Seth Udinski, FISM News
A shocking new study released by Common Sense Media reveals that over half of teenagers view pornographic material by the age of 13.
Titled “Teens and Pornography,” the study revealed that 54% of teenagers have laid eyes on porn by their 13th birthday. By the time they reach the age of 17, the number rises to 73%.
Jim Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media, said a recent interview:
We can’t sweep this topic under the rug just because it’s uncomfortable to talk about. Pornography is a huge part of the lives of children who have digital access like never before, and we need to have a national conversation about it.
The researchers indicated that there is a large contingent of teens who are not seeking pornography but instead stumble upon it accidentally.
Worryingly, most teens responding to this survey who said they have only ever seen pornography accidentally also reported that they had been exposed to pornography accidentally in the previous seven days, suggesting that unintentional pornography exposure may be a frequent experience for teens who aren’t seeking it out.
Author’s Biblical Analysis
From a Christian perspective, what can we say about this report other than the utter depravity of pornography? There is no doubt – The pornography industry is perverse. It is an industry that universally profanes the name of God, and there is not a shred of goodness or morality in it.
Pornography abuses people, mostly females, for the purpose of perverted sexual pleasure. It is an industry built entirely upon feeding lustful fetishes, and, tragically, is a multi-billion-dollar-per-year industry.
This report simply reveals the insidious danger of this industry, how it preys on the innocent, and how children can stumble upon it without asking for it or searching for it.
Spiritually, we have the antidote for pornography, and it is found in the holiness provided for us by Jesus Christ.
When a person comes to Christ in salvation, a wondrous double-transaction takes place (theologians call it the doctrine of “double imputation”). Christ took our sinfulness on Himself, and He then transferred His righteousness onto us.
Not only does this make us right in the sight of God, but it also now enables us to live holy lives. We can now love that which is good and hate that which is evil.
For Christians, this means we must put the sin or pornography, and the deeper sin of lust that is behind it, to death. We must see the horrid danger of pornography and its addictive qualities. We must have no part in this horrid evil.
It also is a reminder for adults to stay vigilant in engaging with the children they have influence over on this topic. The amount of screen time continues to rise with most recent data showing that children on average spend between 6-9 hours in front of screens per day, depending on their age. Parents have a calling to disciple the children the Lord has given them. This includes actively setting limits, restrictions, and expectations for screen use.
Regardless of how many checks parents put in place it is still possible that children could stumble upon pornography, as the study shows. In light of this, parents should have open conversations with their children about the dangers of pornography and continually check in with their children so they can lovingly guide children who have seen something that they shouldn’t.
You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. – 1 Thessalonians 5:5-10