If there is one topic that we adults tend to both AVOID talking about and are in desperate need of information and support around – it’s internet porn. Yet teens rely on us to get these conversations started. That’s why it is so helpful that we have people like Dr. Megan Maas to hold our hands. As she reminds us in this episode: “In our media saturated world we no longer have the luxury of silence.”

Erin talks to Dr. Megan Maas about:

• Why teens need you to step into your roles as “sex socializers” (spoiler alert: you don’t need to memorize an entire sex ed book for these conversations)
• Why today’s free online porn is different from pornographic material from your childhood
• How online porn may impact your kids’ health and wellbeing
• Ways to get conversations started – including specific talking points.

Resources Mentioned in this Episode:

• PopPorn Parents. A one-of-a-kind course that teaches parents everything they wish they didn’t need to know about pop culture, pornography, and so much more! Our listeners can receive 50% off with the code SPARKSTITCH.
• Book, documentaries, and videos recommended by Megan Maas
• A New Report Reminds Us (Again) to Talk to Kids About Online Porn – Erin Walsh, Spark & Stitch

• Megan Maas’s website: https://www.meganmaas.com/

Dr. Megan Maas

Megan Maas, PhD, is an internationally recognized expert in media and sexual behavior.

Currently, she is an assistant professor in Human Development & Family Studies at Michigan State University. Her award-winning research, recognized by the American Psychological Association, focuses on adolescent sexual development. Specifically, she investigates how experiences of social media, sexting, and online pornography play a bi-directional role in the development of attitudes and behavior related to sexuality and gender.

She received her PhD from The Pennsylvania State University as a pre-doctoral fellow funded by the National Institutes of Health. Born and raised in California, Megan earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, Sacramento. She also holds a master’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies from Penn State. Before pursuing an academic career, Megan worked on film sets in Los Angeles where she developed her passion for storytelling. After gravitating toward education, she worked as a health educator and developed a popular lecture series which integrated peer-reviewed information on pornography use into sexual health behavior for lectures for college students, parents, and mental health professionals. Since then, Megan has served as a facilitator, workshop leader, and speaker on issues revolving around adolescent sexuality, sexualization, pornography use, sexual socialization, pornography use in romantic relationships, and parent-child communication about sexuality at universities and organizations across the country.

In addition to publishing her research in academic journals, she also publishes her work in mass media outlets such as HuffPost, CNN, and Salon. She also continues her passion for storytelling by translating science to general audiences in documentary films, podcasts, and television interviews.