Consider Before Consuming

Mariah is a policy advocate focused on trafficking and online exploitation, the founder of Undox, and a GirlsDoPorn trafficking survivor. In this episode, she shares her story and what survival looked like inside a situation shaped by deception, fear, and coercion.Mariah describes how she was recruited under false pretenses, how quickly the reality of the situation shifted, and how isolation and uncertainty shaped the choices she felt she had. She explains how trauma responses like the fawn response became a way to get through moments when resisting or leaving didn’t feel safe, and why behaviors th...

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Richard and Heather share how pornography quietly impacted their marriage and what it took to begin healing together.Richard reflects on his early exposure to porn, how his use escalated over time, and how things shifted when he began engaging with performers online and realized that one woman he interacted with was being coerced into the industry. Heather shares her perspective as a partner, including the changes she noticed before the truth came out and how disclosure affected trust and intimacy.Together, they talk about secrecy, honesty, recovery...

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of early exposure to sexualized content and suicidal ideation. Listener discretion is advised.Ore Oduba is an actor, broadcaster, and podcaster based in the UK. In this episode, Ore shares his personal experience with pornography addiction, which began with early exposure in childhood and continued for decades.He explains how pornography shaped his understanding of intimacy, how secrecy and shame affected his mental health and relationships, and what finally led him to seek help and begin recovery. Ore also talks about parenting in the digital age, why kids need...

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual violence, exploitation, and child sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.Heidi Olson is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner and the Founder and President of Paradigm Shift Training and Consulting.Drawing from years of frontline medical experience, Heidi explains why sexual exploitation and trafficking are often missed, how early exposure to pornography is shaping young people’s understanding of sex and consent, and why child-on-child sexual harm is becoming increasingly common. Episode Resources:Article: How Porn can Fuel Sexual Viol...

*This episode contains discussions about sexual exploitation and coercion. Listener discretion is advised.In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, former OnlyFans creator Taylor shares what the platform was really like—from the money promises that drew her in to the pressure, contracts, safety concerns, and identity toll that made her want out. Taylor talks about how hard it can be to leave once you’re in, what the industry expects from creators, and how stepping away impacted her mental health.Episode Resources:Article: The Problem with Parasocial Relationships on OnlyFansArticle: The D...

Porn addiction is often misunderstood, especially when it comes to how it actually develops in the brain and what real recovery looks like. In this episode, licensed clinical counselor and CSAT Chris Chandler breaks down the science behind compulsive porn use, why young brains are especially vulnerable, and how stress and porn can create a powerful cycle that’s hard to break.Chris also shares why porn addiction can mirror substance addiction in the brain, the role of emotional pain and loneliness, why relationships don’t automatically “fix” the problem, and what a realistic recovery process truly involves...

Ryan Ridgway is a mental health educator and former addiction support specialist from the UK. In this episode, he talks about his 20-year struggle with pornography use, OCD, and substance abuse. He explains how porn became his main way to cope with stress and mental illness, how that habit slowly took control of his life, and what recovery has looked like since. Ryan also discusses the connection between porn and self-esteem, body image, and mental health, and why honest conversation about these issues matters.Episode Resources:Article: Watching Porn May Be Negatively Impacting Your Mental HealthThis e...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains brief references to childhood sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advisedToni Collier is a speaker, author, and founder of Broken Crayons Still Color, a global women’s organization helping people process brokenness and find hope. In this episode, Toni shares how being exposed to pornography as a child led to addiction, shame, and struggles with identity—and how she’s now creating a healthier, more open environment for her kids.She also talks about the power of community and connection in healing and parenting, reminding us that even when life feels...

Kyle was first exposed to pornography at a young age, and it quickly became a coping mechanism that followed him into adulthood. In this episode, he and his wife, Maddie, share openly about how pornography impacted their marriage, shattering trust, creating betrayal trauma, and forcing them to confront hard truths about honesty and healing. Maddie offers her perspective as a partner navigating broken trust and the painful process of rebuilding safety in the relationship, while Kyle speaks to the challenges of recovery and overcoming shame. Together, they discuss what healing looks like in real time, showing both the difficulty...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual violence, trafficking, and child sexual abuse material. Listener discretion is advised.OnlyFans is often marketed as a quick path to money and empowerment, but the reality tells another story. While a small fraction of creators earn millions, most make very little, and many feel pressured into increasingly extreme stunts to stand out—some involving hundreds or even thousands of partners, or content marketed as “barely legal.” At the same time, teens report being targeted with invitations to join the platform or consume its content, fueling harmful ideas about sex, consen...

