Here is an article that goes with the critique of technology theme developing on the blog this week; an epidemic of porn resulting in a health crisis, all given to us by smart phones:
https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2019/09/25/smart-phones-computers-generation-porn-addicts-public-health-emergency/?utm_source=amerika.org
“A young North Texas man shared his story with the CBS 11 I-Team out about his pornography addiction. Gabe Deem says he was first exposed to porn when he was 8. “We had cable TV. I would stay up late at night,” says Deem. “Things got really bad at twelve…when my family got high speed internet.” And he says things got even worse with the launch of YouTube in 2005, the iPhone in 2007, the iPad in 2011, and endless other mobile devices that have hit the market over the last two decades. “I was into basketball. I was really social. And I always had a real life girlfriend, but video games, social media and internet porn rewired me.” Deem tells the I-Team his parents had “no clue” what he was doing. “My mom always asked me why I took long showers.” He says it was an addiction that was easy to hide and progressed as he got older. “I would ride my bike home from school and watch internet porn for sometimes two-to-three hours a day.”
STUDIES SUPPORT SIDE EFFECTS
Studies show children are typically first exposed to pornography at age 13. One report finds 67% of male teenagers and young adults and 33% percent of female teenagers and young adults seek out porn “daily, weekly or monthly.” Deem calls it an addiction comparable to drugs or alcohol. He says it is so strong he eventually craved a screen or pixels not people. By the time he was 23-years-old, he says he suffered from physical side effects including erectile disfunction. He says he could not maintain a healthy relationship. Deem also says it cause social and mental problems. “You see an increase in social anxiety, poor working memory and brain fog, so that started happening to me.” Scared he’d never be the same, Deem turned to internet forums where he discovered he was not alone. He found other addicts talking about anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, unhealthy relationships, and even suicide.
SUICIDE?
Today, Deem has completely recovered and is about to get married. He is a personal trainer and counselor in Irving who travels the world speaking about porn addiction. He also runs his own recovery site with a forum chatting with 13,000 other members who also say they are addicted to pornography. He read a post to the I-Team from a 43-year-old married policeman who says he considered taking his life because the addiction destroyed it. “I was ready for suicide, gun was in my hand and loaded eight months ago.” Deem says he is extremely disturbed by the number of posts just like this. He says some are from children and teenagers. CBS 11 asked him if this is a public health crisis? He responded, “I would definitely call it a public health issue.” More than a dozen states agree. They’ve passed health bills deeming pornography an “epidemic that is harming… people.” Earlier this year, Texas Representative Valoree Swanson tried to get it passed here. She cited “the detrimental health effects” in her resolution, but the debate never made it out of committee. States which have deemed pornography a public health crisis through legislative action, may now provide money and resources to raise awareness about the impact of porn addiction.”
This is one of those diseases of civilisation problems which does not have an easy answer, if an answer at all, much like the drug crisis. Yes, I know that I am expected to give a neat answer to all the problems raised in these essays, but this is life, and it is messy and a buzzing confusion, and we have little time to even scratch ourselves, trying to survive, as each day is a battle in its own way.