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Consider Before Consuming — Health
Consider Before Consuming

Think about all of the things you consider every day to help keep yourself, your loved ones, and your community happy, healthy, and hopeful.

Now consider this: There is an ever-growing body of research demonstrating significant negative impacts, for yourself and the ones you love, in the consumption of pornography. It can change the way you think, harm your ability to connect with other people, and can contribute to changing the world in negative ways.

Join us every other week as we consider the harmful effects of pornography using science, facts, and personal accounts.

Consider Before Consuming is brought to you by Fight the New Drug (FTND). FTND is a non-religious and non-legislative nonprofit that aims to raise awareness on the harmful effects of pornography and its links to sexual exploitation using only science, facts, and personal accounts.

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.

Copyright: © Fight the New Drug

Latest Episodes:

Inside the OnlyFans Mansion Trafficking Investigation Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, physical violence, coercion, and abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

A recent trafficking investigation involving an OnlyFans content operation has sparked headlines across the country. Authorities allege that teenage girls were recruited with promises of money and independence, only to face coercion, violence, and exploitation behind the scenes.

In this bonus episode, Elisabeth and Scott break down the details of the case, discuss why it challenges common assumptions about platforms like OnlyFans, and explore the broader connection between pornography, exploitation, and demand.

What is the Bellevue OnlyFans mansion case? Is OnlyFans linked to human trafficking? How do content creators get recruited into the adult industry? And can viewers know whether pornographic content was created consensually?

Through the lens of this case, they discuss why exploitation can be difficult to identify, how social media and online platforms can normalize the industry, and what it means to address not only the abuse itself, but the demand that makes it profitable.

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How Algorithms Are Shaping Sexual Expectations Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

This episode contains discussions of sexual violence and child sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Clare McGlynn is a professor of law at Durham University and an expert on violence against women and girls.

Clare has spent years researching the ways pornography, technology, and online platforms shape culture, influence sexual norms, and contribute to harmful attitudes and behaviors. In this conversation, we discuss how algorithms influence what people see on porn platforms, why certain themes and behaviors have become increasingly common in mainstream pornography, and what that means for how people understand sex, consent, and relationships.

Why has choking become so common among young people? Does pornography influence attitudes toward consent? What is "sleep porn," and why is it allowed on mainstream platforms? How are AI chatbots and deepfakes creating entirely new forms of abuse? Clare helps unpack these questions while exploring the broader cultural impact of pornography and emerging technologies.

We also discuss the growing popularity of "barely legal" content, the normalization of rough sex, and why technologies like AI and virtual reality may be amplifying harms that already exist online.

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A School Principal's Story of Porn, Escalation, Arrest, and Recovery Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

Brian Schillingburg is a former school principal and recovery coach who spent 25 years working with students before his own struggle with pornography escalated into behavior that ultimately led to his arrest.

Drawing from decades in schools, Brian shares what he's seen as pornography and sexualized content have become increasingly accessible to young people. He discusses the realities of early exposure, how pornography can shape expectations around relationships and sexuality, and why many parents underestimate what young people are navigating online today.

Brian also shares his personal story, including his first exposure to pornography as a child, how it became a coping mechanism for stress and pain, and how years of use eventually escalated into buying sex. He opens up about the arrest that changed his life, the impact it had on his family and career, and what accountability, recovery, and rebuilding have looked like since.

This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days by signing up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay.

Episode Resources:

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I Was Drugged and Assaulted By My Husband For Years May 27, 2026

Show notes

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

What happens when the person you trust most is secretly violating that trust for years?

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Zoe Watts shares her story of discovering that her husband had been drugging and sexually assaulting her while she slept. Zoe opens up about the confusion and disbelief she experienced, why it took time to fully understand what had happened, and the emotional and physical toll the trauma left behind.

Zoe also discusses how abuse within marriage is often minimized or misunderstood, the harmful cultural messages that blur the lines around consent, and the disturbing online communities built around sharing and consuming nonconsensual “sleep content.”

After her story became part of a major CNN investigation into online sexual exploitation, Zoe founded End Eye Check, an advocacy movement focused on raising awareness around drug-facilitated sexual abuse and supporting survivors.

In this episode, we discuss how sexual abuse can hide within long-term relationships, why some survivors struggle to recognize abuse right away, how online communities normalize exploitative content, and what healing can look like after trauma.

Episode Resources:

Victim Resources
End Eye Check: Join The Campaign
CNN Article: Exposing a global ‘rape academy’
Article: She Was Asleep While It Happened: Gisèle Pelicot and the Disturbing Rise of “Sleep Porn”
Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 163: Amanda Stanhope

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Our Real Reaction to the AI Deepfake Crisis in Schools May 20, 2026

Show notes

In this bonus episode of Consider Before Consuming, Elisabeth and Scott bring you into a conversation they’ve found themselves having often behind the scenes.

As Fight the New Drug’s social media manager and presenter, Elisabeth is constantly immersed in current events, research, and the realities young people are facing online. Scott, who works more behind the scenes, intentionally keeps some distance, but hears about these stories secondhand. This episode is an opportunity to bridge that gap and bring listeners into that same conversation.

