Porn. It is the conversation we never want to have. The truth is, pornography is a movement in our culture that is ever-growing and needs to be addressed. It is an epidemic that spans across various age groups.
Not only is this affecting adult men and women, teens are accessing porn as well. 22% of online porn is viewed by those under age 18. 12% of parents knew their teens were accessing pornography.
According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, prolonged exposure to pornography leads to:
· An exaggerated perception of sexual activity in society.
· Diminished trust between intimate couples.
· The abandonment of the hope of sexual monogamy.
· Belief that promiscuity is the natural state.
· Belief that abstinence and sexual inactivity are unhealthy.
· Cynicism about love or the need for affection between sexual partners.
· Belief that marriage is sexually confining.
· Lack of attraction to family and child-raising.
“Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent (and obscene) material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions.” – U.S. Department of Justice
Every time porn is used a memory in the brain is created. Those images are burned into our minds. Your mind is like a computer, once that image is in your brain, it is almost impossible to delete. The chemical dopamine is released during porn use. Accompanying that with masturbation makes porn more addictive than street drugs. Before you know it, you are hooked.
How do we combat this issue?
Start by guarding your mind, build a hedge of protection around yourself because porn is depriving you of living. Find ways to safeguard yourself, be mindful when using your devices, screen things you watch and read to prevent temptation, create a plan of how to avoid the pressures to view porn. There are apps available for download that can monitor and restrict your phone.
Porn brings about destruction in lives. It desensitizes sex, objectifies both men and women, destroys relationships, promotes trafficking and violence. If you are struggling with porn, let someone know, find a counselor, come in to the Hope Center, hold yourself accountable by telling someone. The longer you keep it to yourself, the more it will slowly eat away at you. You can have freedom from your need for porn with diligence and accountability.
References
Amick, S. (2021). Porn Rips You Off. Canada: Life Cycle Books Ltd. .
BrightCourse. (2020). Love Lessons-Porn, Etc. . Retrieved from www.brightcourse.com: www.brightcourse.com
Covenant Eyes. (2018). Porn Statis. Retrieved from https://www.covenanteyes.com: https://www.covenanteyes.com/e-books/
Gibbs, C. (2022, March). Stats for Pre-teens & Teens' Technology Use. Retrieved from www.candygibbs.com/resources: www.candygibbs.com
Minassian, J. (2022, October). The Truth About Porn and How It Affects You. Retrieved from Focus on the Family: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/the-truth-about-porn-and-how-it-affects-you/
