LADbible launches For F*cks Sake – a national campaign to help young people navigate porn, communication and real-life sex

• Three-quarters of Gen Z say they watch porn – and many are using it as their sex ed.
• Celebs, creators and charities team up with LADbible to tackle the gap between porn and reality
• LADbible, Fumble, Pivotal, Movember and Jordan Stephens launch For F*cks Sake Productions, producing a range of content providing better real-world sex education for young adults and asking the UK Government to take action to address the long term impact of porn on young adults

Social entertainment business LADbible Group has today unveiled its new campaign, ‘For F*cks Sake’ aimed at breaking the silence around porn and encouraging honest and responsible conversations about sex.

In partnership with Fumble, Movember, and Jordan Stephens, this multi-platform campaign aims to close the gap between porn and reality – the disconnect between real-life sex and how it’s represented online.

Research findings

LADbible Group has commissioned a new report to unpack the porn reality for Gen Z, with the findings serving as the driving force behind the entire ‘FFS’ campaign and shaping both its creative direction and core message.

It is revealed that over three-quarters (77%) of Gen Z in the UK consume porn on a regular basis, with almost half (43%) watching weekly, which showcases that porn consumption habits have far-reaching implications on the lives and relationships of young adults in the UK.

The survey of 5,300 18 – 29 year olds in the UK reveals porn as the #1 sex educator, 70% of young men say porn was their first exposure to sex and 49% of Gen Z men struggle to cut back on porn; 34% feel guilt after watching.

Young people want change – now!

Porn isn’t going away, nor is it shameful, but young people’s experiences of it are clouded in guilt, secrecy and misinformation. The research also highlights that 80% of Gen Z are worried about porn’s impact on their generation, and 77% want more resources to navigate porn and sex.

This campaign aims to change these conversations and engage LADbible Group’s global audience that reaches two-thirds of 18–34-year-olds every month, and 6.2 million Gen Z in the UK.

FFS Productions brings together Jordan Stevens (Rizzle Kicks, mental health advocate), who fronts the campaign, and Documentary maker Josh Pieters, who explores his own relationship with porn in new documentary “Porn: Who Gives A F*ck?”.

It also features adult creators, sex therapists, porn addiction experts and GPs to have real conversations about real sex with and for young people, supported with the FFS Production Hub as an online platform where young people can access the resources they need.

Outputs include:

• Collaboration between adult creators and experts in their field including Dr Paula Hall, Ruby Rare and Dr Mark Perera to include more conversations on consent and communication

• Out of home activations across the UK in London and Manchester showcasing key stats and messages.

• A central online hub filled with tools and resources designed with sex educators, therapists and health professionals, all focused on empowering young people to feel confident in their relationships with porn, sex and themselves.  Providing an online resource for young adults in a relatable voice.

• LADbible Originals will include Minutes With a Porn Addict, to focus on behaviours, emotional, physical and mental impact, and over three episodes of Honesty Box, experts Dr Paula Hall, Dr Mark Perera, and Charlene Douglas will cover compulsive porn behaviours, sexual health and sex and relationships.

Josh Pieters investigation  – more open and honest than ever before

Alongside Jordan Stephens, public figures are joining the conversation with open and honest reflections about their relationships with porn.

Josh Pieters, documentary maker, will release an ‘Porn: What The F**k?’, an investigation into his own relationship with porn, the porn industry, and why so much shame still surrounds the topic. The documentary will feature interviews with adult creators, and honest conversations about gender dynamics, fantasies, pleasure and the need for open conversations.

Changing things for young people – what next?

LADbible’s findings point to two key areas where change could be made to better support young people in navigating sex and relationships. Together with Fumble, Movember and Pivotal, LADbible is urging the government to consider:

• Education and informational resources including; Mandated age-appropriate sex (and relationships) education to 16-18 yr olds that is delivered by specialists, not teachers, better access to digital resources on sex and relationships and understanding of porn to be a part of that conversation.

• Greater support for young people including; a national helpline or online hub or questions about porn and relationships, youth friendly information and advice services for porn addiction and grants for NGOs such as Fumble, Pivotal or Movember to create ongoing digital literacy campaigns.

Mike Walsh, Director of Marketing, LADbible Group said: “Porn is more accessible than ever, and our research with young adults show the serious challenges this is creating – from unrealistic expectations to effects on mental health and intimacy. Our campaign aims to break the taboo around porn by encouraging open conversations and promoting better education. Our goal is to help young people develop healthier, more informed relationships with sex and intimacy, and to provide them with answers to the questions they currently don’t know where to ask”.

Lucy Whitehouse, Chief Executive Officer, Fumble comments: “Porn can be a fun way for people to explore their sexuality, but it can become a problem when mainstream porn (typically free videos showing more hardcore and violent content) forms an idea of what real-life sexual intimacy should look like. This is what we need to address – we need to speak about what’s real, and what isn’t – and we need to support young people as they explore their sexuality safely.”

Dr Krista Fisher, Research Fellow, Movember said: “Guilt and shame can weigh heavily on young men when it comes to porn use. Watching porn doesn’t exist in isolation – it’s bound up with the drivers and challenges young men navigate before, during and after they watch it. These can include enjoyment, pleasure, connection and more troubling issues like psychological distress, body image concerns, and loneliness. What we’re likely seeing is a two-way relationship: underlying challenges in men’s lives shape their relationship with porn, while the shame that surrounds watching it only makes those challenges worse.”

Dr Paula Hall, Clinical Director, Pivotal Recovery added: “At Pivotal we see firsthand the devastation porn can have on young people’s lives and findings from this study clearly demonstrate that a significant number of them are worried about their porn use and want help navigating it. With more and more people turning to mental health services for pornography related difficulties, now’s the time for the Government to step in and invest in resources to tackle this emerging public health concern.”

Nick Hodgkins, Head of Marketing, LADbible Group said: “It was important to us to address a more challenging, yet universally relatable topic, so we took an insights-first approach and spoke to over 5,000 young people to shape our content approach. This, paired with using powerful storytelling and social-first formats we know resonate, including documentary to give the space to present stories from our Gen Z talent, contributors and experts to allow us to spark conversation, not just deliver a message”.

www.ffsproductions.com