Over 18

Pornography is now a multibillion-dollar industry and one of the primary ways kids learn about sex, gender, power, and pleasure. Yet discussions about porn in the mainstream have tended to focus narrowly on moral issues rather than the pornography industry’s power as a pedagogical and cultural force. With their clear-eyed film Over 18, filmmakers Jared and Michelle Brock force us to confront these larger issues.

Ranging from the print era to today, Over 18 examines how pornography has radically changed with the rise of the internet, traces its impact on young people, parents, and porn actors, and explains why kids, in particular, are susceptible to porn addiction. In addition to interviews with porn producers, ex-porn actors, and scholars, the film highlights the story of Joseph, a 13-year-old boy who is recovering from a porn addiction that began when he was nine years old.