*This episode contains discussion of sexual violence, strangulation, deepfakes, and image-based exploitation. Listener discretion is advised.In this episode, we dive into the connection between pornography and sexual violence. From the prevalence of strangulation porn and its influence on real-world abuse, to the rise of AI deepfakes and image-based exploitation, to how social media is exposing kids to harmful content earlier than ever, this conversation highlights why awareness and action are so critical. Together, Natale and Elisabeth unpack the data, stories, and cultural trends shaping how pornography impacts individuals, relationships, and society, and how each of us...

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, nonconsensual image sharing, racism, and fetishization. Listener discretion is advised.Kaila Yu is the author of the new memoir, Fetishized. In this episode, Kaila opens up about her personal journey navigating fetishization, media exploitation, and a sexual assault that was recorded and shared without her consent. We explore how pornography and media have distorted perceptions of Asian women, stripping away individuality and fueling harmful stereotypes that echo far beyond the screen. Kaila’s story highlights both the personal toll of these narratives and the urgent need to challenge th...

Mike Lemon is the founder of Cyber Safe School and a former Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigator. After decades spent tracking down online predators, he now dedicates his work to helping parents, educators, and students prevent online exploitation, especially sextortion. In this episode, Mike explains how predators are targeting youth, why sextortion cases are rapidly increasing, the role of AI in these crimes, and what families can do to protect kids in today’s digital world.Episode Resources:Article: Why Financial Sextortion Is Targeting Teens and Spreading FastPodcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 138: Sha...

*This episode contains a detailed discussion of child abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.Dr. Suamhirs Piraino-Guzman is a behavioral neurologist, clinical psychologist, human trafficking survivor, and international human rights advocate. In this powerful episode, he shares his story of surviving severe childhood abuse and trafficking, navigating the foster care and immigration systems, and turning his trauma into a lifelong mission to support other survivors. Now working globally with the United Nations and providing trauma-informed care to thousands of trafficking victims, Dr. Piraino-Guzman sheds light on the complex realities of exploitation, the...

Lorna was just 17 years old when a photoshopped, explicit image of her began circulating online, marking the beginning of a years-long nightmare involving deepfakes, stalking, and online blackmail.In this episode, Lorna shares how someone used her image to create fake profiles and explicit deepfakes, leading to relentless harassment that spilled from the internet into her everyday life. She opens up about her experience reporting the crime to police, the long road toward justice, and her personal journey of healing.Episode Resources:Article: The Alarming Rise of Deepfake Porn and Its D...

Jeremiah is a husband, an expecting father, and a self-described lifelong learner who found himself struggling with a compulsive porn habit that began in his teens and escalated in college, when he found himself viewing content he would never act out in real life. In this episode, Jeremiah candidly shares how his use of pornography affected his relationships, mental health, and sense of self, particularly during the early stages of his marriage. He opens up about the moment his wife discovered the truth, the shame he experienced, and what sparked his decision to pursue real recovery. </p...

*Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.Rachel was first exposed to pornography at seven years old and went on to develop an addiction to porn for the next thirteen years. Despite getting treatment for anxiety and depression as a young girl, she never felt like she could tell others about her struggle with porn because it was something that "girls didn't struggle with." Rachel discusses the shame she felt from being a girl struggling with porn, how being exposed to violent pornography from such a young age caused her to...

Victoria Sinis is the founder of Creating Gems, an organization created to help young women break free from harmful narratives about themselves. Victoria used to work for an OnlyFans agency, recruiting creators, curating their social media presence, and managing marketing funnels designed to drive traffic to explicit content. In this episode, she shares what made her walk away from an industry she once believed was empowering.This episode is a re-release. It was first released in June of 2024.  Episode ResourcesArticle: Why So Many Teen Girls Are Planning on Becoming OnlyFans Sta...

Rosalia Rivera is a consent educator and abuse prevention specialist who works to help parents break cycles of abuse through empowered, proactive conversations. In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, she shares her personal experiences with pornography, the dangers of leaving sex education to the internet, and how parents can build safe, shame-free spaces for their children to learn about consent and autonomy. She also dives into how pornography plays a role in grooming, the rise in child-on-child sexual abuse, and why media literacy and digital safety are more important than ever.Episode ResourcesConsent...

Trigger WarningThis episode includes topics of child sextortion and suicide. Listener discretion is advised. Episode DescriptionIn this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Shannon Heacock and John Burnett share the deeply personal and devastating story of their son, Elijah. Recently, at just 16 years old, Elijah became a victim of sextortion — a form of online exploitation where predators manipulate and blackmail their victims using threats and explicit imagery, sometimes even using AI-generated content. Tragically, the manipulation and fear led Elijah to take his own life. John and Shannon’s courage in telling Elijah’s story...