Today, it’s clear that pornography is reaching far beyond the bounds of obscene pictures in Hustler and Playboy magazine. Tragically, access to porn is only a click away from the innocent eyeballs of our children. Though parents can attempt to block porn on their children’s phones and computers through certain programs, today’s tech-savvy generation can often evade these. And while websites like Pornhub.com are certainly well-known, there is lesser knowledge about the means by which kids can surf numerous types of porn through the social media platforms they use every day, namely Snapchat and Instagram.
Research reveals that teens visit Snapchat over 20 times per day, and 63 [percent] of adolescents age 13 to 17 use Instagram every day.
Studies show that many boys are now looking at pornography as young as 11 and 12-years-old. As one teen said to researchers for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner in England, “Basically, porn is everywhere.”
Though it may sound like an exaggeration, if we take into account that teens currently spend approximately [9] hours per day online, that statement isn’t too far off.
Many parents are concerned that their kids may be surfing pornographic websites in their spare time online, but few understand just how integrated the world of porn is into the most popular social media sites. It’s also more affordable, violent, and twisted than ever — not to mention, it’s as accessible as the swipe of a finger.
Specific hashtags and “code” emojis can be typed into the search bar on Instagram, which takes users to an entire list of links to images of naked women or women in sexual bondage. These pictures are linked to pornographic accounts, which owners of those accounts use to strategically gain followers. While Instagram claims to have automated technology that identifies and removes images and videos containing pornographic content, the platform clearly has a long way to go.