High school and middle school today isn’t just about grades, sports, figuring out who you want to be, and fitting in—it’s also about navigating a digital world that never turns off. Between group chats, TikToks, Instagram, and endless notifications, there’s one thing slipping into feeds and browsing sessions that no one really talks about but almost everyone has seen: porn.
Porn doesn’t just live on some sketchy website anymore; it’s referenced and shown in reels, jokes at lunch, and sometimes even circulated throughout the school. And whether you’ve seen it accidentally or clicked on it once, a hundred times, or not at all, it’s shaping the culture around us in ways that often go unnoticed.
Here are just a few recent porn related stories in the news that show how prevalent pornography is.
Francesca, 14 years old, was called into the vice-principal’s office and told that she, along with a group of girls, had nude images of them circulating the school. The images weren’t real, but generated with AI, and created by a fellow student.
“I didn’t know how quickly it could happen, with just one image,” she recalled. “That it can happen to anyone, by anyone, with the click of a button.”
Jordan, 17 years old, was tricked by online scammers into sending nude images. They then blackmailed him and threatened to send his nude images to his friends and family if he didn’t send them money. Jordan sent as much money as he had and warned the sextortionists he would kill himself if they spread the images. The criminals on the other side of the screen replied, “Good… Do that fast – or I’ll make you do it.” Jordan died by suicide soon after.
Zara, 16 years old, had nonconsensual intimate images of her taken by her then-boyfriend at the time. Over the next few months, he began to assault her, performing extreme acts he’d seen in porn.
“One day, I woke up and found he had moved my clothes aside to take intimate pictures of me with his phone camera. He initially denied it, then said he wasn’t doing anything wrong… Finally, after months of being spat on, strangled, whipped, forced to provide oral and vaginal intercourse, and more, I said I’d had enough.”
From sexting to harassment, to revenge porn and deepfake AI-created porn, to infiltrating views of healthy sex, shaping gender stereotypes, and contributing to rates of sexual assault, pornography plagues student bodies worldwide.
Below are 11 facts about how porn culture is shaping school culture. Whether you’re headed to high school or middle school soon, you’ve just lived through it yourself, or you’re raising someone who will be there soon, education is power in preparing for navigating the pornified culture infiltrating schools. Knowing what’s going on is the first step to fighting against it.
1. Most students have seen porn.
Common Sense recently surveyed over 1,300 U.S. teens aged 13–17 and found that 73% have seen pornography online. The average age of first exposure was 12 years old, with 15% being exposed by age 10 or younger. Of the students who saw porn, 44% said they watched it intentionally, 71% had done so in the past week. Copy
And it’s not just in the US.
A 2025 study from the Children’s Commissioner in England revealed 70% of teens saw pornography before age 18—up from 64% in 2023. Alarmingly, over a quarter saw it by age 11, and exposure was mostly accidental, often through social media, like X (formerly Twitter). Even more disturbing, 58% had seen strangulation in porn, and 36% saw non-consensual content.
What’s even more alarming is when these young brains are exposed to such extreme content —including scenes that appeared to depict rape, choking, or someone in pain they’re conditioned to think that’s what they should expect in sexual encounters.
2. Kids use porn to learn about sex and how to have sex.
Because of these early, overly sexual experiences and the fact that actually talking about porn is still pretty taboo, more and more students are turning to porn to learn about sex—often before their first real-life sexual interaction.
A recent study found that 1 in 4 young adults studied listed pornography as the most helpful source to learn how to have sex, even though research suggests that pornography can make people more sexually illiterate by actively spreading harmful misinformation about sex. Rothman, E.F., Beckmeyer, J.J., Herbenick, D. et al. The Prevalence of Using Pornography for Information About How to Have Sex: Findings from a Nationally Representative Survey of U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults. Arch Sex Behav 50, 629–646 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01877-7Copy
In this New York Times article, a suburban boy explains, “There’s nowhere else to learn about sex… and porn stars know what they are doing.” While he’s correct, these paid, trained professionals are performers acting out a script; what they see on a screen is not reality. This dangerous mentality, paired with the increased accessibility to pornography, will continue to fill the vacuum for sex information.
3. Sexting: 1 in 5 hit send.
Sexting has completely skyrocketed with the existence of smartphones and the prevalence of porn among the rising generation. With more than 1 in 5 teens sending sexts and 1 in 3 receiving them, sexting has very much become a regular form of communication. Mori, Camille et al. “Are Youth Sexting Rates Still on the Rise? A Meta-analytic Update.” The Journal of Adolescent Health: official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine vol. 70,4 (2022): 531-539. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.10.026Copy
There are tons of issues with sending sexts, like nonconsensual forwarding or sharing, or “revenge porn,” among them, but more on that later. There’s an even bigger issue at hand, where teens feel it is necessary, normal, or pressured to send pics sans clothing as social currency without considering the real ramifications of what pressing “send” can mean.
