Indeed the key issue here, surely, is age. Unlike what her tiresome Twitter critics might think, Eilish is simply highlighting her exposure to content that was simply not age appropriate. Consuming violent content – car chases, machine guns, bombs – by way of electronic media has long been shown to have an impact on the aggressive tendencies of young people (particularly if said young people already have an abrasive personality). The difference is that most young people, in the course of their adolescent – or even their adult – lives, will not have access to the objects that make replication of these types of behaviours possible. They will, however, have access, if not to sex, then to the opposite sex. 

If pornography, in whatever form, leads to happy, mutually fulfilling and satisfying sex – then fine. You do you. But for many people sex can be unconsenusal, violent, degrading or traumatic. It seems those criticising Eilish are doing so with indignance and outrage just because she dares to say something that isn’t true for them. The point is, it’s true for someone. 

I can’t imagine having watched porn at the age of 11. But even more unimaginable is having been brave enough, at the age of 19, to talk publicly and frankly about early sexual experiences; about shame. It’s my honest hope that more young women follow Billie Eilish’s suit and admit that the prevalence – and acceptance of – violent pornography is not only putting increasing numbers of women at risk, but also of depriving them of the opportunity to develop sexual relationships that aren’t just based on performance. I take my hat off to her.