The Porn Circuit | Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability and Filtering
The Porn Circuit | Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability and Filtering
The Porn Circuit | Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability and Filtering
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Introduction<br />
<strong>The</strong> perception of these costs can vary. A person may be troubled or even disgusted by<br />
their pornography use, or it may be having a disturbing effect on their sexual thoughts <strong>and</strong><br />
behaviors. <strong>Porn</strong>ography can have negative impacts on relationships, from ignoring loved<br />
ones in order to spend time with porn to pornography destroying intimacy, which can lead<br />
to divorce. <strong>Porn</strong>ography often reduces sexual potency, including premature ejaculation <strong>and</strong><br />
erectile dysfunction. 2<br />
Others may realize that pornography use conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
may recognize that the men <strong>and</strong> women in porn are real people that are typically victimized,<br />
especially women. “This is someone’s daughter,” they may recognize. Women in porn are often<br />
treated with violence, <strong>and</strong> are required to perform sex acts that are abusive. 3 <strong>Porn</strong>ography<br />
contributes to sex trafficking, <strong>and</strong> the victims of sex trafficking become part of the pool of video<br />
<strong>and</strong> images circulated online. Between 14,500 <strong>and</strong> 17,500 sex slaves are trafficked into the U.S.<br />
each year. Another 300,000 American children are at risk for trafficking each year. 4<br />
After binging on porn, many men <strong>and</strong> women feel ashamed of having given in again. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
promise themselves, others, <strong>and</strong> even God that they will never again view erotic images, videos,<br />
or stories, or enter online sex chatrooms. Typically, this promise is little more than a repeated<br />
plea that echoes through their memory. <strong>The</strong>y may even experience periods of abstinence from<br />
porn, whether a couple of days, a week, or even a month, but eventually they fall again.<br />
<strong>The</strong> vicious circle:<br />
Feeling Shame<br />
Keeping it secret<br />
Viewing porn<br />
to feel better<br />
Acting Out<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Porn</strong> <strong>Circuit</strong> | 4<br />
If a person could just “stop it,” quitting<br />
porn would have happened by now.<br />
For some, a vicious circle plays out:<br />
viewing porn to feel better, acting out,<br />
feeling shame, keeping their secret,<br />
viewing porn to feel better, acting out,<br />
feeling shame, keeping their secret… <strong>The</strong><br />
merry-go-round continues, <strong>and</strong> though<br />
nauseous from this spinning, escape<br />
seems unrealistic.<br />
Others may feel no shame about using<br />
porn <strong>and</strong> may see it as a recreational<br />
activity. But they still might recognize its<br />
adverse impact on their sex life, work,<br />
<strong>and</strong> family. <strong>The</strong>y may realize that they<br />
need porn <strong>and</strong> masturbation just to feel<br />
normal. <strong>The</strong>y may notice that their porn<br />
use has escalated to more varieties, or to<br />
scenes they feel (or once felt) are hurtful,<br />
disgusting, or inappropriate.