Teens often don’t realize that once an image is sent, they lose total control of their image. Images generated from sexting are often used to bully, blackmail, or harass other students. Not to mention the legal consequences. A sexual image of a minor under 18, even if self-generated, is legally considered CSAM or “child pornography.” Anyone participating in creating, sending, or sharing could face serious legal consequences.
4. Porn encourages and promotes objectification.
It’s common for porn consumers to start seeing people as objects, merely there for entertainment rather than people. The same is true for teens in high school and middle school—usually where pornography is present, respect for others—girls, more specifically—can be totally absent.
Various studies show a direct correlation with increased objectifying behaviors based on how much porn someone watches. We know from personal accounts that in schools where porn is not only present but perceived as totally normal, boys often treat girls like objects by showing their friends explicit images of them or using them for sexual favors to gain social status.
In a study of U.S. high school students (ages 15–18), increased pornography consumption in the past year was associated with higher levels of self-objectification and body comparison across both genders. Maheux, Anne J et al. “Associations between adolescents' pornography consumption and self-objectification, body comparison, and body shame.” Body image vol. 37 (2021): 89-93. doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.01.014Copy Students not only objectify others, but themselves.
5. “Revenge porn” is something a lot of teens are dealing with.
Sometimes high school romances last a lifetime, but that is more the exception than the rule. Sexting and sending nudes almost naturally lend themselves to image-based abuse, or, as it is more commonly referred to, “revenge porn,” when the relationship goes south.
A recent report showed that 12% of teens reported having forwarded a sext without consent, and over 8% have had one of their own sexts forwarded. A different study by the University of Kent shows that a shocking 99% of people surveyed expressed at least some approval with nonconsensual explicit pics being posted online.
In a study published in 2021, it was revealed that “slutpages” are the new way to nonconsensually aggregate nudes from other women or girls in a certain school, city, or area. In other words, “slutpages” are basically secret online groups where users can view and post intimate images, most often of women, without their knowledge or consent, and often accompanied by their full name and age. The study concluded that over 1 in 3 college students have visited a “slutpage,” and being involved in team sports or Greek life has a positive association with visiting a “slutpage,” with 1 in every 2 having done so.
Where does this learned behavior start? Likely in high school, with the soliciting of intimate photos from a “target.”
How is this at all acceptable?
6. Anyone can create deepfake porn.
There seems to be a new AI tool for everything, and unfortunately, that includes software that can literally remove the shirt off your back. Easily accessible and often free apps and programs allow the user to digitally “nudify” any image. That means taking a normal photo of someone fully dressed and altering the image so it appears they are nude. But it doesn’t stop there: software allows you to create sexually explicit images and videos of a subject just from a photo.
The kicker? It’s almost impossible to tell that these images or videos aren’t real.
Students have already figured out how to use these tools to harass, blackmail, and humiliate their peers. Recently, in Washington, Issaquah High School student, Caroline, learned that a male classmate was sharing fake nude images of her friends from pictures taken at homecoming.
While more and more states are passing legislation to ban deepfakes from schools, this issue is still prevalent on many campuses.
7. Doxing is becoming more of an issue.
“Doxing,” which is the malicious act of searching for and sharing private information about someone on the internet, has found its place in high schools as a likely result of porn culture.
One-third of teenage girls have reported being sexually harassed online, but doxing takes it a step further, where young people share personal details of someone (usually a girl) who is seen as “easy.”
This is explained in our article about students from more than 70 Australian high schools who were used as targets in a revenge porn-sharing online group. Basically, young men use the site to request explicit material (nudes) of a specific girl or girls from a specific school. Others would help by posting detailed information about the girls in question: their full names, phone numbers, and addresses. The boys then start “hunting,” collecting, and bartering their “wins.”
Doxing takes harassment to a whole new level, making revenge porn a game in which innocent girls are often the objects.
8. Degrading sex acts are becoming the norm.
In this New York Times article, high school students debate about certain sex acts their partners have asked them to do, like “facials.” In the conversation, one girl chimes in, saying, “I actually don’t think [girls] like it. They do it because their partner likes it.
The article describes a similar debate among high school students about anal sex. Among the guys who reported trying it, many said their friends encouraged them, or they felt pressured and competitive with other guys doing it.
Research shows that those who consume sexual content or porn are twice as likely to engage in problematic sexual behaviors and those who saw violent porn were more than twice, almost three times as likely. Mori, Camille et al. “Exposure to sexual content and problematic sexual behaviors in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Child abuse & neglect vol. 143 (2023): 106255. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106255Copy
Girls as young as 15 describe boys pressuring them to provide sexual acts that are inspired by the porn they consume regularly.
