This post originally appeared at https://wifamilycouncil.org/radio/needed-age-verification/

2025 | Week of April 7 | Radio Transcript #1613

After her first exposure to pornography at age seven, Rachel battled porn addiction for the next thirteen years. In her preteens, Rachel was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and struggled with an eating disorder. “Porn stole my innocence and polluted my mind, creating a dark reality that almost took my life, she says.” At age sixteen, Rachel was sexually assaulted. Tragically, the violent porn she had watched convinced her she was an object, and two years passed before she realized she was being abused.

Sadly, Rachel’s story could be repeated thousands of times. Depression. Addiction. Dysfunctional relationships. The state of Wisconsin has a vested interest in protecting children from content that leads to these conditions.

In his 2025 State of the State address, Governor Tony Evers announced 2025 as the “Year of the Kid.” Throughout his speech, Evers highlighted various proposals to insert more government into the lives of children intending to help them thrive; however, he failed to address a dangerous and raging epidemic affecting younger and younger children in our state: pornography addiction.

While parents once had a reasonable measure of hope in protecting their children from such explicit content, the growth of the internet makes porn regulation far more challenging. Fight the New Drug, an organization that works to raise awareness of the harmful effects of pornography, explains, quote, “today, an endless amount of porn is available anywhere there’s an internet connection.”[1] End quote. At an increasingly young age, children carry the internet in their pockets. A study conducted by Common Sense Media reports that 42 percent of kids have a phone by age 10. The number jumps to 91 percent by age 14.[2]

Every child with internet access has the potential to view porn, intentionally or unintentionally. An extensive study[3] also conducted by Common Sense Media reveals that the majority of kids are exposed to pornography by age 13. Of those polled, 71% said they had viewed pornography in the last week.

Perhaps most unsettling of all, only 43% of teens reported that they have had conversations about pornography with a trusted adult. Tragically, today’s teens often receive zero help dealing with the pornography they are too often exposed to. 

A study[4] conducted by the Institute for Family Studies shows that pornography use among adolescents has been linked to unhealthy sexual behaviors, acts of sexual aggression, mental health struggles, relationship instability and puts adolescents at risk of disrupted family formation in later adulthood, [5] impacts that are far-reaching, affecting the rest of the adolescent’s life as well as the health of society.

As an increasing number of state and community leaders learn about pornography’s far-reaching effects and the societal implications of a generation of teens hooked on porn, legislation prohibiting minors from viewing pornography has gained support from both sides of the aisle.

Age-verification laws require sites with adult content to verify users’ ages by requiring users to upload a state-ID or by scanning their face with AI-powered software. The 19 states that have passed these laws have seen massive drops in traffic on porn sites. In Louisiana, the first state to pass an age-verification law, traffic on Pornhub has dropped by 80 percent.[6] In other states with age-verification laws, Pornhub has chosen to simply stop operating.

Opponents of age-verification laws argue that these laws violate free speech, but these laws do not prohibit adults from accessing explicit content. Age-verification laws are designed to protect minors, just like bans on underage smoking, drinking, and gambling do. The darker reason behind the backlash is money. Pornhub’s drop in users damages a lucrative business operation that receives more online visits than Netflix, Yahoo, or Amazon and brings in billions through advertisements.[8] Banning minors from accessing explicit content interrupts these sites’ system of addicting children to porn at a young age and turning them into lifelong users.

As the porn epidemic rages among children, they face its destructive effects. Rachel’s story highlights the impact of porn on children. Thankfully, today Rachel is happily married and is “four years sober from porn.”[9]

No child should have to relive Rachel’s experience. Last month the state Assembly passed with strong bi-partisan support, our state’s age-verification bill, Assembly Bill 105. This Senate should follow suit. If the governor is in earnest about this being the “Year of the Kid,” he should set aside politics and do the right thing with this bill.

For Wisconsin Family Council, this is Julaine Appling, reminding you that God, through the Prophet Hosea, said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Learn more at WIFamilyCouncil.org