Recently, the Utah State Board of Education ordered the removal of 13 books from public school libraries across the state. The decision was made in accordance with the guidelines outlined in the state’s “sensitive instructional materials” statute (53G-10-103). These books were found to contain material deemed harmful to minors. While some disagree with the law, those in support claim this is a necessary step to protect children from sexually explicit content that is so easily accessible.
The removal sparked mixed reactions, but brought to light a concerning trend: Adult themes and graphic sexual content are becoming more prevalent in “young adult” literature, which is actually meant for ages 12-18.
To make matters worse, the growing popularity of what are known as “smut books,” written for a younger age demographic , is being fueled by the presence of social media communities, including an area of TikTok known as BookTok. Here, teens discuss the latest “spicy” books they love and rate them according to how explicit they are — the more spice, the better. But labeling them something cute like “spicy” detracts from the reality of what is actually happening, which is the normalization of erotic and pornographic literature for teens. As a writer for the website Protect Clean Fiction says, “smut is porn” and these books are “not only romanticizing fictional porn but normalizing sexualizing a young audience.”
Some may suggest that using the term “pornography” in this way is going too far. However, The New Oxford American Dictionary defines pornography as “printed or visual material containing an explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity intended to stimulate erotic rather than aesthetic or emotional feelings.” Pornography can be visual or descriptive in nature.
Of course, it’s important to recognize that not all references to sex in literature are problematic. Children and teens should be taught about the importance of healthy sexual relationships, ideally by parents and guardians. But the content in smut books is highly sexualized and often highlights fantasies and behaviors that will likely impede the development of realistic perceptions of what is healthy, just like other forms of pornography. Gail Dines, author of the book “Pornland: How Porn has Hijacked Our Sexuality,” calls porn “the world’s de facto system of sex education,” and that’s not a good thing.
Aside from creating unrealistic ideas about sex, teen erotic literature is full of harmful messages about consent, objectification of women and girls, love, manipulation, violence, coercion and disempowerment. There is ample research about the negative effects of early exposure to sexualized literature and other media. Because porn (both written and visual) has become so easily accessible, our nation is facing a serious epidemic. By 2020, 17 states, with Utah being the first, had declared pornography to be a public health crisis.
Sexual content in books is nothing new but is far more accepted, having shed much of the stigma that accompanied it just 30 years ago. Some of the change has a surprising genesis: the popularity of the YA fictional book “Twilight” by Stephenie Myer.
“Twilight,” considered to be a fantasy romance novel, captivated a dominantly female audience with its unusual love triangle involving a vampire, a human and a werewolf. There were also moral themes running through the books, and the content was tame compared to much of the romance genre today. But the popularity of the “Twilight” books spawned waves of fan fiction, some of which was not as wholesome in nature.
Over time, as more sexually explicit and violent content began circulating online, the narrative surrounding the reading of erotica changed, and opinions on the matter were split. No longer taboo for many, consumers began publicly and unapologetically declaring their enjoyment of reading extreme sexual content, and in some circles, pornography was hailed as healthy. Adults were not the only ones paying attention to this type of literature. Teens were also becoming more aware of “spicy” content for a younger audience, as authors continued to push the limits of what was considered appropriate for youth.
Now, many parents might be strongly opposed to what many of their kids are reading on a screen hidden between the pages of a book, often adorned with an innocent looking cover. For example, the cover of a popular book, “Icebreaker” by Hannah Grace, features a cartoon-like drawing of a female figure skater and male hockey player, giving it an innocent vibe. But if you read the detailed description in a parent’s guide, you find not a sweet rom-com or coming-of-age story, but one with mature themes and graphic descriptions of sex.
So what can parents do? First, parents need to be aware of what kind of literature is available to their kids. After finding out what is popular and trending among teens, parents can research the books their kids are reading or want to read. Common Sense Media is a good resource. Remember, too, that minors are highly influenced by people they see online. Find out who may be influencing your child and what kinds of media they are recommending.
Most importantly, parents need to talk to their kids. Ask questions about books they have heard about, or even read. Talk to them often about avoiding pornography in any form, and teach them to trust their gut when something makes them uncomfortable. Build a trusting and open relationship so that your children feel comfortable talking to you about things they have heard, or disturbing material they may have already been exposed to.
As we teach our kids about healthy relationships, respect for others, and appropriate content in the media, they will learn how to navigate through the daily challenges of media choices. The things we say can have a positive and measurable impact on our children’s view of the world, and this will help them make good choices about literature for themselves.