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Internet filtering and adolescent exposure to sexual material

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Przybylski and Nash analysed caregiver-child data from 13,176 participants across the European Union and Turkey, then conducted a preregistered study with 1,004 British 14- and 15-year-olds and their caregivers. They tested whether household Internet filters were associated with less reported exposure to online sexual material.

The European exploratory analysis found small associations. Depending on the material, between 17 and 77 households would need filtering to be associated with one fewer adolescent encounter over a year. Filtering explained less than 0.5 percent of variation in exposure. The more rigorous British study found no protective effect.

Across these studies, filtering showed at most small associations and no protective effect in the stronger design. The authors call for randomised trials that count financial, informational, and human-rights costs, including overblocking of health and identity resources.

The open article is available from PubMed Central. An automated challenge prevented preservation of a useful local copy during this research session. The source informs Alternatives to age verification and Pornography literacy and harm reduction.

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