Groundbreaking Study Highlights Porn Phenomenon in America
(NewsUSA) - Sponsored News - Ever since Hugh Hefner and Bob Guccione learned to capitalize on attractive women in various states of undress and positions, pornography has had a foothold in America. And no matter how you dress it up (think Hefner's Playboy bunnies of the 70s) -- or down -- this taboo, billion-dollar industry remains stronger than ever.
Bolstering pornography's wide reach is Internet usage, which has skyrocketed to 3 billion users worldwide last year -- nearly 40 percent of the world population from 1 percent in 1995.
"It is vital to raise awareness about the threat of Internet pornography," said Josh McDowell, founder of Josh McDowell Ministry. "Pornography violates all relational values between the individual and self, the individual and society, the unity of our families, and our moral fabric and fiber as a nation. When we objectify and demean life by removing the sanctity of the human person, our future is at risk."
Consider this: Every second at least 28,000 people are watching pornography on the Internet, and at least 40 million U.S. adults admit to viewing Internet pornography daily.
Supporting these statistics is a recent study on pornography among the American population by Barna, a research company that focuses on faith and culture. In its study, Barna found that a younger exposure to pornography, increased desensitization and an escalating usage especially among teens, young adults, and the Christian church as well.
Detailed survey findings will be announced at a news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 10 a.m. EST at the Omni Berkshire Hotel in New York City. In the Vanderbilt Room. Address: 21 East 52nd St. (corner of 52nd St. and Madison Ave., entrance on 52nd St.). To RSVP, contact Mike Schwager at moschwager@aol.com or 954-423-4414.
Other key findings are:
* More than one quarter (27 percent) of young adults ages 25-30 first viewed pornography before puberty.
* Nearly half of young people actively seek out porn weekly or more often.
* Teens and young adults consider "not recycling" more immoral than viewing pornography.
* Twenty-one percent of youth pastors and 14 percent of pastors admit they currently struggle with using porn. About 12 percent of youth pastors and 5 percent of pastors, respectively, say they are addicted to porn.
A wide-ranging, nationally-representative audience of nearly 3,000 participated in four online studies, including in-depth surveys among the general population, American teenagers, Christian pastors and the Christian church.
Partial results from the survey will be accessible on Jan. 19 at www.setfreesummit.org.