Young people's well-being and pornography: meet the researcher.
Exclusively for the readers of our newsletter, RHEA interviewed Nina Szyf, PhD student at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Ghent University (joint PhD) within the SWYPPE-project. We discuss her current research on the sexual well-being of young people in times of online pornography.
You are doing your PhD research within the SWYPPE-project, what is your role within the project?
The SWYPPE-project - Sexual Well-being of Young People in times of widespread Pornography use - is an interdisciplinary and interuniversity collaboration between researchers and professors from medicine, psychology, social sciences, education and gender studies. Together we aim to better understand how young people navigate sexuality and well-being in a time where online pornography is widely available.
Within SWYPPE, I am part of WP1. This work package focuses on pornography in a diverse society. My role is to study how pornography is used, perceived and experienced by young people from different backgrounds and how this connects to their sexual health, relationships and overall well-being. The goal is to move beyond traditional, one-dimensional perspectives and contribute to a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of how young people engage with pornography in the digital age.
"The goal is to contribute to a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of how young people engage with pornography in the digital age."
Your past research has been about topics of deepnudes, digital partner violence and online safety. How will these figure these into your new research?
My previous research has consistently focused on societal issues. This gave me a foundation to examine different social phenomena. In my PhD, I develop this perspective further by studying pornography as part of the broader social and digital context in which young people are living. This approach allows me to consider not only individual experiences but also the wider societal, cultural and technological factors that shape how young people perceive pornography.
With intersectionality as your lens, who are you wishing to highlight?
Pornography research has long been centered on heterosexual, cisgender men. I aim to broaden this perspective by actively including diverse voices and experiences across gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, religions but also young people with disabilities. Applying an intersectional lens means more than simply acknowledging diversity. To me it’s very important to really involve minoritized groups throughout different steps in the research process, ensuring that their realities help to shape the questions we ask and the knowledge we produce. Ultimately, this approach could also help to create a more inclusive and representative framework for sexual education in schools, possibly moving beyond a one-size-fits all approach.
"To me it’s very important to really involve minoritized groups - ensuring that their realities help to shape the questions we ask and the knowledge we produce."
Reflecting on how the study is going: how are you looking at the future qualitative aspect of collecting data?
I’m actually very much looking forward to the qualitative phase, where I’ll be actively engaging with young people through interviews and focus groups. These conversations will help us understand their perspectives firsthand, especially from groups that are often underrepresented. As our sample includes youth from 14 to 25 years old, engaging with minors on such a sensitive topic naturally raises important ethical and practical considerations. Still, creating these spaces for open dialogue is truly essential. It allows young people to share their perspectives and help to steer the conversation themselves.