Pune: In an age where internet and devices are at the core of human existence, young children are being exposed to the dark side of the very technology that otherwise makes life easy.
Children are increasingly being exposed to inappropriate online content – leading to concerns about porn addiction and its dire consequences. Experts said that curiosity is not the problem, but the absence of open, honest and age-appropriate conversations about sex at home and in schools are.
A combination of moral policing, hypersexualized media and a lack of dialogue has created an ecosystem where children seek answers in unsafe spaces, unaware of and susceptible to lurking dangers.
Dr. Sadhana Natu, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at Modern College, Ganeshkhind, has been working in sexuality education for over three decades. “There are hardly any efforts at sex education. Children have unanswered questions, which leads to oppression and ultimately addiction. When ecosystems foster open conversations, children can ask questions and receive age-appropriate answers without fear or shame,” she said. .
Natu said the lack of separation between pornography, erotica and healthy discussions about relationships makes matters worse. “In our ‘Disha Speak Out’ program, we have been facilitating non-judgmental dialogues about love, attraction, sex and sexuality for 32 years. Such conversations allow children to develop equal and gender-sensitive relationships, rather than turning to harmful influences.”
Dr Vishal Harpale, a cognitive behavioral psychotherapist, spoke about the need for digital awareness and monitoring. “There is very little awareness and prevention of child porn consumption. Solutions include increasing digital literacy among parents, introducing school programs on harmful online content and implementing technological tools such as parental controls,” he said, while highlighting the greater role of society in building a vigilant and supportive ecosystem for children.
Experts said children’s exposure to sexual content often begins unintentionally — on a parent’s phone or through peer influence. Sonali Kale, a psychologist at Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre, said: “A nine-year-old child who tries something they have seen online does not understand the consequences. It is crucial for parents to monitor what their children are watching and to ensure that content on their own devices is appropriate when shared.”
Psychologist Kinjal Goyal said society is failing to protect children with unprotected access to smartphones and the internet. Calling for stronger laws, age-based content limits and open conversations at all levels, Goyal said: “Children are overexposed to violence and sexual content, but we ignore the problem instead of addressing it. We need to enforce rules, take collective responsibility as families and schools and speak up when things go wrong It’s time to create a safer and healthier future for our children.
