Viewing pornography online

Pornography refers to sexually explicit material of adults such as images and videos, usually online, intended to cause sexual arousal.

Pornography films feature actors. Sex in porn is not a reflection of real life sexual experiences and often does not show a variety of real life body types. 

Pornography can be viewed, by those aged 18 and over, on dedicated online platforms owned by large companies. It can also be found on social media sites, apps or website popups. 

By law, age checks should be used on any website or app that shows porn. This aims to protect under 18s from seeing harmful online content. 

If a young person visits a website or app that hosts pornography, they should be asked to verify their age. Users may be asked to verify their age by:

• checking with their bank or mobile network operator 
• using facial age estimation technology
• checking a digital copy of photo ID. 

If a user is under 18, they will be denied access to the pornographic content. 

Sexual images and videos of people under 18 are not pornography. If you have viewed a sexual image or video of someone under 18, report the content to get it taken down.

Here’s what some of the scientific research says:

• Watching porn can make real sex less enjoyable.
• Porn can make people feel less happy in their relationships.
• Porn can lead people to think about sex a lot more. This can make it harder for them to enjoy their friendships and other interests.
• Porn can lead to people viewing others, especially women, as ‘sex objects’. This means they only see other people as things to have sex with, not as people with intelligence and feelings, and start to respect them less.
• Over time, porn can shape the types of things you get turned on by. There’s some extreme porn out there so if your brain is trained to be turned on by the things you see, you could have trouble enjoying real sex.

The sex seen in porn is very different from healthy real life sex.

Every healthy sexual experience (from kissing to sex) should have:

Consent

• Only doing sexual activities which both people want to do; without any force, pressure or lies.
• Both have full capacity to consent to sexual activity – drugs and alcohol can limit capacity.
• Both people feel positively about sexual activity and have no negative emotions (such as anxiety, fear, sadness) about it.
• It is always OK for either person to withdraw at any stage from sexual activity, and both respect this and stop.

Respect

• Each person’s body, boundaries and feelings are as important as the others.
• Neither person sees or treats the other like they are worth less than themselves.
• Each person listens to what is being communicated, both in words and body language.

Honesty

There aren’t any lies, tricks, or not sharing important information. This includes being honest about:

• Who you are, not lying or embellishing to ‘get them into bed’ 
• Any health issues, including sexually transmitted diseases
• What you both want from sexual activity, including which sexual activities you are ready for.

 Enjoyment 

• Only doing sexual activities which both people want to do; without any force, pressure or lies.
• Both have full capacity to consent to sexual activity – drugs and alcohol can limit capacity.

• Talk to someone. Talking with trusted friends about our worries can help us feel better and find solutions. You can also speak to a counsellor or GP to find extra support if needed.
• Put barriers in place. Set some boundaries by using internet controls to limit access to pornography.
• Distraction. Stay active and socialise with friends and family.
• Learn more. Information is key, websites such as Your Brain on Porn or The Mix offer information and advice on pornography.