By the age of 12, almost one in three children has already been exposed to pornographic content. Getty Images:
INTERVIEW:- Mass access of the youngest to online pornography worries the state and not only. Facing parents with digital technology and sex education they don’t always have, feminist director Erica Last brings her act together.
The situation is worrying to say the least. At the age of 12, every third child has already been exposed to pornographic content, reminds the government website “I protect my child”. A “digital certificate of majority” will be required to access these platforms from next September to ban online underage pornography, the government announced on Tuesday (February 7). But is censorship of pornographic content the solution to combating violent, sexist or even homophobic sexuality? The story isn’t so simple, according to Erika Lust, an independent porn director and producer. Since 2004, this pioneer of ethical pornography, which respects women, gender and sexuality, has instead campaigned to de-taboo sex and break free from heteronormative visions of sexuality. According to him, one of the keys is in the sexual education of children and teenagers. In 2017, Erica Last created an educational springboard, The Porn Conversation, a platform for parents and educational staff to help them better talk to children about sex and pornography. Interview:
In the video: clitoris, pleasure, sex education… twenty-somethings trust the document without taboos
Madame Figaro: By tightening access to pornography for minors, you think we’re having the wrong debate. In other words.
Erica Last: Above all, we need to change our attitude towards sexuality. Our society has always had a shameful relationship with sex. We don’t want to talk about it with family, we don’t want to see it or hear it on social media or in the cinema, even when it comes to art, but paradoxically we still use so much porn in secret. Taboo reigns in schools where sex education is inadequate and where sex is approached only through the prism of reproductive biology and can lead to dangers. Only without answers to their questions, young people turn to free online porn and copy codes. Boys are thus convinced that they must be machines in bed, that intercourse necessarily involves anal penetration, while girls feel guilty if they do not reach orgasm and conclude that they are only there to please their partner.
What should an ideal sex education look like?
It should reflect the problems of the present generations. Young people want to know more about gender issues, sexual attraction, pleasure, the emotional side of sex, consent… teacher. They are taught by sex educators, gynecologists, psychologists, and sex pathologists. Personally, I am now measuring the impact of this education on how I feel. I am more confident in my body, in my sexual and emotional life.
You started with your husband Porn Chat, a sex education platform for parents and educators. Is pornography a topic to discuss with the family?
I am sure of it. If you don’t talk to your kids about it, they’ll go to their phones, for better and especially for worse. Parents need to stop lying to each other, online and offline sexuality is an integral part of who we are and how we live. And if you think your son or daughter is falling through the cracks, you’re probably a little naive. Watching porn is not a vice reserved for bad boys and girls. Looking at the stats, I’d say every parent should assume their child is watching. Recent studies show that 10% of 9-year-olds watch this type of content. It’s scary. Hence the need to start a dialogue in the family.
How to initiate this discussion without making both sides uncomfortable?
Avoid making the moment dramatic. It is a conversation among others. You can take advantage, for example, of a car ride that avoids looking at the whites of your eyes. One can tell the story of a “friend’s son” who has seen porn, ask if they have ever heard of these sites that everyone is looking at. Also, I don’t think it’s out of place to talk about his first experience with this content if he marked you in some way. If it is too difficult, we can help ourselves with such a social phenomenon as revenge porn and send him a link to more simple digital resources. Be careful, many children are closed to the incitement of sexuality. In this case, we do not insist. The most important thing is that they know we are there to listen to them, never to judge them.
is a popular porn cartoon created from the ground up for middle-aged white men
Erica Lust
What to say to a 9- or 10-year-old child who has encountered violent images in a porn video?
First, I would inform them that this content is not intended for children, but for adults, then I would ask them how they feel, were they scared, etc. I would explain to him that this movie is a very exaggerated fiction that does not reflect reality and that it was filmed by professional actors. I would insist to say that sex life is much more complicated, that it takes time to achieve one’s own pleasure, to connect with another.
You say that other points of view should be injected into pornography…
Yes, porn mainstream: ignores the sexual desires of women and minorities; Interested in “Pornology” and the founding works of American professor Linda Williams, I realized that this porn, which both excited and made me uncomfortable, was a caricature and was created from scratch. middle aged white straight men. However, you can move people with a woman’s gaze, and my films are proof of that. The problem with popular porn is that the producers don’t want to be doubted. These companies are part of a lobby whose interest is only financial. They don’t care about human sexuality and its representations, they want to generate traffic so they can sell ads.
Can pornography have no interest in sex education?
As an expert in the field, I cannot advise anyone to watch porn online until puberty. When the time comes, that content can be good or bad depending on the values they convey. Ethical pornography, on the other hand, can make a difference. I realize this because of user feedback. Some say they’ve figured out how their sexuality works, how to adjust to each of their partners, how to talk about what they like and don’t like. We also learn realistic techniques for experiencing pleasure. There is also less explicit so-called erotic content (not allowed for children under 16) that is very useful, like the ones I produce with Else Cinema, where the focus is more on the sensual experience. Finally, ethical porn can also help people who are questioning their sexual orientation by showing them what a gay or even queer relationship consists of. Even today, it is difficult for members of the LGBTQ+ community to see their sexuality in pop culture. But the new generations are more aware of this and want to change the situation. I find it beautiful and very promising.
Source: Le Figaro
