Nona Willis Aronowitz of Teen Vogue recently wrote an article that advocated for the consumption of pornography to their largely pre-teen audience. The dangers of porn for adults are horrid enough, but to suggest that children should engage in the same sort of damaging debauchery is an affront to morality.
Aronowitz begins by claiming that porn “is not morally bad or wrong.” She goes on to state that it “can be a great way to explore fantasies and stoke arousal, and plenty of people watch porn with no adverse effect on their lives. But porn does contain some ethical, emotional, and educational landmines.” She, then, ignores those landmines set by pornography in favor of her own perverse narrative.
Her reckless promotion of the use of porn to Teen Vogue’s readership ignores the dangers therein. It’s widely accepted that viewing porn rewires the brain. A brain that views porn consistently has the possibility of being less connected, smaller, and not as active as it should be. It is reckless to advocate for children to partake in behavior that is already so detrimental to developed minds. They can’t vote or make medical decisions for themselves, but this author thinks they are old enough to permanently stunt their brain?
Porn tells viewers that all men just want sex all the time and that women are always ready for it. Women need the emotional component of sex, whereas men desire it more physically.
When porn is viewed within the confines of marriage, a woman may feel like she isn’t enough because she can’t satisfy her partner’s needs. This can lead her to participate in sexual acts with which she may not be comfortable.
Having young girls viewing videos where the woman is treated as less than human can set them up for failure in their future relationships.
It’s immoral to suggest that children should, in any way, “explore porn.” It’s comparable to telling kids to safely explore drugs. Adults have the cognitive ability to choose to “safely” view porn themselves, but children don’t. Furthermore, most adults can discern what is real and what isn’t within pornography, which is an ability foreign to children. We shouldn’t be pushing our kids to consume a product they can neither understand nor contextualize.
Teen Vogue must take responsibility for publishing material that could damage the life of the children reading it. In most states, the age to legally buy adult films is 18. Why is Teen Vogue encouraging children to consume content that they aren’t even of the legal age to view?
Aronowitz finished her piece by stating, “Bottom line? Watching porn (or wanting to) doesn’t make you weird, sick, or bad—but it’s still a smart idea, especially if you’re brand-new to it, to be extra-careful while consuming it. Lots of us pay close attention to whether our food, clothes, and household products were made ethically. Why not be a conscious porn consumer, too?”
This casual dismissal of the dangers of porn by comparing it to household goods is reckless. If there is to be an honest conversation about porn, the risks need to be brought up. Children deserve the truth, especially on such a dangerous activity.
Taylor Hunt
Taylor Hunt is currently attending Washington State University pursuing a degree in AG Engineering. In her spare moments, Taylor writes for multiple outlets and loved to explore the natural world.
The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Lone Conservative staff.
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