Last week I wrote about a study done by the Barna group on the extent and frequency of porn use in America.
This week I want to look at some other findings in the study: the age at first exposure to pornography and the primary source of sex education.
In my pornography program, Images or Glory?, I share my story of my first exposure to pornography at the age of eight and then more regular viewing happening at the age of twelve.
The study found that such early exposure among men my age happened only 3% of the time. In fact only ten percent of men my age saw pornography before the age of twelve. Compare this to men age 18 to 30 who report exposure happening before age nine 17% of the time.
About 40% of men have seen pornography before age twelve.
One in four women age 18 to 30 report their first exposure to pornography at before age twelve. This is 2.5 times more than women my age.
The number of young people exposed to pornography before age 12 continues to increase. We need to teach our young people the dangers of pornography before their first exposure. Age nine is already too late for about one out of every five guys!
Look at the list below and rank the top three sources of information about sex for men and then for women:
- friends
- parents
- pornography
- sex education
- siblings
- television
Men 18 to 23 ranked it 27% pornography, 24% friends, and 20% parents. Women age 18 to 23 ranked it 50% friends, 15% parents, and 14% television. Being a Christian did not have more than a 2% difference in any category for the men. Christian women were about 2.5 times more likely to have parents as their primary source of education and ten times less likely to have pornography as a source.
What do we conclude?
We have to start educating our young people at earlier ages. Their early exposure creates a need for knowledge. They are turning to pornography, friends, and television when their parents are not filling that need. I don't think it is a very big leap to guess that those other sources of information are giving quite a different message than parents. Parents, what are you doing to educate your child?
2014 ProvenMen.org Pornography Addiction Survey (conducted by Barna Group). The survey results are located at www.provenmen.org/2014pornsurvey/pornography-use-and-addiction.
