It started with curiosity.
A click.
A dare.
A link someone said was “funny.”
I wasn’t ready.
But no one checks your age
on the inside.
The screen showed bodies
like they were objects.
Like feelings were optional.
Like love was loud
and empty.
I didn’t understand
why it stayed in my head.
Why it felt magnetic.
Why it felt wrong
and impossible to look away.
When you’re young,
your brain is still learning
what connection means.
And pixels teach it fast
too fast.
It doesn’t talk about tenderness.
It doesn’t show real consent,
real nerves,
real softness.
Just performance.
Just noise.
And the hardest part
is the silence after.
The guilt.
The confusion.
The feeling of being older
than you were supposed to be.
But addiction is not identity.
Exposure is not destiny.
Healing can start
with honesty.
With asking questions.
With choosing to protect
your mind
like it deserves protection.
You were too young.
That wasn’t your fault.
You are still allowed
to grow into love
at your own pace. 🤍
Kids Help Phone (KHP) is honoured to share creative content submitted by youth from coast to coast to coast as they Feel Out Loud with us. We thank the Feel Out Loud Community Creator of this piece for their contribution to youth mental health and well-being in Canada. For more information on the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space and / or how you can submit your own creative content for possible publication, you can visit the submission page.
