Open dialogues on sex, parental vigilance must for kids in digital age

PUNE: In an age where internet and devices are the core of human existence, young children are being exposed to the dark side of the very technology that otherwise makes life easy.Kids are increasingly exposed to inappropriate online content — leading to concerns of porn addiction and its dire consequences. Experts said curiosity is not the problem, but absence of open, honest and age-appropriate conversations about sex at home and in schools is.A combination of moral policing, hyper-sexualised media and lack of dialogue has created an ecosystem where children seek answers in unsafe spaces, unaware of and susceptible to lurking dangers.Dr Sadhana Natu, professor and head of the department of psychology at Modern College, Ganeshkhind, has worked in sex education for over three decades. "There are hardly any efforts towards sex education. Children have unanswered questions, leading to repression and, eventually, addiction. When ecosystems are conducive to open conversations, children can ask questions and receive age-appropriate answers without fear or shame," she said.Natu said a lack of distinction between pornography, erotica and healthy discussions on relationships makes matters worse. "In our ‘Disha Speak Out' programme, we have facilitated non-judgmental dialogues on love, attraction, sex and sexuality for 32 years. Such conversations allow children to develop equal and gender-sensitive relationships, rather than turn to harmful influences."Dr Vishal Harpale, a cognitive behavioural psychotherapist, spoke of the need for digital awareness and supervision. "There's very little awareness and prevention regarding porn consumption among children. Solutions include increasing digital literacy in parents, introducing school programmes on harmful online content and implementing technological tools like parental controls," he said, while highlighting the larger role of the society in building a vigilant and supportive ecosystem for children.Experts said children's exposure to sexual content often begins unintentionally — on a parent's phone or through peer influence. Sonali Kale, a psychologist at Muktangan Rehabilitation Centre, said, "A nine-year-old child who tries something they've seen online does not understand the consequences. It's critical for parents to monitor what their children are watching and to ensure that the content on their own devices is appropriate when shared."Psychologist Kinjal Goyal said society fails to protect children with access to smartphones and internet without safeguards. Goyal called for stronger laws, age-based content limits and open conversations at every level and said, "Children are overexposed to violence and sexual content, but we're ignoring the problem instead of addressing it. We need to enforce rules, take collective responsibility as families and schools and talk when things go wrong. It's time to create a safer and healthier future for our children."