Consider Before Consuming

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Listener discretion is advised.

This week’s conversation is with exploitation and trafficking survivor turned sociologist, Megan Lundstrom. Today, Megan is a contracted trainer, consultant, national speaker, and the Co-Founder of The Avery Center, an organization dedicated to ending commercial sexual exploitation. In this episode, Megan speaks with podcast host Garrett Jonsson, about her own lived experiences of being exploited through “sugar dating” websites, and she sheds light on the impacts of a pornified culture and what has to change to end commercial sexual exploitation.

Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Research indicates that consuming porn can normalize sexual objectification, which can have profound consequences in the ways porn consumers view and treat others.

This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.

You can find our Get The Facts articles at ftnd.org/GetTheFacts

Click here to access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Isabella was born and raised in Guatemala where she was exposed to porn at a young age. Later in life, she experienced how porn can disrupt a couple’s intimacy and relationship harmony with her ex-husband. Her negative experiences with porn consumption motivated her to become a therapist so she could help others, and today, she has more than six years of experience working toward becoming a licensed therapist in Guatemala. Isabella has helped many patients work through their unwanted porn consumption by providing an open and trusting environment. In this episode, listen to Isabella talk with podcast host, Garrett Jonsson, about the issue of shame when dealing with a compulsion to watch porn, why someone’s perception of the issue matters, and why setbacks don’t automatically mean failure.

Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Because of neuroplasticity, our brains constantly change in healthy ways that help us learn and complete tasks more efficiently. Yet, supernormal stimuli such as porn can trigger measurable changes that can influence our lives in unhealthy ways.

This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.

You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFacts

Click here to access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Trigger Warning: This interview includes frank, explicit, discussions about rape, sex trafficking, and suicide ideation that may be triggering to some. Listener discretion is advised.

Jane Doe grew up in Washington state with a loving family, never expecting that she’d be victimized by one of the largest trafficking schemes to date in today’s mainstream porn industry. Twenty-one days after her 22nd birthday, she boarded a flight to San Diego that, unbeknownst to her, would change her life forever. That day, she would become one of the hundreds of young women who had been exploited by GirlsDoPorn (GDP), a wildly popular “amateur” porn production company that garnered well over a billion views, ranking around the 20th-most popular channel on Pornhub, and reportedly generated an estimated $17 million dollars in revenue. You may have heard about the infamous GDP case in the last couple of years, but you may not know what exactly happened, let alone the full account of one of the trafficked women. In this exclusive interview, Jane Doe and her emotional support dog, Cozi, sit down with Podcast Host Garrett Jonsson and Fight the New Drug’s Editorial Director Keri to tell the story of how she was sex trafficked and assaulted by GDP porn producers, how her family has handled learning the truth about her experiences, and what it’s been like to pursue legal action against GDP as well as the world’s largest porn company, MindGeek.

Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Most young people are getting at least some of their education about sex from porn, whether they mean to or not. This is especially concerning, considering how wildly unrealistic and toxic porn can be.

This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.

You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFacts

Click here to access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Trigger Warning: This interview includes frank, explicit, discussions about rape, sex trafficking, and suicide ideation that may be triggering to some. Listener discretion is advised.

Jane Doe grew up in Washington state with a loving family, never expecting that she’d be victimized by one of the largest trafficking schemes to date in today’s mainstream porn industry. Twenty-one days after her 22nd birthday, she boarded a flight to San Diego that, unbeknownst to her, would change her life forever. That day, she would become one of the hundreds of young women who had been exploited between 2015 and 2019 by GirlsDoPorn (GDP), a wildly popular “amateur” porn production company that garnered well over a billion views, ranking around the 20th-most popular channel on Pornhub, and reportedly generated an estimated $17 million dollars in revenue. You may have heard about the infamous GDP case in the last couple of years, but you may not know what exactly happened, let alone the full account of one of the trafficked women. In this exclusive interview, Jane Doe and her emotional support dog, Cozi, sit down with Podcast Host Garrett Jonsson and Fight the New Drug’s Editorial Director Keri to tell the story of how she was sex trafficked and assaulted by GDP porn producers, what it’s been like to pursue legal action against GDP with other survivors, and how she’s found healing in her own life since she was exploited.

Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Many porn consumers use porn as a self-soothing technique when they’re feeling lonely or depressed, but research suggests that porn may actually fuel mental health issues, rather than help them.

This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.

You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFacts

Click here to access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

Trigger Warning: The following podcast episode contains graphic descriptions of sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised.

Did you know that pornography can actually deeply impact the way we view and treat those around us? Just ask Rus Funk, an advocate dedicated to advancing gender, sexual, and racial equality for over 30 years. One of his biggest projects is a curriculum called, What’s Wrong With This Picture? which aims to support men in examining the negative impacts of their porn consumption. His extensive knowledge and dedication for gender equality can be clearly heard throughout this episode of Consider Before Consuming. Listen as Rus Funk and podcast host Garrett Jonsson discuss the connection between porn and sexual violence, how porn has evolved over the years, and how Rus is helping men become a better version of themselves by creating space where they can be vulnerable and real about their porn consumption.

Click here to learn more about the guest, and access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.

When a person is suffering from an addiction or compulsion, their stress response and their addiction can become intertwined in unhealthy ways, thus creating an unhealthy coping cycle.

This episode is a part of our Get The Facts series, where we explore the research on a specific topic  surrounding porn’s harms to help you be more informed and more empowered with the facts.

You can find our Get The Facts articles and sources for the claims made in this episode at ftnd.org/GetTheFacts

Click here to access the resources discussed in this episode.

To learn more about the harms of pornography on consumers, relationships, and its larger societal impacts, visit FTND.org.

To support this podcast, click here.

As you go about your day we invite you to increase your self-awareness, look both ways, check your blindspots, and consider before consuming.

Fight the New Drug collaborates with a variety of qualified organizations and individuals with varying personal beliefs, affiliations, and political persuasions. As FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative organization, the personal beliefs, affiliations, and persuasions of any of our team members or of those we collaborate with do not reflect or impact the mission of Fight the New Drug.