89% of young people in Tenerife, nine out of ten, regularly consume pornography through their mobile phones. This is the alarming data from a recent study by University of La Laguna (ULL) among 700 boys from four educational centres. This reality has prompted the Cabildo to organize a conference where experts, technicians, teachers, and families will discuss a phenomenon that “occupies and concerns” the local administration. It will take place on May 23 at IES La Laboral in La Laguna. Preventing this behaviour in minors and adolescents, as well as promoting the positive use of the Internet and screens, based on monitoring and education, rather than prohibition. This is the philosophy behind the event presented yesterday at the Noble Hall of the Insular Palace by the councillors of Employment and Education, Efraín Medina, and Youth and Training, Serafín Mesa, along with the head of the area service, Jorge González, and the technician Sonia López.
Under the title Youth, Screens, and Pornography, the forum expects to have the participation of more than 400 people, including municipal Youth officials, youth space facilitators, and professionals working with this age group.
Efraín Medina sees the objective of the Congress, which is intended to be continuous, as providing a space for academic, practical, pedagogical, and social reflection to find “answers on how we can improve young people’s relationship with screens and their content.” The councillor insists that “prevention is necessary because the figures are alarming and at increasingly younger ages.” Another approach to tackle “this serious problem” is “the scientific one because it has a very negative impact on the emotional and sexual development of children.” What is happening, he stresses, “is absolutely catastrophic and we need to educate in values, prevent false stereotypes, and promote sexual affective education.” Medina emphasises that “we must become a permanent observatory to detect these behaviours early in our boys and girls,” even though they are more frequent and common in boys. For this, the councillor highlights that “teamwork is essential and opening debates like the one we are fostering with this forum.”
Serafín Mesa shared the recent ULL study, with a sample of 700 students, of which 89% consumed pornography regularly. Additionally, the most sexist attitudes were found in male respondents. “Educational intervention in the short, medium, and long term to address this problem is very important.” Mesa concluded: “Technologies, screen use, or Artificial Intelligence are here to stay, and what we need to do is promote a correct use of these tools.”
High-level Speakers
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The conference, where registration is still possible until the 20th, will feature experts in the field of healthy technology use and sexuality. Among them, Guillermo Cánovas, director of the Observatory for this task and promoter of the Protégeles project. He will talk about “Digital Diet: Pornography as an addictive content.”
José Luis García, a doctor in Psychology and sexologist, will share his experience in promoting sexual health and preventing risks associated with pornography consumption, especially among young people, in his presentation “Young people who watch porn. What are we going to do?”
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Esther Torrado, a sociologist and researcher at ULL, will provide a critical perspective on how pornography can perpetuate inequality and violence, in her talk “Pornography: A school of inequality and violence.” Additionally, Fabio González, an illustrator and oral narrator, will conclude the event with his stories in The virtual red labyrinth. The conference will feature communications from experts in secure ICTs, digital education, pornography, sexual violence, intervention, and sexual affective education.
