Cedars, November 2019

November 2019 9 ANALYSIS ◄Porn sites receive more regular traffic than Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined. ◄$3,075.64 is spent on porn every second. ◄There are 500,000 views of virtual reality porn on a daily basis on Pornhub ◄Pornography addiction uses the same brain circuitry as a drug addiction ◄ E ven men who only consume “regular,” non-violent porn are more likely to use verbal coercion, drugs, and alcohol to push women into sex. ◄ 85% of those who watch child porn engage in actual sexual violence against children ◄Compulsive pornography leads to “distress and dysfunction;” many pornography users report feeling “out of control” ◄While 88% of pastors believe porn is a major issue in their church, only 7% of pastors report their church has a ministry program for it ◄64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women admit to viewing pornography at least once a month ◄Christians self-report feelings of shame and guilt over porn use at much higher rates than their secular peers store to buy a Playboy magazine to hide in a brown bag. Users can now put on a headset and engage in an immersive sexual expe- rience, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality. According to an in-depth study by the Huffington Post, 60% of the top VR websites are porn-related, and a top Google search for any kind of virtual reality is “VR porn.” Corey Price, vice president of the com- pany Pornhub, mentioned in a press release in 2016 that the company was developing “a brand new, free VR category and develop- ing cutting-edge technologies.” Since then, their market share has exploded. The New York Times reported that Pornhub.com averages about 500,000 views of virtual reality porn on a daily basis, a 275 percent increase since the feature debuted in 2016. Each year on Christmas Day, the numbers spike dramatically as young teenagers un- wrap their new headsets gifted to them by well-meaning parents. Unbeknownst to many, the porn in- dustry has catalyzed technological innova- tion throughout history, from the printing press to incognito mode. The inventions of e-commerce and increased bandwidth find their roots in pornography. The adult film industry has been the silent powerhouse driving innovation as it stands to profit ex- ponentially. VR technology will continue to get better and better, with more and more immersive 360° experiences, and we’ll have porn to thank. In addition, venture capital- ists and media companies have no reason to report negatively on porn or stop invest- ing — they all benefit from the bottomless stream of revenue. Increasing accountability Are the demographics different for Christians? Some studies say yes, some no, based on how they measure statistics like re- ligious affiliation and level of commitment. In his book “Addicted to Lust: Pornog- raphy in the Lives of Conservative Protes- tants,” secular sociologist Samuel L. Perry found that though conservative Christians tend to use porn at less-frequent rates, they are more likely to label porn use as an addiction, and they self-report feelings of shame and guilt at much higher rates than their secular peers. The church’s zero-tol- erance policy for sexual sin becomes a dou- ble-edged sword. While porn use is some- what decreased in the religious community, Christian porn addicts are much less likely to seek help for their addictions because of social consequences in their church com- munities. Even if Christians did want to seek out those resources, they might be scarce. Ac- cording to religious anti-porn organization Covenant Eyes, while 88% of pastors be- lieve porn is a major issue in their church, only 7% of pastors report their church has a ministry program for those struggling with porn. In order to “go and sin no more,” Chris- tian apologist and author Josh McDowell contends, accountable Christian community is a crucial component for repentance. How- ever, confession should be met with compas- sion rather than condemnation. Porn users seeking healing should be welcomed with grace rather than shamed into silence. “Balancing our approach to sexual eth- ics should, by consequence, lead to the cre- ation of communities of grace,” McDowell said. “Shame does little but drive sin into hiding, where it festers and grows in isola- tion from community and accountability.” Considering that a survey from reli- gious research firm the Barna Group found that 64% of Christian men and 15% of Chris- tian women admit to viewing pornography at least once a month, the church has a clear demographic to serve. Programs such as Cedarville University’s “The Talk” promote sex education and a wholesome view of spir- ituality. If we are to fight the epidemic that grows in secret, the church must step up. Breanna Beers is a junior Molecular and Cellular Biology major and the campus news editor for Cedars. She loves exercis- ing curiosity, hiking new trails, and quot- ing “The Princess Bride” whether it’s rele- vant or not. Alexandria Hentschel is a senior Interna- tional Studies and Spanish double major and the Off-Campus news editor for Ce- dars. She enjoys old books, strong coffee, and honest debate.