Lust, Love, and Life: A Qualitative Study of Swedish Adolescents' Perceptions and Experiences with Pornography

Abstract

There is a widespread concern in Western society about the visibility of pornography in public places and on the Internet. What are the consequences for young men and women, and how do they think about gender, sexuality, and pornography? Data was collected, through 22 individual interviews and seven focus groups, from 51 participants (36 women and 37 men aged 14–20 years) in Sweden. The results indicated a process of both normalization and ambivalence. Pornography was used as a form of social intercourse, a source of information, and a stimulus for sexual arousal. Pornography consumption was more common among the young men than among the women. For both the young men and women, the pornographic script functioned as a frame of reference in relation to bodily ideals and sexual performances. Most of the participants had acquired the necessary skills of how to deal with the exposure to pornography in a sensible and reflective manner.

This research was funded by the NIKK (Nordic Gender Institute) in collaboration with Malmö University, Sweden.

Notes

¹M = male participant, F = female participant, and R = researcher. The numbers indicate different participants in the focus groups.