The Scale of the Industry

The online pornography industry generates substantial revenue, with estimates ranging from $6 billion to $97 billion annually. Precise figures are difficult to establish due to the industry's private nature, but the scale is undeniable.

To illustrate the reach of just one platform: Pornhub reported 33.5 billion visits over the course of 2018, an increase of 5 billion visits over 2017. The site processed 962 searches per second and hosted 4.79 million newly uploaded videos that year alone.

How Kids Are Affected

The accessibility of this content means that children are encountering it at increasingly young ages, often accidentally. One personal account shared in the original article describes an 11-year-old who accidentally encountered explicit content online. The child experienced conflicting emotions -- fascination mixed with guilt -- and it took days before the child felt comfortable disclosing the incident to family.

This experience is far from uncommon. Research from CovenantEyes reveals concerning statistics about youth exposure:

• 57% of teens actively seek pornography monthly
• 51% of male and 32% of female students first view pornographic material before adolescence
• The average age of first exposure for males is 12 years old
• 71% of teens conceal their online activity from their parents

The Importance of Early Intervention

These statistics underscore the importance of having conversations with children about online content and implementing protective measures early. The combination of easy accessibility, the developing nature of young minds, and the high rate of concealment creates a situation where children are silently navigating complex and potentially harmful content on their own.

What Parents Can Do

DNS filtering technology provides an important layer of protection that works across all devices on a network. CleanBrowsing offers both free and paid content filtering services designed to help parents manage their children's online experience. By filtering content at the DNS level, parents can reduce the likelihood of accidental exposure and create a safer browsing environment for the entire family.