As a son, brother, and friend, I believe I’ve done the best I can in life, but since leaving school and becoming more socially isolated, I’ve fallen into behaviours I now find repulsive.
After leaving school post-GCSEs, I had a significant falling out with my friends. Although we've since reconciled, I was in a state of deep isolation at the time, which led to the creation of this project. Before I came to realise the truth, I became caught in a pattern of unhealthy consumption.
In my younger years, I endured personal abuse, which, though addressed, left lasting mental scars. During that time, I was confused and so naturally as any young person on the internet discovered porn which served to me as a means of coping with past traumas, believing that it would help me overcome them through temporary pleasure. What I didn’t realise was that I was only transferring the traumas to addiction, which likely led to more complications down the road.
I became addicted. The addiction that objectifies women and leaves you confused about romantic relationships. The so-called “gooning crisis” is an attempt to understand the effects pornography is having on young people today. Kids are being exposed to inappropriate content from as early as age 13, thanks to algorithms I still find baffling at 19. A young boy sees an attractive woman, desires her, but, being a child, doesn’t understand the reality of relationships. The content becomes normalised in his mind, and he then seeks out solutions—only to encounter figures like Andrew Tate, who perpetuate the objectification of women and further divide men. On a larger scale, media corporations are conditioning youth to consume porn early, so they can later profit from the confusion these young people experience, offering distorted role models as “solutions.” It sounds extreme, but it happened to me, and I like to think I’m somewhat aware, informed, and not easily manipulated.
I longed for a girlfriend, someone to connect with in a world of isolation and loneliness. Sure, I could make new friends, but as a man raised by incredibly loving parents, I always believed that love would come easily in a vulnerable place like mine.
I eventually found a girlfriend, someone I cared for deeply, but it didn’t work out. When that relationship ended, I struggled to move on, especially after seeing that she had moved on sooner than I had anticipated. That’s when I began dating casually. I am proud to say that, as a bare minimum, I’ve never crossed physical boundaries with a woman ever without her consent, and that’s something I take pride in.
However, socially in this generation, boundaries are crossed I now see as completely unacceptable. Platforms like Snapchat, Wizz, Yubo, and dating apps in general are poison for young people. The anonymity, the casual exchanges—it’s all too easy and too detached.
Before I begin this project, one that I hope will bring about positive change for future generations, I want to be open and honest about my own flaws. I’ve seen figures like Russell Brand publicly embrace religion, whether for genuine reasons or to cleanse their reputation. I have no desire to follow that path. I’d rather take responsibility for my actions now and be honest. I’ve sent nudes and been threatened they’d be shared before. A scam that happened to me when I was young and has had young people no different to me kill themselves over it. I don’t have to say any of this and a part of me is still embarrassed to share what happened but the truth is it’s bound to happen when we live in such a digital weird age. By saying this I hope it serves it’s purpose, to recognise that young people are seeing and sharing things they shouldn’t, like I once did and that those exploiting these vulnerabilities are disgusting. In knowing they’re the disgusting hopefully shame that formerly fell on us can now fall on them cos it’s really not worth your life. We’re all imperfect and make mistakes.
But yeah fuck pedos. Epstein Diddy shi is just a straight red card.
I hope there’s an understanding of why this project exists—beyond my personal struggles. This is an issue that many young people face in today’s world, and the only way to address it is by learning from those who have lived through it, and by finding a way to move forward—positively and progressively.
