Youth and Porn: Understanding and Navigating the Issues

Over the last 5 years, a whole new porn landscape for young people has emerged… A lot of young people watch porn to get ideas about sex and think it will make them better lovers. However, research show us that using porn can have the opposite effect! 

This session will cover:

- Discussion about the new online sexual/porn landscape

- Issues surrounding porn and young people in Aotearoa

- Impacts of porn & key protective factors

- Tools for shame-free, ethical and youth centred conversations

- Strategies for building resilience in young people and responding to porn related issues and concerns

Jo Robertson: Sex Therapist & Porn Researcher

Jo is a qualified sex therapist who has completed her Master of Science in Medicine, with a focus on international consumption rates and impacts of porn on adolescents. She worked in high schools around the country as a sex educator, and consults on sexual health resources and professional training around the country. She has practiced as a school counsellor, with children and young people presenting with physical and sexual trauma, alongside providing training to professionals, parents/caregivers, and young people. She is a consultant for The Light Project, a charitable trust equipping communities with how to positively navigate the new porn landscape. She has recently co-founded a campaign “Makes Sense’ advocating for the removal of illegal sexual content online, and did a TEDx talk titled ‘Why we need to talk about porn’.