There is a growing call to overhaul how pornography is addressed in sex education, with Teach Us Consent founder Chanel Contos leading the conversation through a new $3.5 million initiative.
So, should porn education be taught in schools?
“Mainstream pornography, which almost never depicts consent between the actors involved in this form of performance. And what that can do is very much skew the sexual landscape in many ways,” Contos said.
Contos says this is particularly concerning given the rise of violent or harmful content, and the role AI-generated material now plays in making it even more accessible.
She highlights the importance of teaching young people to critically analyse pornography the same way they’re taught to question other media.
Contos says porn literacy is about understanding that what audiences are watching is entertainment.
“Understanding that it’s not real and that it shouldn’t be a script or a truth for the way that they engage in sex,” she added.
Contos says that, without education, porn will continue to shape young people’s expectations in unhealthy ways.
“Learning to have sex by watching pornography is like learning to drive by watching Formula One. And young people know that that’s not what they can do and how they can do that.”
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on LiSTNR today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.