This idea has occurred to me several times, most recently while reading this topic:
Especially the unfortunate bit where the author says that he intended his book as a sex-positive work for teens, yet he could only get it published for adults.
Most of the vehement objections I encounter against erotica for children and teens is not that children and teens would like and benefit from it, but that older people of a predatory disposition would enjoy it for its depiction of young people’s sexuality. Well - we have mostly solved the inverse problem, of hindering young people’s access to works of adult sexuality by having categories of 18+ media which have access restrictions against anyone younger. So, how about creating a similar category of -18 media, with access restrictions to keep it away from older people? It’s one of those projects which I suspect would actually work if people did it, despite knowing that people would probably rather complain instead. Well, so what? Kids complain about age-restricted media such as videos, games, porn, drinks, etc and nobody second-guesses doing it. Let them complain, as it by design really isn’t any of their business.
There are a few logistical issues, for sure. Since 18+ people would be prohibited from possessing such literature, it would be reasonable if they were prohibited from writing or publishing it either. Perhaps they could create some infrastructure where young people could self-publish and access -18 erotic works. It would be its own self-contained cultural phenomenon. It would also finally offer legal protection for commonplace contemporary activities such as sexting and selfies which kids currently risk a huge liability for participating in.
I know that when topics crop up about sexual morality, sometimes people get upset and overly personal. It’s not that kind of thread! Please refrain from using the topic as a soapbox for personal judgements and remarks. It’s a place to brainstorm revolutionary ideas and how they can be put into practice.
