Eoghan Cleary | Raised by Algorithms: How Porn and AI Are Rewriting Childhood

There was a time when childhood unfolded slowly. Conversations happened face to face. Curiosity built over years. And ideas about relationships, intimacy, and identity were shaped gradually, through experience, through awkward conversations, and through real life.

Today, that timeline has collapsed. In a matter of seconds, a teenager with a smartphone can access a world that was never designed for them. A world driven by algorithms, by dopamine, by content that doesn’t just reflect reality, but distorts it. And the question we have to ask is this: what happens when an entire generation learns about sex, relationships, and human connection from the internet?

Well, in this episode, I’m joined by Irish educator and researcher Eoghan Cleary, a man working on the front lines of this shift. We delve into the early exposure to pornography among teenagers, the increasingly violent and addictive nature of online content, and how social media, and now AI, are actively shaping sexual norms in real time. We talk about regulation, responsibility, and whether society is moving fast enough to protect young people, or if we’re already too late.

Links

• Dark Finds: Explained YouTube Channel (SUBSCRIBE)
• HOW IT FALLS APART | Audio Experience 🧨
• Patreon 🙌🏼
• Dark Finds IG 💀
• Dark Finds Book 📖

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Owen Cleary's Work

01:06 The Impact of Early Exposure to Pornography

03:53 The Nature of Modern Pornography

06:37 The Role of Violence in Pornography

10:47 The Algorithm and Its Effects on Content Consumption

12:44 The Dangers of AI in Content Creation

18:20 Legislative Challenges and Solutions

23:55 The Need for Accountability in the Digital Age

27:25 The Evolution of Sexual Expectations

33:54 Creating Healthy Conversations About Sex

35:37 The Impact of Pornography on Youth

38:31 Navigating Parental Conversations about Sex

41:04 Normalizing Discussions Around Sexuality

44:41 The Role of Social Media in Sexual Development

51:06 The Effects of Social Media on Attention and Behavior

56:14 The Need for Boredom and Creativity in Youth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.