In response to the Porn Virus article I recently posted I got the following reader comment from a young woman who grew up in the US. I think you will find the answer to the question above in her story. It shows you just how important it is to pay attention to what our kids are exposed to in the media and if needed to control it, at least when they are very young:
“Reading the Porn Virus article you posted enabled me to reflect on my first memories of porn and observe the impact it had on me. When I was six years old my first introduction to intimacy was seeing on TV a fake-breasted woman rub her self with a soap sponge and invite her partner to join her. My first exposure to such content began while on a play date with my girlfriends. We were in the midst of flipping through channels when we came to some interesting images and sounds. This ignited curiosity and exciting feelings we had never experienced. From that day on we watched this channel regularly. With no supervision we would spend our time studying the images on the screen. We even went the next step and began to act out some of what we watched on TV. At the time, this seemed harmless, as an adult I reflect back and understand the distortions it programmed inside me. My first exposure to this type of intimacy impacted my relationships. For a very long time, I assumed I had to bend like the women I saw in the porn programs, act overly stimulated moments after touch, and be extremely vocal. For years I played this role and wondered why I was not able to commit to a long-term relationship or feeling ecstasy like the characters on TV. In the past I would also lose interest in my partners, resent them, and end relationships shortly after they began. This pattern continued in my teens and early twenties. It was finally broken when I realized that the sweet loving feelings I experienced after a relaxing massage or a great yoga class could be experienced in the bedroom. I began to relax, connecting to the feeling of infinite love, and celebrating my receptive body. At last, I was able to feel the bliss of love making free of any distortions I experienced as a child. Based on my experience, I recommend parents put more effort into protecting their children from porn exposure and instead take the time to talk to their kids about intimacy. It is so important for our future generation to have a healthy connection with lovemaking. Thanks for bringing this material to our attention. It really helped me.”