Pornography in America
Written by: Elizabeth
Oath of God Ministries
Statistics on Pornography
Statistics on pornography rapidly change and become outdated on a daily basis. Much of the available data is based on small studies that were completed over the past several years. Most of today’s pornography is free and easily accessible from the internet which makes statistics difficult to establish. The organizations quoted below are, for the most part, receiving their statistics from the same independent studies.
Adults: An estimated 20% of men surveyed admitted accessing pornography at work. At least 40 million US adults regularly visit Internet pornography websites. 53% of Promise Keeper men viewed pornography in the last week. Christians who said pornography is a major problem in their home totaled 47%. Those visiting pornographic sites are 72% male visitors in comparison to 28% female. The largest consumer of internet pornography is between the ages of 35 to 49 (Family Safe Media)
70% of women surveyed keep their cyber activities secret. An estimated 17% of women struggle with pornographic addiction. 1 in 3 individuals visiting adult websites are women. 9.4 million women access adult websites each month and 13% of women admit to accessing pornography at work. (Family Safe Media)
The United States has the highest number of pornographic web pages at 244,661,900. Every second – $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography. Every second – 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography. Every second – 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines. Every 39 minutes, a new pornographic video is being created in the United States. (Family Safe Media)
Children: This sector is becoming addicted to pornography at startling rates. Most children view their first pornographic image online at the age of 11, and by the time they are 17, about 80 percent of them have watched pornographic videos online. At least 20 percent of children have admitted to receiving sexual solicitations from adults online. Perhaps most frightening of all, at least two in five of all teen abductions are initiated through the Internet. (Pornography Addiction Blog: Online Porn Addiction: Statistics for 2012)
Teenagers: Each year about 40 percent of teens and preteens visit sexually explicit sites either deliberately or accidentally. This figure is confirmed by studies both here and abroad. In a study published in the February Pediatrics (Vol. 119, No. 2, pages 247-257), Attorney Janis Wolak, Psychologist Kimberly Mitchell, PhD, and Finkelhor of the UNH center, found that 42 percent of a nationally representative sample of 1,500 Internet users, ages 10 to 17, had been exposed to online porn in the last year, with two-thirds reporting only unwanted exposure. In fact, the incidence of unwanted exposure had risen for this age group, from about 26 percent between 1999 and 2000, to 34 percent in 2005, according to the team study.
Perhaps not surprisingly and according to research, boys are much more likely to seek out pornography than girls. Research also shows that pornographic viewing increases with age. In the UNH team’s study, for instance, 38 percent of 16 and 17-year-old male Internet users deliberately visited X-rated sites in the past year, compared with 8 percent of girls. Similarly, Australian sociologist Michael Flood, PhD, of La Trobe University, reported in the March issue of the Journal of Sociology (Vol. 43, No. 1, pages 45-60) that 38 percent of boys and 2 percent of girls ages 16 and 18 deliberately accessed such material. (Tori DeAngelis, Monitor Staff, Web Pornography’s Effect on Children, November 2007, Vol 38, No. 10, Print version: page 50)
Easing Into Pornography
Why might a man or woman view pornography online? For most people, pornography is readily available. It’s easy and convenient. All one has to do is “google” and within a few seconds a dozen or more websites appear with each one providing an enticing opportunity to view illicit material
Pornography is uncomplicated because it doesn’t require working at a personal relationship. For some men, a relationship can be difficult to establish and too high maintenance to continue. Pornography doesn’t seem to have any strings attached to it. The viewing can be kept comfortable and at a distance. The women in the photographs seem so friendly, seductive and inviting. There’s no rejection involved. There are no obstacles to overcome and keeping this secret is like living on the edge of excitement.
In many ways, men and women will pursue pornography for the same reason many people want to view television. According to a recent Thinkbox study, Screen Life TV in Demand, researchers discovered six main reasons why people prefer watching television. The reasons include the need to unwind, to be comfortable, to connect, to have an experience, to escape, or to indulge. The study was based on an analysis of 100 hours of footage from 18 households and a diary study of 662 adults. (Connected Vision 7/13/2013)
Besides the easy availability of pornography, the convenience of accessing it and the personal comfort it brings without rejection is satisfying. The opportunity to connect without the complications of a real relationship with the opposite sex makes it emotionally feasible. Pornography also fills the gaps of personal boredom with something far more exciting. Those who view pornography from the internet have discovered that it’s easy to indulge when there is no scrutiny or need for accountability.
Since 40 percent of teens and preteens visit sexually explicit sites either deliberately or accidentally it’s quite possible that many adult men have also been addicted to pornography since an early age and prior to marriage. If this has been the case, some women may have experienced difficulty detecting their fiance’s addiction to pornography prior to marriage. If the woman was aware of her fiance’s addiction prior to marriage, she probably didn’t realize the degree of peril it would bring to her future marriage.