Using a real case involving AI-generated explicit images at a small U.S. school—where 347 images were created of 59 minors—they break down what happened, what it reveals about the world young people are navigating today, and what parents and communities need to understand right now.

Episode Resources:

FTND Live Presentations
Conversation Blueprint: Let's Talk About Porn
Documentary: Brain, Heart, World

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How Porn Affects Connection in Relationships May 13, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we’re joined by Dr. Nicholas Lawless, a clinical psychologist and couples therapist, to explore how pornography can impact connection in relationships.

Does porn affect relationships? Can porn change how you see your partner? Is watching porn considered cheating? Why does porn sometimes feel like a betrayal?

Dr. Lawless shares what he’s seen in both research and real-life couples—how shifts in attention and expectations can lead to disconnection over time, and what it looks like to rebuild connection.

If you’re wondering whether porn is affecting your relationship, or how to reconnect if something feels off, this episode offers a clear, practical perspective.

This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days when they sign up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay

Episode Resources:

Articles: How Porn Can Impact Relationships
Documentary: Brain, Heart, World
Dr. Lawless' Practice: DRT Psychology

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We Read The Comments So You Don't Have To May 06, 2026

Show notes

In this bonus episode of Consider Before Consuming, Natale and Elisabeth take you behind the scenes of managing Fight the New Drug’s social media and the kinds of comments that come with it.

From someone sharing, “I started viewing porn at 11 and didn’t even distinguish between adult and child porn,” to debates like “nobody is forcing you… you’re choosing to be that person,” this episode highlights the wide range of reactions these conversations bring up.

Together, they unpack what these responses reveal about how porn is understood today, and why the way we respond matters. From early exposure and normalization to addiction and recovery, this conversation explores how empathy and education—not shame—can lead to more meaningful change.

Core Articles: Get The Facts
YouTube: CBC Playlist
Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 160: Hunter Clark

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I Was Losing My Memory and Didn’t Know Why Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of sexual abuse and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

Amanda Stanhope was recently featured in reporting by CNN on drug-facilitated sexual abuse, where she shared her personal story—part of a broader conversation gaining attention after survivors like Gisèle Pelicot helped bring this issue into the spotlight.

What began as an intense relationship quickly shifted. Amanda started experiencing memory loss, confusion, and physical symptoms she couldn’t explain, at one point believing she might be developing Alzheimer’s. Over time, she came to realize she had been being sexually assaulted while unconscious.

In this conversation, Amanda shares how the relationship unfolded, what made the abuse so difficult to recognize in real time, and the challenges she faced in seeking help and reporting what happened. She also speaks to how trauma can show up in the body, and why greater awareness of this kind of abuse is critical.

Episode Resources:

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I Lived A Double Life of Porn Addiction and Affairs Apr 15, 2026

Show notes

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual addiction, infidelity, and suicide attempts. Listener discretion is advised.

Chris Bennett is a life coach who helps individuals and couples work through sexual addiction, shame, and compulsive behaviors. But long before he was helping others, he was living a double life—hiding years of pornography use and engaging in multiple affairs during his marriage.

In this episode, Chris shares how his relationship with pornography began at a young age and escalated over time, eventually leading to real-life behaviors that deeply impacted his wife and family. Even after being caught and entering recovery, he struggled to fully commit to change, continuing patterns he knew were harmful.

We talk about the role shame played in keeping him stuck, why partial honesty wasn’t enough to create real change, and what finally shifted when he chose to fully disclose everything. Chris also opens up about how unresolved pain and early experiences influenced his behavior, and how learning to process emotions and meet his needs differently became a turning point in his recovery.

This episode explores questions many people are asking: Does porn addiction escalate over time? Does Porn Addiction Lead to Cheating? And what does it actually take to change?

This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days when they sign up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

How Young People Are Learning About Sex (And What They're Getting Wrong) Apr 01, 2026

Show notes

This episode includes discussion of sexual violence, coercion, and experiences of assault among young people. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we sit down with Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent, to talk about how one Instagram post led to thousands of young people sharing their experiences, and ultimately helped drive mandated consent education across Australia. Chanel shares what it was like reading through testimony after testimony of peer-on-peer sexual violence, and how those stories revealed patterns around coercion, misunderstanding, and the way many young people are navigating sex without a clear understanding of consent.

We also explore what’s shaping young people’s expectations around sex and relationships today. How are teens actually learning about intimacy? What role does pornography play in shaping ideas about consent, boundaries, and what’s considered “normal”? And why are rates of youth-perpetrated sexual harm rising in some areas, even as other forms of abuse decline? Chanel breaks down how early, age-appropriate consent education can help address these gaps, and what it looks like to teach consent in a way that builds empathy, communication, and respect from a young age.

Episode Resources:

Article: What is Inspiring Teens to Try Strangulation During Sex?
Article: Oral Before Kissing: Porn Culture Has Changed Teens’ First Sexual Encounters
Chanel's Instagram: @Chanelc
Teach Us Consent:
Fix Our Feeds
Newsletter
Instagram

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