Suppose you were asked to write down your guesses for the top 10 most viewed websites in the United States. You would probably quickly list Google, Facebook and YouTube as the first three. You would be correct.
But what about those other seven spots? Takes a little more thought, doesn’t it?
Here’s a hint: Three of those seven positions would be porn sites. Yes, according to SimilarWeb, of the top 10 websites that Americans view the most, porn sites rank at Nos. 6, 7 and 8.
They’re ahead of giants like Twitter (No. 9), eBay (No. 10), Instagram and Wikipedia. (If you’re wondering, Nos. 4 and 5 are Amazon and Yahoo.)
It’s probably not surprising that there are a lot of porn sites on the Internet. But to understand the huge size of some of those sites is alarming. If you struggle with porn, you know that the internet is saturated with pornography, making your battle even more difficult.
Did you know that every second of the day, 28,258 users will be looking at porn? And every 30 minutes, a porn film is created in the United States, which produces 89 percent of all pornographic web pages.
The Demand for Porn Keeps Rising
The amount of internet porn is staggering. How bad is the demand for porn? Consider these statistics:
- 40 million Americans regularly visit porn sites.
- 12 percent of all internet websites are pornographic.
- 42.7 percent of internet users view porn (that’s 102,434,567 people).
- $3,075.64 is spent on internet porn every second.
According to one of the world’s most popular porn websites, in 2017, its site had:
- 28.5 billion annual visits.
- 81 million daily average visits.
- 68 years’ worth of content uploaded.
- 4,052,542 videos uploaded.
- Transferred 3,732 pentabytes of information (enough to fill the memory of every iPhone on earth).
The Stereotypes of Porn Users Have Changed
For many years, the stereotype of a porn user was a grown man who would have to go out of his way to enter a store and buy a magazine. Pornography is still often laughed at and mentioned in a joking fashion.
But those days are gone. Magazines gradually became more explicit, videos became popular, and now the internet has opened up access to unlimited forms of extremely graphic material.
The porn industry is branching out even further. Computers have long been the primary source of porn access, but smartphones and mobile devices are gaining ground quickly.
According to the major porn site, 83 percent of its visitors are now using mobile devices. Seventy percent of its visits are now done by phone, 17 percent are from a desktop and 11 percent are on a tablet.
The site says that even game consoles are being used to watch porn. PlayStation represents 56 percent of console traffic, and Xbox comes in at 32 percent.
It’s Not Just Men Who Are Using Porn
While men are still the highest percentage of porn users, women also view pornography.
- 33 percent of women watch pornographic videos or view explicit photos at least one time per week.
- 17 percent of women say they struggle with pornography addiction.
- A Proven Men study reports that 36 percent of women have looked at porn at least one time while at work in the last three months; 13 percent have done so more than once.
In addition to adult men and women, children and teenagers are also looking at porn. Tru Research showed that 32 percent of teens admit to intentionally accessing nude or pornographic images online. Of those, 43 percent do so on a weekly basis. But only 12 percent of parents knew their teens were accessing pornography.
Eleven is the average age that a child is first exposed to porn, and 94 percent of children will see porn by the age of 14.
Be Vigilant and Fight Back
The amount and variety of porn that is available can be overwhelming. That’s why it’s important that you determine to take a stand and take action to protect yourself and your family.
If you are a porn user, you must begin with yourself. As you can tell from the statistics above, you are not the only one battling porn. You can overcome your porn usage, but it will take some bold steps on your part.
First, you must admit that porn is keeping you in bondage and you want to be free. Come to know in your heart God’s unending and complete grace for you through Jesus. Then you need to connect with some Christian men who will support and encourage you along the way. Recovery is not a fast process, so you will need to get involved with a small group of men who will stand with you and keep you focused.
Once you have found Christian men who will fight with you, consider getting some porn blocking software and apps for your computer and phone. They are not foolproof, but they can be very helpful. Also, consider using blockers on the computers and phones of all your family members. Barna Group reports that only one in 10 adults has porn blockers or filters on both their phones and computers, so make it a point to protect you and your family.
It may seem that porn and the world is fighting hard against you. But remember that Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV).
Freedom Is Possible
Joshua Jorstad had a struggle with pornography. He went through a powerful men’s small group course called the Conquer Series and shares about the impact it had on him.
“Because of the Conquer Series, I started my journey to be free from porn! I am officially a year and a half clean and have been loving the change. Ultimately, it was God who changed my heart, but your resources helped a bunch!”
The Conquer Series is helping over 750,000 men, like Joshua, start their journey to freedom from pornography. The 10 cinematic video lessons feature compelling testimonies, vivid action scenes and solid biblical teaching. A personal journal and study guides are also available to keep you focused on your recovery every day.
Joshua now helps teenagers prepare for the sexual temptations they’ll likely face. “I am now teaching the effects of porn to junior high boys, and I never would of thought of doing this a year ago!”
You can also join a Conquer Series small group either at a local church or online. A small group of men who personally know about the struggle with pornography is vital to victory over porn.
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