Combatting The Explosion Of Porn

This is family policy matter programs produced by the North Carolina family policy Council of profamily research and education organization dedicated to preserving the family and up in the studio here is John Rustin, Pres. North Carolina family policy Council, thank you for joining us this week for family policy matters were delighted to have Roxanne stone with us on the program. Roxanne is editor-in-chief of Barna group or she also served as general editor of the frames book series.

She previously served as an editor at Christianity today and is a tutorial director at relevant magazine. She speaks trains and consults in the areas of faith and culture millennial's social justice and church leadership. Roxanne is one of the lead designers and analysts of a newborn. A report called the porn phenomenon which is due for a full release in April 2016 Barna released a preview of the study. Earlier this year and were to be talking with Roxanne about some of the study's findings regarding the growing acceptance and use of porn by young people in our culture. But before we begin, as is customary when we talk about important but sensitive topics on this program. I like to issue a friendly warning to parents that some of the subject matter were going to be discussing today might not be entirely suitable for young children, so please use your discretion. You can also tune into the show later on the NC family website@ncfamily.org again@ncfamily.org and without a want to welcome Roxanne Stone family policy matters. Roxanne, thanks so much for being with us today. Thank you Don for having me.

I really appreciate it. Well were excited to have you on Roxanne. One of the most troubling findings from the report is that young adults today are seeking out porn more than any other generational group. If you would define young adults for us and tell us more about this particular finding Sarah absolutely young adult further study in 18 to 24-year-old and then we we also look at 25 to 30-year-old while we really found is not age group that 18 to 24 is really where porn you light considerably. We see first really beginning among teenagers. But there's some ambivalent shame even around on pornography for teenagers. There there there lower rate than you think, in part, you know they're still living at home – those that their parents but maybe have more control over their electronic device that their time is much more structured and I want kids are going to college and really outliving on their own. That's really really bring your bench and a lot of now reasons for that, beyond just being away from parents talk about a time when traditionally, people are maybe exploring more in terms of their sexuality and their dating more there often thing all you know once he kind of hit at 25 to 30 more people are in. Relationships are getting married and are you low the little bit like a lot of reasons that were seen, but it definitely true that young adult both use porn more often lack the less concerned about their porn youth bench. They they talk about it more openly.

They are fine talking about out with their we found a fine line young adult that 43% of young adult they that it's just us to. We all look at porn. Sometimes we talk to our friends a full 17%. They we encourage each other to talk about porn.

We talk about it in light positive lighthearted way and another 36% are they when they talk about their present neutrally… The morality of it. When you look at back those numbers together only 4% of young adults say that when I have conversations with their friends about porn at all viewed as a negative thing. The 96% better neutral encouraging about 100, but when we look at addiction. And certainly, there can be addiction to put our younger launch of that particular activity, the more likely an individual is to become addicted with the report also found that many young adults report viewing porn for the first before puberty talk about this if you would, and how this compares to older generations in terms of exposure. They found that more than one quarter young adult pornography before puberty, 27% is acutely higher than even the Gen X scope work.

