There are a variety of reasons for why adults need to talk with their children regarding puberty and other human sexuality topics beginning at a young age. One huge reason-the exorbitant number of media messages children are exposed to every day.
Do you know how many media messages you are exposed to? It is estimated by Forbes magazine that most of us in the United States are exposed to anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 ads per day. I challenge you to note all of the ads you are exposed to for one full day.This includes ads in the following places: television, movies, emails, magazines, mailers, pop-ups that appear online, apps on phones, etc. And remember any ad placements in movies, books, or other avenues.
Can you keep track?
After noting how many media messages are displayed daily, look to see if they pertain to human sexuality. Truthfully… how many ads pertain to sex?
Controlling what is seen at home:
There are tools to control what children see at home. PC magazine has an article titled The Best Parental Control Software of 2018which can help. Yet even if steps are taken in our homes to limit media exposure, children still have access to being exposed to different media messages when visiting their friends’ houses, seeing advertisements in stores and on smart phones, etc.… Even our family members’ homes may allow children access to something we weren’t expecting them to see.
What is seen online:
Going a little further, as children begin to wonder about sex, they may do a google search to find out some information. According to Bitdefender, a security technology company, children under the age of 10 are associated with 22% of the online porn consumption for all ages under 18 years, in which one in 10 of those visiting porn sites are under the age of 10. And much of what is depicted on these sites includes violence and unrealistic or unhealthy sexual behaviors/images.
Parents are the most important influence:
When looking over studies done with young people and the topic of sexuality, youth report that their parents have the most influence over their sexual decision making. In other words, parents weigh in as more influential than peers, teachers, culture, etc.… And teenagers want to have honest, open communication with their parents about sex. (Check out one study titled With One Voice 2012: America’s Adults and Teens Sound Off About Teen Pregnancy)
It is for the above reasons that it is recommended adults talk with their children, beginning at young ages. Resources for how to talk with children about these topics are noted on my website, superhealthcrusader.com. Specific resources pertaining to porn are
Talking to your 8-12-year-old about pornographyas well as Enough is Enough.
So… let’s be honest about being human. And remember… We are all doing the best we can with the tools we have been provided.
Question to ponder for the next Puberty Prof’s blog:
Why do we have so many slangs terms for our reproductive parts?