Two Reasons Why Kids Are More Vulnerable to Porn (and What You Can Do About It!)
A kid’s brain is wired to imitate the adult behavior they see and to accept it as “normal.” Here’s how they come to accept deviant, violent, hard-core porn as normal "sex education."
According to a talk given by Sharon Cooper, M.D., of The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a child’s brain is more vulnerable to the harms of viewing porn for two major reasons:
- Mirror neurons. A child’s brain has an abundance of mirror neurons. These neurons convince us that when we see something we are actually experiencing it. These neurons help kids imitate the behavior they see in their older siblings and in adults. Unfortunately, mirror neurons make pornography even more real to kids and helps them imitate what they see.
- Immature pre-frontal cortex. A child’s brain matures from the back (brainstem) to the front where the pre-frontal cortex resides. This area of the brain controls judgment, impulse control, and it’s where kids learn right from wrong and how to handle their emotions. The pre-frontal cortex is not mature until age 20 to 25. A child’s ability to resist the powerful and addictive pull of porn is less than an adult’s simply because of their immature pre-frontal cortex.
A perfect storm results when you add pornography to mirror neurons and an immature pre-frontal cortex. A child’s brain can be easily overwhelmed and re-wired by the messages porn teaches.
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And that’s bad, because…
Adult pornography normalizes sexual harm. In other words, the violent, deviant full-color videos of Internet pornography can more readily be accepted as NORMAL by a child’s brain.
Furthermore, today’s Internet pornography provides children with powerful visual examples of three dangerous messages:
- Sex is devoid of emotional attachment or commitment
- Unprotected sex has no consequences
- Violent rape is normal and even enjoyable
What are the consequences of this kind of sex education for a generation of kids? How will this affect their future ability to enjoy loving, trusting and committed sexual relationships?
Since parents cannot protect their kids 100% from exposure to pornography, kids will need to become a part of their own “porn-proofing” plan, much like they are with drugs, alcohol and stranger dangers.
Kids can be empowered to reject pornography. But they need good information and a plan. You can give them both!
What steps have you taken to help your kids protect their brains from the toxic messages of pornography?
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"I really like the no-shame approach the author takes. It's so much more than just 'don't watch or look at porn.' It gave my children a real understanding about the brain and its natural response to pornography, how it can affect you if you look at it, and how to be prepared when you do come across it (since, let's face it... it's gonna happen at some point)." -Amazon Review by D.O.
