No more porn, no more masturbation: Lee is convinced that this changed his life. He says he used to be addicted to porn and was bullied at school. At his worst, he spent five to six hours a day in front of the computer watching porn and masturbated up to eight times a day, until he realized he had a problem. Then he started NoFap. Today, at 21, he says he’s happier, more successful and more masculine. He tells his whole story in a YouTube interview (in German).

Why it pays to talk openly about porn

Stories like Lee’s are a reason to bring up porn with teenagers before they get their answers somewhere else. The Christian ministry Axis, which helps parents understand the culture their teenagers live in, puts it this way: “If we don’t disciple our kids about sexuality, porn will do it for us.”

Axis has written a free guide for exactly this: how porn and the way our culture sees it have changed since the internet and smartphones put it within everyone’s reach, what teenagers and young adults think about it today, and what parents can do. Among other things, it draws on The Porn Phenomenon, a study by Barna Group commissioned by Josh McDowell Ministry: teens and young adults were more likely to call not recycling morally wrong than viewing porn. The guide ends with questions you can use to start a conversation at home or in your youth group.

Pulse first published this article in German, with sections adapted from the Axis guide.

English version: October 2026