Separately, even the most subtle signs of rejection from a wife may cause a husband to migrate towards pornography and in some cases a husband’s behavior towards his wife may have caused her to reject him. Christian counseling should be pursued once this spiraling downward pattern becomes prevalent in a couple’s marriage. The scripture makes it clear that sex is holy and foreordained by God within marriage and helps to strengthen marital relations between married couples. The husband should not deny his wife nor should the wife deny her husband. “Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (I Cor 7:3-5)
Like any addiction, viewing pornography will take its toll on relationships. Credit card limitations may max out, the wife and children will eventually feel abandoned and the employer may wonder why work objectives are not being met. Once the level of pornographic viewing has become addictive, professional help is required because the wife will not be able to address this problem alone.
Why is Porn so Addictive
According to William M. Struthers, Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, “In men, there are five primary chemicals involved in sexual arousal and response. The one that likely plays the most significant role in pornography addiction is dopamine. Dopamine plays a major role in the brain system that 
is responsible for reward-driven learning. Every type of reward that has been studied increases the level of dopamine transmission in the brain, and a variety of addictive drugs, including stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamine, and methamphetamine, act directly on the dopamine system. Dopamine surges when a person is exposed to novel stimuli, particularly if it is sexual, or when a stimuli is more arousing than anticipated. Because erotic imagery triggers more dopamine than sex with a familiar partner, exposure to pornography leads to “arousal addiction” and teaches the brain to prefer the image and become less satisfied with real-life sexual partners.”
According to Focus on the Family, website – 1/10/2013, a young woman submitted the inquiry, Should I Continue Having a Relationship with a Porn-addict? The answer she received was the following: “Pornography addiction is not about sex. It’s a symptom of an intimacy disorder — a comprehensive psychological illness that compels an individual to avoid deep, meaningful interaction with a real human being and to replace it with impersonal sensual imagery. Unless this disorder is addressed and resolved, your relationship cannot move forward on a healthy footing. Marriage will not fix the problem. It will only complicate matters and increase your pain.”
Struther’s statement that the “arousal addiction” teaches the brain to prefer the image and become less satisfied with real-life sexual partners seems to align itself with Focus on Family’s statement that pornography is an intimacy disorder whereby the individual avoids meaningful interaction with a real person in preference for sensual imagery.
Biblical Perspective
We’ve briefly discussed the reasons how and why pornography becomes addictive. Now let’s take a look at what the Word of God says about pornography.
The scripture makes it very clear that if a married man views pornography he has already committed adultery. This is true even if the married man has not experienced any direct sexual encounter with the woman. “You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mat 5:28) In other words, just by looking at pornography – a married man has committed adultery. Jesus doesn’t qualify the viewing either. It doesn’t matter to Jesus whether the other woman is viewed online, in a magazine or is watched as she crosses the street. Jesus still calls it adultery.
In this particular scripture the key word is “heart”. Everyone has a conscience as well as a heart. According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, conscience “refers in general to that human moral awareness that judges an action right or wrong. Although the word “conscience” does appear in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word usually translated “heart” does refer to conscience” We can find several scriptures supporting this point of view. For example, in Roman 2:14-15 we read “for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves,who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.” In other words, whether we are familiar with God’s laws written in the bible or not, we know that certain actions are wrong by way of our conscience. We know that we shouldn’t murder someone, or steal something from another person. We also know that watching pornography is clearly wrong as well. Unfortunately because we are born into sin our conscience is also marred by sin and we are therefore predisposed to make sinful decisions. It is Christ Jesus who is the standard of Absolute Truth and the only standard and direction for right decisions.
Our conscience is similar to that of a referee who determines the final opinion in a dispute. If the referee completely understands the rules of the game and adheres to each play with the utmost integrity and keen insight, his final opinion will be on target. Should, however, the referee not understand the game rules or if he has developed a prejudicial understanding of the rules then his opinions will be skewed. From a biblical standpoint, believers should be renewing their minds daily in the Word of God from which we receive our standards for virtuous living as well as a keener sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” (Heb 10:22) No matter what is going on in a believer’s life – his conscience sprinkled by the Blood of Jesus and washed daily in the Word of God would tell him to avoid pornography. The Word also encourages us that God is near to help in a moment of temptation. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Cor 10:13) Let it be known that overcoming temptation often requires the strength of the Lord and He is there to help every believer overcome the hurdles of temptation and to provide an open door to victory. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phl 4:13)
If a man’s heart is defiled then his thoughts and perceptions will also be defiled. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Pro 23:7) If the heart problem is not corrected it will become a systemic problem infiltrating the mind, thoughts and actions of a person. It’s similar to drinking poison water. “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Pro 4:23) It starts with the heart or conscience, it’s entertained in the mind and it’s acted out by the body. The issues of life stem from the heart or conscience and subsequently flow to the mind and body. A single defiled thought in a man’s mind has the potential to take hostage all other wavering thoughts if he doesn’t know biblical precepts. Should this take place he has convinced himself that his actions are justified. He has minimized or trivialized the consequences of his decision and proceeds to view online pornography or to make that phone call to a sex line or to contact an escort service.
