NEW YORK - ColoradoDesk -- Dr. Chris Samuels. a psychologist with over 30 years of clinical experience treating compulsive sexual behaviours, betrayal trauma, and sexual abuse; calls attention to a crisis that too many families, educators, and policymakers are still unwilling to confront: the toxic alliance between bro culture and modern pornography, and its devastating impact on young people.

"We're raising an entire generation in a pornified world," says Dr. Samuels. "The average age of first exposure to pornography is now just 11 years old. And what they're seeing isn't educational—it's violent, degrading, and fundamentally reshaping what intimacy means to an entire generation."

According to research cited by Dr. Samuels, 88% of popular pornography contains physical aggression, and 94% of that aggression is directed toward women. Compounding this, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are accelerating the spread of toxic masculinity and misogynistic norms. Algorithms feed young boys content that glorifies dominance, emotional detachment, and the objectification of women—an ideology widely celebrated in "bro culture."

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The result, Dr. Samuels warns, is a feedback loop of harm: "Pornography teaches harmful sexual scripts. Bro culture reinforces them. And together, they're creating a distorted playbook for intimacy—one that equates love with power, sex with performance, and emotional connection with weakness."

The Human Cost

Clinicians across the country are reporting a disturbing shift: teenage girls normalising aggression during sex, struggling with pain and fear they're told should be pleasurable, and believing something is wrong with them if they can't enjoy it. Boys, meanwhile, are either embracing toxic masculinity or feeling isolated and ashamed for wanting emotional connection in a culture that mocks vulnerability.

"We're seeing rising rates of sexual assault, domestic violence in younger relationships, and a mental health crisis that's deeply tied to these toxic norms," Dr. Samuels explains. "And we're treating it as individual pathology instead of what it really is: trauma from cultural messaging."

Hope Through Cultural Change

Despite the seriousness of the problem, Dr. Samuels is clear: culture can change. Just as society has tackled smoking, bullying, and drunk driving, she believes we can rewrite the cultural script around gender and intimacy.

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Her guidance includes:

• Starting conversations early about consent, boundaries, and media literacy.
  
  
• Addressing pornography directly, explaining the difference between fantasy and healthy intimacy.
  
  
• Modelling respectful relationships rooted in communication and emotional safety.
  
  
• Calling out toxic messaging, challenging harmful content rather than passively accepting it.

"Our girls deserve to believe their comfort, pleasure, and autonomy matter. Our boys deserve to know that real strength includes empathy, vulnerability, and respect," she says. "The question is no longer 'if' we act—it's whether we'll act in time."

For more information, media interviews, or to book Dr. Chris Samuels for a speaking engagement, please contact:
chris@drchrissamuels.com or visit www.drchrissamuels.com

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About Dr. Chris Samuels
Dr. Chris Samuels is a licensed psychologist and Certified Sexual and Relational Trauma Therapist with over three decades of experience. She specialises in helping individuals and couples heal from compulsive behaviours, betrayal, and trauma, offering practical tools and compassionate guidance for recovery and relationship restoration.