memorable analogies to get and keep your attention. Great for tweens and teens.

Related: How Porn Corrupts the Brain’s Reward System: Neurosurgeon Explains

We Need to Talk…About Porn

Check out this powerful 2 minute animated video from Fight the New Drug. Great stuff for tweens and teens to help them understand that porn changes the brain and is definitely not cool.

Related: Can Using Porn Physically Change the Brain? Neurosurgeon Breaks It Down