New report reveals how US adolescents engage with or experience pornography online

According to research by Common Sense Media, 75% of US teens have seen online pornography by the time they are 17, with the average age of first exposure being 12 years old. The report’s goals are to provide a baseline for understanding US teens’ pornography use and to comprehend the role that internet pornography plays in adolescent life in the USA.

The study was based on a poll of 1,358 Americans between the ages of 13 and 17. More than half of those surveyed admitted to seeing pornographic footage of violent crimes like rape, suffocation, or people in pain. The majority of respondents claimed that Asian, Black, and Latino stereotypes were depicted in pornography. After seeing porn, more than half of the respondents claimed they felt bad or ashamed. Meanwhile, 45% of respondents felt that pornography gave them useful information about sex. Teenagers who identify as L.G.B.T.Q. in particular claimed it helped them learn more about their sexuality.