How do I respond to a young person who feels ‘addicted to porn’?
The term ‘porn addiction’ is often used by young people in Aotearoa to describe varying degrees of distress related to porn usage, including difficulty controlling or cutting down on porn viewing, feeling shame or anxiety about watching porn, struggling with porn preoccupation, escalating or evolving usage, or problematic porn usage.
While it is always important to recognise and validate a young person’s unique experience and personal feelings related to porn usage, the term ‘porn addiction’ may or may not describe a clinical experience of problematic porn usage. A thorough assessment should therefore always be undertaken to better understand each young person’s experience and concerns, and to identify what support may be needed.
In Aotearoa struggling to cut down on porn is particularly common amongst young porn-users, with 42% of 14 to 17-year-old ‘regular’ users wanting to watch less porn but finding it hard to cut back (41).
For information, assessment tools, and pathways for care refer to: Resource 3.4: Problematic Porn Usage
“I think it’s [porn addiction] not an issue as in it’s widespread and dangerous, but I think for people that are affected by it, it’s definitely an issue.”
Female, 16 years