Developmental risks in children’s exposure to Internet pornography
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/pl.v43i2.137305Keywords:
Internet pornography, youth, development, addiction, preventionAbstract
Children’s psychosocial development takes place in close interaction with
digital platforms, the use of which shapes their everyday lives in a variety of
online contexts where Internet pornography (IP) has a prominent presence.
In this article, we will first review the scientific literature on children’s and
adolescents’ exposure to and use of IP and the developmental risks that may
be associated with this, such as worrying attitudes towards sexuality and
sexual behaviour. Next, we discuss the potential risk of developing addiction
as a function of IP use. Finally, we discuss concrete proposals to shield children
who are not yet sexually mature from the potential risks associated with
the use of IP.
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