Children As Young As 12 Exposed To Online Pornography: New Report Gives Startling Details

A new research report finds out some startling truths about how teenagers engage with pornography. The report titled "Teens and Pornography" found that most teen respondents between the ages of 13 and 17 have watched pornography online.

What Happened: On Tuesday, Common Sense Media, a nonprofit child advocacy group, shared the report stating 73% of teenagers watched online pornography by the age of 17, with the average age of first exposure being just 12. 

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More shocking was the fact that 15% of the respondents said they had watched pornography even before turning 11, which means at least two years before stepping into their teenage years. 

The survey included more than 1,300 teens between the ages of 13 and 17 across the U.S. It was conducted mid-September last year to understand “the role that online pornography plays in U.S. adolescent life.” 

Why It’s Important: Some stats in the report showed that pornography might play a more significant role for some children. 

LGBTQ+ respondents were likelier than other groups to say they viewed pornography to discover more about their sexuality. 

Some teens also indicated that they were learning about sexual activities from the pornography content they consume. At the same time, more than half the respondents said they felt guilty or ashamed after watching it. 

In September, it was reported that Twitter could face $5 billion in fines over a federal investigation for not placing adequate measures to protect minors from age-restricted sexual content. 

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