Pornography and young people

Open to students

Pornography is not a new phenomenon. However, the rise of the internet and social media means that pornography is more accessible, diverse and normalised than ever before. Significant concern has been raised about the potential harms of pornography including its impact on relationships, sexual risk behaviours, sexual violence and body image.

Objective

Our work focuses on pornography use among young people in the Australian context. We explore usage trends, gender differences, sexual health and sexual behaviour.

We also produce evidence to understand the potential impact, acceptance and feasibility of interventions that aim to reduce pornography harm. This includes interventions such as pornography education, age verification, and parental device controls.

Timeline

2014–current.

Student opportunities

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Sexting, porn, and Tinder: An investigation of education and health promotion

Access to new technologies could present novel risks to young people’s sexual health. The emerging popularity of sexting, online pornography use, and dating apps has been linked in some studies to sexual risk behaviours (e.g. not using condoms or poor mental health).

This project will investigate previous interventions and provide recommendations for future public health approaches. A mixed methods approach will involve content analysis and review of existing health promotion relating to sexting, pornography, and other new sexual media.

Open to

Masters by research
Honours

Supervisors

Megan SC Lim

Contact

megan.lim@burnet.edu.au

Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll

The Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll study is an annual online survey investigating emerging issues of importance to young people’s health and wellbeing.

In this project, the student will use the data collected to investigate patterns of risk behaviours, knowledge, and health outcomes. This will involve quantitative analysis of the relationship between variables such as condom use, number of sexual partners, drug and alcohol use and perceptions of risk. The project could also involve in-depth qualitative data collection via content analysis, focus group discussions or interviews.

These findings, in the context of current public health measures, will be used to advise on the design of future health promotion campaigns.

Open to

Honours
Masters by research

Supervisors

Megan SC Lim

Contact

megan.lim@burnet.edu.au

Project outputs

The Gist

The Gist is a digital resource co-designed with vulnerable youth to improve pornography literacy. Using a participatory approach, The Gist addresses early exposure to porn and aims to create an evidence-based tool to help young people critically understand and navigate online sexual content.
Key article: Sex in porn, media and culture

A lesson from The Gist: the sex you see in porn, media and culture isn’t always reflective of real life.
A Digital Pornography Literacy Resource Co-Designed With Vulnerable Young People: Development of "The Gist"

This article details the development of The Gist.