I feel incredibly humbled that at the age of 18 the penny dropped for me: pornography was destructive to me and my own relationships, and it was also ripping apart the lives of countless people around me in Australia. Through countless conversations with men and women, I quickly learned that porn doesn’t discriminate based on age or gender.
I experience a constant tug on my heart to know more about how porn is hurting Australian society, and to do whatever I can to share these facts.
Here in Australia, the way pornography is user-made and circulated on every social networking app means that we don’t even need the likes of PornHub to get us hooked.
Related: Australian Mayor Makes History, Declares The First “City Free From Porn”
Apathy is rife in much of Australian culture, including youth culture. Outside of a few select environments, discussing the harmful effects of pornography allows you to experience being looked at like a freak. This is what happens when I wear my Porn Kills Love shirt, which I make sure is clean and ready for when I’m at airports or other particularly busy places. I must confess that I do get a kick out of following people’s eyes as they read the shirt and subsequently develop an expression of shock or confusion.
I have also had the privilege of sharing the facts of porn’s harms in classrooms and youth groups in several parts of Australia with another nonprofit. I remember the first time I addressed over a hundred 9th grade boys on the topic—the temperature in the room rose tangibly. That meant the message was cutting through.
On another occasion, following a compulsory workshop at an all-boys school, the staff allowed us to host an optional lunchtime workshop for 10th-graders on in-depth practicals of how to quit porn. More than ten boys attended and were earnestly encouraged by what we had to share. It’s moments like these that provide reassurance and remind me that the fight is worth it.
Related: Data Shows Domestic Violence Increase Is Being Fueled By Violent Porn
My advice to potential Fighters is not to wait until you’re “perfect” to fight porn. If you’re waiting for the day that pornography doesn’t attract you anymore, you’re wasting your time. We all carry our scars onto the front lines of this battlefield, and it’s these scars that can shape us into better, stronger Fighters. At the same time, humility and integrity are paramount if you want to be an effective Fighter. We need good, trusted friends to support us and keep us accountable. We need to saturate our minds and hearts in what is healthy and true. Get yourself well-versed in the science and the philosophy behind why pornography is cancer both to individuals and society at large.
Your next step should be to wear a Porn Kills Love shirt on public transport and in busy public areas. Hope and expect conversations that will plant the seeds for new Fighters. I’m keen to see this international movement shift our global culture toward authentic love!
What YOU Can Do
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Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever
Most kids today are exposed to porn by the age of 12. By the time they’re teenagers, 75% of boys and 70% of girls have already viewed itRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy —often before they’ve had a single healthy conversation about it.
Even more concerning: over half of boys and nearly 40% of girls believe porn is a realistic depiction of sexMartellozzo, E., Monaghan, A., Adler, J. R., Davidson, J., Leyva, R., & Horvath, M. A. H. (2016). “I wasn’t sure it was normal to watch it”: A quantitative and qualitative examination of the impact of online pornography on the values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of children and young people. Middlesex University, NSPCC, & Office of the Children’s Commissioner.Copy . And among teens who have seen porn, more than 79% of teens use it to learn how to have sexRobb, M.B., & Mann, S. (2023). Teens and pornography. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense.Copy . That means millions of young people are getting sex ed from violent, degrading content, which becomes their baseline understanding of intimacy. Out of the most popular porn, 33%-88% of videos contain physical aggression and nonconsensual violence-related themesFritz, N., Malic, V., Paul, B., & Zhou, Y. (2020). A descriptive analysis of the types, targets, and relative frequency of aggression in mainstream pornography. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 49(8), 3041-3053. doi:10.1007/s10508-020-01773-0Copy Bridges et al., 2010, “Aggression and Sexual Behavior in Best-Selling Pornography Videos: A Content Analysis,” Violence Against Women.Copy .
From increasing rates of loneliness, depression, and self-doubt, to distorted views of sex, reduced relationship satisfaction, and riskier sexual behavior among teens, porn is impacting individuals, relationships, and society worldwideFight the New Drug. (2024, May). Get the Facts (Series of web articles). Fight the New Drug.Copy .
This is why Fight the New Drug exists—but we can’t do it without you.
Your donation directly fuels the creation of new educational resources, including our awareness-raising videos, podcasts, research-driven articles, engaging school presentations, and digital tools that reach youth where they are: online and in school. It equips individuals, parents, educators, and youth with trustworthy resources to start the conversation.
Will you join us? We’re grateful for whatever you can give—but a recurring donation makes the biggest difference. Every dollar directly supports our vital work, and every individual we reach decreases sexual exploitation. Let’s fight for real love: