“Icebreaker” is a relatively new book that’s gone viral across social media. It’s a steamy love story that follows a competitive figure skater and her relationship with a hockey player, who goes to her university. Much to the delight of many Goodreads reviewers, the book doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to displaying explicit sexual content. And this easily accessible state of smut (sexually explicit writing) has proven to be incredibly controversial in recent decades.
The National Coalition For Child Protection Reform (NCCPR) is a right-wing organization that’s avidly spoken out against sexual content in books aimed at teens. Alongside similar groups, the NCCPR has allocated resources towards the “protection” of children from harmful content, among which they include sexually explicit content.
Regardless of the criticisms from various groups, some studies have shown a correlation between positive sexual health and an exposure to sexual content during late teen years. A 2012 study published by the Journal of Sex Research explored the relationship between adolescents and the consumption of sexual content. The article explained that some adolescents turn to media to learn about their sexuality, stating that “young adults often find media sources ‘more informative, less embarrassing to use, and more in touch with their needs and concerns.’” In short, the study found that many teens use sexually explicit media to explore their sexuality and learn about what they like, which can be a positive form of education.
Abril Esqueda is a senior in BIHS who’s read her fair share of romance novels. For Esqueda, the combination of romance and smut is both fun and comforting. She noted that romance novels, while an enjoyable pastime, have a downside. “I’m not in a state where I want to look for relationships. So reading books about relationships helps me stay comfortable.”
A separate study published by the Journal of Sex Research assessed the relationship between the consumption of sexually explicit materials (including videos, books, magazines and images) and sexual preferences, behaviors and satisfaction.
According to the study, “as (sexually explicit material) viewing frequency increased, satisfaction diminished.”
“I think it has set a standard for me in life,” said Esqueda. “Knowing that I could read it so easily in books and find it in books led me towards trying to find it in real life … there’s more imagination and creativity in books that you can’t find in the real world, which is kind of like … what I try to get into when reading.”
Ultimately, smut in teen books is a divisive topic with a more or less ambiguous impact on teens. But as Esqueda nicely put, “I just don’t really care what people read. It’s not my business … if they’re happy, I’ll be happy too.”