This evening, my brother sent me a link to Utah's Deseret News website. I was happy to learn that Elder Wirthlin's "ailment" during Conference was just a case of locked knees. However, the main reason Andrew directed me to the site was an article on what Utahns Google.
The good news is that Utah ranks number one in the nation for searches on things like "Jesus" and "family history." Oh yeah - and "Lord of the Rings" and "Mitt Romney." The bad news is that it also leads the nation in searches for "pornography" and other more unsavory words which shall not be written on this blog.
I should clarify that the Google Trends site employed for this article measures the ratio of searches, rather than the total number. That means that even though highly-populated areas like California may have a higher total number of "Jesus" searches, if you compare an average 100 Californians to an average 100 Utahans, the Utahans are more likely to search for Jesus. And porn.
Experts cited in the article speculate about why such a highly religious state would have such shady internet habits. Some point out that in a society where there is lots of pressure to conform, there is also temptation to rebel. Others suggest that since immorality is so strongly forbidden among Mormons, many become curious and use the anonymous internet to explore what all the fuss is about. Some specialists also raised the question whether those searching for wholesome subjects and those searching for unsavory ones tend to be separate people, or the very same people. The Trends site offers no clues on that one.
The most sobering statistic in the article was the estimate that 35% of Church members view shady material on the internet (that's slightly lower than the national average). This doesn't mean they view it every day. Apparently most of those people wander to questionable sites, then catch themselves and sheepishly log out, only to repeat the process a few months later.
So why am I writing about this? I don't usually like to post depressing things, but I felt we need to be aware that this problem is not restricted to the rare reclusive stranger. Most likely, people you know personally struggle with it - not necessarily every day, but enough to haunt them and slowly poison their lives. If we're aware of the danger, perhaps we can prevent it or help someone who already has a problem get help for it.
How tragic that people who have access to so much light are still so tempted by darkness.
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I also read this article. It shook me up, but maybe I'm naive. I'm okay with that. Every time DesDad comes home from the priesthood session of Gen. Conf., I ask him what they talked about. It's not unusual to hear that there was at least one talk about porn. And every time, I say, "That must be a real problem!" And he sighs and agrees. I guess as a woman it's just not even on my radar, but it's real nonetheless. It makes me sad. And what makes me sadder is the rationale that hey, it's normal to google Jesus on Sunday and porn on Monday because that's just human. Um, sorry, no it's not. Ask any recovering sex-addict.
I too find this information very sobering. At women's conference in 2002 I heard a talk on the same subject. That Utah had the highest orders of pay-per-view...er...movies per capita. My first reaction was a quick and harsh judgement for those individuals. However as the speaker continued she pointed out the same thing that you mentioned. The consumers of this pornography are those that you love; your uncles, your nephews, your sons, and maybe some of your husbands. I can't imagine that shame and guilt that must accompany any addiction, especially this one. What can we do except be aware of how to stop it and to pray that it will not infect our loved ones. Uhg! Why Utah?
It makes me sad, too. My best guess is that most of them, especially at the beginning, assumed it was just a bit of harmless (though slightly guilty) fun. They may still feel that way if they only cave in every few months, but the fact that they keep coming back is evidence that they're hooked on it.
What staggers me most is that statistics that high (both in and out of the Church) mean that so many people I know must be struggling with this. It's hard (and very sad) to imagine.
Sorry this topic is such a downer. On the one hand, I think it's important to be aware of it. On the other hand, I don't like viewing the world through mud-colored glasses. I promise I'll write about something more cheerful tomorrow.
It has been said that in the last days Salt Lake City will be the wickedest city on earth. This just shows it's on it's way.
I think that in one sense, this actually demonstrates universality among humanity. Although we all may define "right" differently, we all struggle to achieve it and no one thing, no membership or belief or rule of behavior makes that struggle any easier. In the end, even if we don't exactly agree about what consitutes proper behavior, we're all down here in the trenches mucking together. I think this an important thing to remember.
By the by, some of those potential explanations sprang to my mind also. Funny how when I read something the first thing I think of is to ask why that is.
This is a topic that actually makes me very nervous in a household of boys. I am sure that I will have to have this conversation one day.
I agree with the anonymity thing. There IS a lot of pressure in Mormon society to conform. When you had to walk into the ONE store in your hometown in broad daylight that sold the smut, you stayed away. Somebody might see you. But now that "nobody" can (you and the Lord always know, and who else really matters?), it is much easier to indulge curiousity and then form bad habits.
I heard an urban legend once that Starbucks was failing in a bad way in Utah until the suggestion was made to add drive-throughs to all their Utah locations. Business went through the roof. When Mormon mamas in their tinted window SUVs could drive through after dropping the kiddies at school instead of walking boldly in, coffee sales really perked up.
There was a man I taught on my mission who was baptised. He struggled with smoking for MANY months afterward. A member said to me once, "Good on him for coming to church week in and week out when everyone knows his sin. How many of us would continue to come if our sins were as plain as the smell in our clothes?" Probably not many; we have to realize that we are all in this together and those with the hardest "stinks" to overcome, need the most love.
While I'm glad that my daughter is statistically less at risk for porn than a son would be, I still worry how to warn her about internet predators without scaring her (or worse, making her curious).
Fortunately, I have a few years to think about it, but I don't want to wait too long. A neighbor friend explained the birds and the bees to me years before my mother thought to try it, and I don't want to make the same miscalculation.
this is sobering news indeed. i read an article about a handy tool to help people battle this addiction recently. instead of filters, it monitors web usage and reports are sent to an "accountability partner". check it out-- it's very cool.
www.covenanteyes.com
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