There is an issue at stake - the local kids at a well-to-do school are sexting eachother and subsequently suffering harrassment and embarassment as the pics go viral.
The idea seems to be that the wide and easy availability of all degrees of porn is influencing behaviour that later degrades self-dignity. My brother dated a retired porn star for a while, who was basically trapped in the business, and her lack of confidence and dignity were unsettling.
But the key thing is, good parenting, good influence. My parents dashed the paradise of sexual hopefulness for me at a young age when they explained in dull biological detail what was going on. It worked well - having lost the intrigue and fascination I carried on with my childhood (still do).
My view with my kids is, early, explain about it all and de-mystify it. Back-up with some histories of participants in the business. Encourage them to maintain dignity and choice. Recognise that sexual activity, for all its ubiquity, is a profoundly impactful and sensitive area, and needs to be treated with respect.
A number of my prior girlfriends contacted me in the last few years with “the real story behind why …” and a common aspect was a spectrum of sexual “misadventure”, which had engendered regret.
Another new local more is for the teen girls to undertake anal intercourse to avoid pregnancy. This is a new one on me - it makes sense, yes, but when I was a teen, that was not a familiar motivation or concept. It’s easy to draw a link between that and the type of porn that 20 years ago would have been reserved for the top of top shelves.
But I don’t think the solution is what David Cameron proposes. The genie’s out. What one generation loses, the following is utterly fascinated by. I suspect the whole exercise will be hot air.