Young people are more likely to engage in risky behaviors they see in porn, even if that includes things like strangulation, unprotected sex, and violence and aggression. Studies show that those who see violent porn are also less likely to intervene in a potential act of sexual violence. Copy
9. Sexual harassment and cyberbullying are further fueled by porn.
Bullying and sexual harassment, unfortunately, happen on their own, but how does porn culture add fuel to the fire?
We know from personal accounts that someone who chooses not to watch porn when their peers do is often put on blast. With the existence of social media, online bullying and harassment are so much more prevalent and less manageable. In a survey of girls and young women aged 15-19 throughout Australia, participants reported that lone sexual abuse and harassment were becoming a normal part of their everyday interactions.
Porn consumption seriously normalizes sexual harassment, convincing students that unwanted sexual attention is normal and acceptable. Pornographic films that show men verbally abusing women teach young men how to treat women and—perhaps worse—teach women how they should be treated.
10. Girls going under the knife to pursue unrealistic beauty.
One of the problems with porn is that it doesn’t accurately portray reality. Men are shown as strong and dominant, whereas women are portrayed as perfect, submissive, airbrushed beauties. This can seriously kill the self-confidence of both boys and girls, especially during a time when the pressure to look a certain way is so prevalent.
A shocking report showed that from 2013 to 2016, the rate of labiaplasty—a plastic surgery performed to alter the appearance of the labia, the inner and outer folds of the vagina—increased by over 100%. Not only that, but the total number of patients 18 years and younger increased from 158 in 2013 to 559 in 2016—a 253.8% increase in just three years. It is reasonable to say that porn culture is a big part of why this procedure is on the rise.
11. Guys struggle with arousal when with real-life partners.
Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been increasing in sexually active men under the age of 40, and internet porn is to blame for this rise, with a growing number of studies showing a correlation between porn and ED. Pornography can also leave people wanting more, causing them to feel dissatisfied with what they experience in their real lives, which can contribute to depression and anxiety symptoms.
Fight to de-normalize porn culture
Violence is not sexy. Harassment is not acceptable. Revenge porn is harmful. Sexual assault is toxic. This is why we fight against the normalization of porn and all the issues it carries with it.
The youth of today are our next generation of leaders. They’ll be steering our innovations and raising the next generation behind them. This is a pivotal time in people’s lives to develop healthy habits that will be with them for the rest of their lives.
The more we accept porn culture as the norm, the more we accept the subcultures it supports—like sexual assault, rape culture, racism, misogyny, harassment, and violence. We don’t have to accept porn as normal. We can fight for real love and change the conversation.
Have you sent nudes while you were under 18?
As you can see from the surveys above, teens are sending and receiving nudes now more than ever. If you have nudes online from when you were under 18, you’re not alone—there is help to get them removed. Take It Down is a free resource created by the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help you remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos taken before you were 18. If you’ve sent an explicit picture to someone while you were under 18, and now they’re threatening you or have posted it somewhere, or even if you’re unsure whether the image has been shared but want some help to try to remove it from places it may appear online, this service is for you.
Take It Down is a free service that can help you remove or stop the online sharing of nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images or videos taken of you when you were under 18 years old. You can remain anonymous while using the service and won’t have to send your images or videos to anyone. You can learn how to use Take It Down, a free, anonymous resource, here.
For more victim resources, click here.
Book a youth presentation at your school
Research suggests that school staff and administrators see pornography as a serious issue that affects their school’s cultural climate surrounding sexual violence and that education programs on porn help them feel more confident in addressing the issue and preventing sexual harassment.Maas, M. K., Gal, T., Cary, K. M., & Greer, K. (2022). Popular culture and pornography education to improve the efficacy of secondary school staff response to student sexual harassment., 1-23. doi:10.1080/15546128.2022.2076757Copy
Fight the New Drug’s age-appropriate and engaging presentations highlight research from respected academic institutions that demonstrates the significant impacts of porn consumption on individuals, relationships, and society. We take a three-dimensional approach to raising awareness on the harmful effects of pornography in society, so in addition to creating tools and resources for our global supporter base to share, we also love getting face-to-face with people in their schools and cities to provide research-backed information on this important issue.
As a non-legislative and non-religious organization, our goal is to ensure we deliver age-appropriate, key information backed by science and personal accounts to each audience so they are equipped to make informed decisions regarding pornography. All of our tailored presentations, whether it’s a school, community, parent, or conference presentation, will provide attendees with comprehensive, age-relevant information about:
- How porn impacts the brain
- How porn can harm relationships
- How porn affects society
- Healthy conversations about porn
- Free resources—educational and recovery
We offer presentations customized for each audience, aligning with our mission as a non-religious and non-legislative organization educating with science, facts, and personal accounts. We can provide engaging, empowering, and educational presentations for these types of audiences:
- Middle School/Junior High
- High School
- Parent/Community
- College/University
- Keynote
We empower your students to make educated decisions to better equip them to love themselves, have healthy relationships, and make a positive difference in the world.
What are you waiting for? Click here to learn more and book us today.
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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.
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