After Jesus described adultery to the multitudes in Matthew 5:28 He continued by saying, “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” (Mat 5:29) Although Jesus is using a hyperbole in this scripture, it’s important to understand the meaning of one’s “right eye”. Viewing pornography is accomplished through using one’s eyes and no one should be viewing pornography under any circumstances but plucking out one’s eye does not remedy a defiled heart. The “right eye” is actually the window to our soul. It is similar to the inner perception or inner vision we use to interpret people, relationships and daily events based on the condition of our heart. If the heart is defiled and views women as nothing more than sex objects – then one’s inner perception or attitude towards women is also defiled and the man is at high risk for acting out those thoughts as sinful behaviors.
It is true that single men and women who view pornography cannot be accused of committing adultery but the sinful trappings and the possible dangers of addiction are forever present. Let’s review the common trespasses for the believer whether he is married or single.
Our first commitment is to God Almighty. ‘And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mar 12:28-32)
Pornography is a form of idolatry whereby the viewing of sensual images takes precedence in the believer’s life and interferes with his covenant relationship with God. Any practice or belief system that does not honor God first and foremost is considered idolatry. When a believer doesn’t have a balanced and focused relationship with God then problems will begin manifesting in other areas of his life. When a believer’s covenant relationship with God is wedged against spiritual strongholds and addictions then the ability to love one’s wife through God’s eyes becomes equally challenged as well.
The second commandment states we should love our neighbor just as we are to love ourselves in Christ Jesus because our identity is in Him. Who is our neighbor? Is it the family who lives next door to us or someone else? According to Strong’s G4139 (biblical concordance) one’s neighbor may be (1) a personal friend, (2) any other person, and where two are concerned, the other (thy fellow man, thy neighbor), according to the Jews, any member of the Hebrew nation and commonwealth or, (3) according to Christ, any other man (or woman) irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet. The woman or young girl depicted in the photograph still has the stamped image of God and is considered to be everyone’s neighbor.
Human Trafficking
Many of the women depicted in pornography are actually victims of human trafficking who are performing these sexual acts against their will. They are often times beaten, raped or drugged to submit to their perpetrator’s demands.
If they contest, the perpetrator will threaten to kill family members including their children. It is literally a hell on earth for these women, girls and children who are taken captive by human traffickers. Just remember, these young girls are someone else’s innocent daughter who went missing. She may be someone else’s wife who was kidnapped. She could easily be your next door neighbor’s daughter or your own child. Ask yourself, would you want some stranger viewing your daughter under these circumstances? Viewing pornography contributes significantly to human trafficking and the sex slavery trade. When a person views pornography, he not only contributes to the sex slavery trade of women but he also has made himself a slave as well.
All born-again believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit and we are warned not to grieve the Holy Spirit which indwells us. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Eph 4:30) A believer who is viewing pornography is also subjecting the Holy Spirit to the same lewd material and doing so against His divine will. Not only for this reason does the Holy Spirit grieve but more importantly because His child has been high-jacked and made captive to a demonic influence which denigrates women, places his own family in harm’s way, and jeopardizes his financial security.
There’s no risk for addiction if you’re not viewing pornography. However, believers should realize beforehand that the slightest curiosity if acted upon has the potential for legally opening the door to the demonic host. At that point, the potential for addiction is real and possible. There is no excuse for anyone to experiment with pornography anymore than believers should be experimenting with cocaine. If there are marital problems then the couple should seek professional counseling on an immediate basis.
Footnotes:
Family Safe Media obtained all statistical information from the following sources: Statistics are compiled from the credible sources mentioned. In reality, statistics are hard to ascertain and may be estimated by local and regional worldwide sources.
ABC, Associated Press, AsiaMedia, AVN, BBC, CATW, U.S. Census, Central Intelligence Agency, China Daily, Chosen.com, Comscore Media Metrix, Crimes Against Children, Eros, Forbes, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Free Speech Coalition, Google, Harris Interactive, Hitwise, Hoover’s, Japan Inc., Japan Review, Juniper Research, Kagan Research, ICMEC, Jan LaRue, The Miami Herald, MSN, Nielsen/NetRatings, The New York Times, Nordic Institute, PhysOrg.com, PornStudies, Pravda, Sarmatian Review, SEC filings, Secure Computing Corp., SMH, TopTenREVIEWS, Trellian, WICAT, Yahoo!, XBIZ ©2003 – 2007 TopTenREVIEWS, Inc