Co-designing digital technologies to reduce young people’s exposure to online pornography

With rapid and continuing advances in technology, online pornography is becoming increasingly accessible to children and young people. Exposure to pornography is associated with potential risks to the health and wellbeing of young people, through impacts on consent, relationships, sexual health behaviours, and gender inequality. In view of these risks, measures to restrict access by minors to online pornography are being considered or implemented both within Australia and internationally.

Objective

In this research project, we will work with young people and caregivers to explore their perceptions of a range of measures to identify and develop new and innovative technological interventions that are not only effective at reducing access to online pornography, but which are also acceptable to both young people and their caregivers.

Timeline

2022–2023.

Approach

Using a co-design approach, we will work with young people and caregivers to explore their perceptions of a range of technological interventions to reduce or restrict access to online pornography by young people.

We will undertake this project with two groups:

• young people aged 15 to 17 years old
• parents or caregivers of children aged 8 to 16 years.

Community impact

This research will provide an understanding of the perceptions of parents and young people toward different technological interventions to reduce access to online pornography by young people, and inform the future consideration and implementation of large-scale interventions.