I'm only 13% said they started viewing porn before puberty number just goes down among boomers and elders will say you're saying essentially doubling even from the Gen X down to the very next generation of millennial who view porn before puberty and really got reality at you don't have to go the store to get porn anymore. Not it's not something they have to sneak in magazine around her. There's so much to it and it's a very anomalous kind of act like you just log on your computer and you're able to be acquired within second on your following. One thing that we did in the study is trying to clarify whether people are actively seeking out porn or coming accidentally coming across but because we are very aware of the Florida easy access to pornography, and the Florida pushing on people and we found pretty distinct differences especially when teenagers that they are different. Coming across then accidentally quite a lot and then in addition, as we thought. There is a cavalier attitude toward a among friends, but it really not a big deal. Part of the reality of our life. Obviously troubling findings from the Lord is just a growing acceptance of the among young adults and teens. In fact, I know that you asked survey participants to rate pornography against some other issues including things like recycling tell us what you file this war's attitudes about porn versus other similar topics that you inquired about yeah absolutely not shocking and resonant question. I thought it was really fast on about what we thought when we asked the question read as part of list, but a number of bad things a person is a Oaks and we have to break how bad those were right, then we have all the generations though when you look at teens and young adults in particular you'd be the smartest three things that we have that were porn -related are literally the last three things on their list of breaking the ranking is lower than any of the others are sinful things that you can do and then we thought at teens and young adults before thing on my list of the bad thing to do it to not recycle and then we saw thinking negatively about them with a different point of view was after that Enzo and then way down the list of viewing pornographic images reading erotica, pornographic content, and watching sexually explicit PVR and the leaders of the bottom rethink their rank. Though I think what you're looking for a little different for adults that we fear will shift from the part of 25 and compared to the 25 and under what you're really seeing in terms of that shed. There's also a real sense when you look at that young adult ranking just anything that really affects someone else is ranked quite high on their list and there's a real sense for them. I think that viewing pornographic images is really something that's just a personal decision and it really only affect you and it's really only about your own personal morality is that something you believe is wrong you to figure it out where as you know, not recycling affect an entire society. Perhaps the whole world. I'm thinking negatively about the will of the different point of view. You know where we've been really brought up of millennial to be part of a very pluralistic tolerance society so that we privilege that is a very high value in our society so there's there's plenty of cultural fact, the pornography that that it recognized watching clearly many parents and pastors, churches and individuals or teams themselves become so overwhelmed by the proliferation of porn in our culture today and clearly it is an expansive problem among people of all ages and I know you mentioned just approaching this with significant measure of grace. But what can parents and churches do to help those in our culture today who are really overwhelmed by the accessibility and the proliferation of porn and are really seeking a way out, sir treasure and Christians are already making a waste.

When we did the study that practicing Christians to attend church regularly, and they faith is very important to their life.

They are still much less likely to be a regular basis and then the general population.

We thought it not age, gender, and they are really the three biggest factors in frequent, though women are much less likely that Batman young adults are more likely that the generation and practicing Christians are much less likely to you that then the general population. Though there is something to celebrate their already certainly on and recognize the ways that were already equipping people just through discipleship, through church attendance to fight back again, but even though we see that the third most likely group to be using pornography is male practicing Christians ages 13 to 24 so 41% are using on a regular basis so it is still a problem and I think I'm one of the mining in the study of that really I think open all of our eyes to help you pastors and ministry leaders ill-equipped to do anything about that such such a huge problem and there such a thing of really paralysis in terms of how to fight that on, because it does feel ubiquitous.

It does feel like fighting against the massive cultural tide and you hear you hear people say like I we just built are looking at pornography that anonymous factor huge people aren't gonna come there to start knocking to come to pornography workshop and and or small group accountability, thing like they're just not going to and the kind of thing are working in the same way that they may be used. You we did find when we did we do, a control group of Christians who are using a filtering on accountability software and we found that those groups were much less likely to be viewing porn those kinds of software filtering accountability really does seem to work and I think in part for parents like to conversations with their kids and recognizing that this is part of their life, so not to sidestepping it or being afraid to talk about them because they are talking with her friends, and it is part of their life, but to be talking about it with less than mission in terms of how you talk about it, not just saying is wrong. Don't do it, but helping can truly understand why this is dangerous in terms of sexual ethic, and thinking about what a healthy sexual ethic looks like and what is going to look like to have healthy sex life and relationship with the future spouse be able to figure out how to throw counterfeit viewing of pornography. It is not what sex really is like what sexually looks like, and require parents to be vulnerable and talk about like what is it about not quite real so that it doesn't feel like.a taboo subject and Kinser to feel like there's something really good about eating from pornography because it's wrong because it will hurt ultimately good. We can reframe the conversation but not much about staining but about celebrating what it would I think those are some of the ways that we can project as a parent and as ministry leaders a great place to start initiating those types of conversations might even be with a review of this study will give you an opportunity to tell listeners where they can access absorption working our listeners go to find out more about border group and to examine the findings of this very important study.

The porn phenomenon. You can find all of our initial release@barnett.org DAR and a word and you mentioned bilberry releasing the full study which will be available for purchase of a book in April. You can sign up to preorder that. Now add Roxanne. Soon I will thank you so much for being with us today on family policy matters and for your important work of the border group and particularly on this very sensitive critical topic that we've been discussing today. I fully think again driving into fully close. I want to invite you to follow the nuclear family policy Council on Facebook. Just login and find a set into family.award G again it into family.org. Be sure to like us when you visit.

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