Porn exposure forcing kids into early sex

Median age at which a group of 1,000 Australians surveyed first watched porn was 14

SYDNEY: For kids, one of the biggest mysteries is sex and early exposure to porn can lead them to have sex at an early age, an Australian researcher has found.

According to Megan Lim from the Burnet Institute, a non-profit organisation, internet and social media have allowed unlimited access to content that may previously have been restricted by availability or adult control, The Australian reported.

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"Anything that you are interested in or curious about or do not know about, you can find out online," Megan was quoted as saying.

For the study, Megan surveyed more than 1,000 Australians aged 15 to 29.

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She found the median age at which they first viewed pornography was 14.

PHOTO: NYTIMES

Nine out of 10 males and one out of three females viewed it at least monthly - sometimes up to 10 times a day.

"I think it is really important that sexual education becomes stronger. If kids have better sexual education, we know they are less likely to seek it out themselves," she said.

PHOTO: NYTIMES

The government and parents should be willing to harness the online world and provide young people with better media literacy so they know that pornography is fictionalised, the survey states.