Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Watching porn may leave someone with lots of different feelings. It can make you embarrassed, excited, ashamed, curious or offended. This can be quite confusing for some people - especially if it's something you enjoy. This may be why you're finding it difficult to stop looking at porn.

Although you may feel like that what you're doing is wrong, it's perfectly natural for us to be curious about sex as we're growing up. Porn can be a way for many young people to find out more about sex.

It's important to remember that porn is made for adults and it can sometimes show a false picture of what sex is really like. Watching porn can become addictive so it’s really positive that you’ve recognised this and want to stop if this becoming a problem for you.

Often when people are trying to stop doing something they distract themselves by doing other things they enjoy. This could be listening to music or playing a game, finding new hobbies or anything that is safe and helps you think about something else.

Being in a routine can make it difficult to break a habit, so maybe you could change the order in which you do things. You may also want to spend more time around other people to allow less time by yourself when you may be tempted to watch porn.

You could talk to someone in your family about having a filter put on the devices you use, to stop you being able to access porn and other websites that you deserve protecting from. You may feel comfortable telling them you have watched porn and want to stop, or you may prefer to just say that you’re worried you might see something you don’t want to.

If you’re still feeling unsure about what to do, you could talk about this with a ChildLine counsellor. They would never judge you, they are there to support you and help you decide what feels best for you.

Take care,
Sam