1 in 3 Alberta Teens Watch Porn

Yeah, so?...this is a big surprise how?

I'm not defending the porn industry here - I think that the industry itself propogates a huge amount of mythology, none of which is exactly what I'd call a "good thing" myself.

However, while parental strictures against visiting porn sites on the web etc. are of some value, I think the more important thing for us to do as a society is admit that these places exist, and then teach our children about the difference between the fantasy world that is portrayed on screen and reality.

This is not a matter of "moralizing" about the subject, but rather a matter of sitting down and describing the impact of various decisions about sexual activity to teens intelligently. We don't need to use pure fear tactics - personally I think that the knowledge of what happens to the human body as it is attacked by various STI's is probably quite an effective deterrent - without having to "preach".

One of the interesting aspects of the "information era" we live in is that it pulls back the curtains on a lot of 'taboo' subjects - things that used to be "not talked about", and shines a light on them. Sexuality, especially in North America, has been one of those areas. A "don't talk about it" attitude generates all sorts of unhealthy behaviours and beliefs. It is high time that we looked the topic in the eye, and dealt with it honestly. (As opposed to burying our heads in the sand, and wishing that teens learning about sex just wouldn't happen.)