In JAN 2016 we covered a preliminary release of a major study of the use of pornography in the US. The study was conducted by the Barna Group in 2015 and covered thousands of people in the US from teens to older folks. The study had been commissioned by the Josh McDowell Ministries and is now available for purchase, The Porn Phenomenon ($40). The Barna Group has released the ten main findings of the research in a report titled, Porn in the Digital Age: New Research Reveals 10 Trends.
Those ten findings are;
- There is Moral Ambiguity Toward Porn, Particularly Among Younger Americans
- There are Varied Opinions About What Constitutes Porn
- 1 in 3 Americans Seek out Porn at Least Once a Month
- Age, Gender and Faith Practice are the Three Biggest Factors in Frequent Porn Use
- Young Adults Use More Porn—and are Less Likely to Say It’s Bad for Society
- Teens and Young Adults Rank not Recycling As More Immoral Than Viewing Porn
- Most Porn Users Say it Doesn’t Bother Them to Use Porn
- Very Few Adults Feel a Sense of Guilt When They Use Porn
- Most Porn Users are ok With how Much Porn They Use—But Practicing Christians are Divided
- Few Adults are Actively Trying to Stop Using Porn
Follow the link to the report for trendy, but easily understood, graphics and a breakout on each of the findings.
What do these findings bode for the Church in the near future? For the long term? For your parish? For your family?