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Pornography is a "dirty little secret" and people are logging on to look at it, more than ever
WZZM News-Grand Rapids ^ | February 1, 2006 | Sarah Sell

Posted on 02/03/2007 10:22:53 PM PST by freedomdefender

Pornography is a "dirty little secret" and people are logging on to look at it, more than ever. They're doing it at home and at work. For some, it's an obsession.

"It felt like a high. It felt like, just an uncontrollable urge," said Justin VanAntwerp.

On the outside, Justin Van Antwerp "appeared" to have great life. He was a minister, who had a wife and two little girls. No one knew he was addicted to porn. It all started when he looked a playboy magazine when he was a teenager. "Then, that wouldn't satisfy. Then I found a whole new world of videos and webcams and all those sorts of things," said Antwerp. “I never got caught. I got really good at covering things up."

Justin is among the growing number of men and women who are dealing with pornography addiction. You used to have to go to an adult video store to get it. Now, you can see it all online.

Pornography on the internet is a 57-billion dollar industry. It's larger than all professional sports. There are 4.2 million pornographic websites. Those who view it are 72% male.

Justin was looking at pornography at home and at work.

Looking at pornography while at work isn't all that uncommon. Computer company Trivalent says they've investigated cases of pornography use at work, most are kept private, but in the case of the Cutlerville Fire department, where pornographic images were found on computers, the case ended up catching the media's attention. Trivalent says businesses need to take a pro-active approach.

"What can we do to stop that from happening to begin with? We implement things like content filtering." Richard Reiffer, Chief Technical Officer for Trivalent.

Dr. Paul Critelli sees patients who have all kinds of addictions. He's not surprised that pornography addiction is becoming more common. He says Americans have a different view of sex and nudity compared to people in other countries. American beliefs that nudity and sex should be kept out of view, create an addictive urge for some to get their eyes on it.

Psychologists say viewing porn at work is a sign that you have a problem. Other questions to ask include: Frequency - Are you logging on more often? Intensity - Are the pictures becoming more graphic? Duration - Are the sessions online becoming longer?

"If those things are increasing by jumps or rather steadily, I would say you have a problem. Those attributes are a good measure of any kind of problem behavior," said Critelli.

Critelli believes there are cases where people can view porn and not have a problem. He doesn't think small amounts are morally wrong or necessarily dangerous for a relationship, but psychologist Tom Karel disagrees.

"It creates unrealistic expectations and unrealistic ideas to what normal really looks like," said Karel.

In Justin's case, pornography ruined his relationship with his wife. He says he hit rock bottom when he picked up a female hitchhiker. " Nothing happened, but had the opportunity arisen, I would have cheated on my wife that day. That was a scary place to be."

A few months later, Justin told his wife about his addiction.

“She was devastated, and she left the following weekend. The next morning, I met with the elders of the church and resigned my position."

Justin went into therapy and is now involved with a local anti-pornography group called XXX Church. Justin hopes, by coming out about his problem, he can show others, that they can overcome their addiction.

“By God's grace, people lifting me up, I've been able to get a hold on it."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: moralabsolutes; perversion; porn; pornography
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To: Loud Mime
google porn profits and USA; the figure seems accurate.

Terabytes of porn are freely available, who pays for that? I guess the answer are the small minority who actually subscribe for something.

81 posted on 02/04/2007 1:19:00 AM PST by Fitzcarraldo
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To: jwparkerjr
It's only been in the relatively history that we've been able to engage in sex without increasing our vulnerability.

I see you never met my ex-wife.

L

82 posted on 02/04/2007 1:21:22 AM PST by Lurker (Europeans killed 6 million Jews. As a reward they got 40 million Moslems. Karma's a bitch.)
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To: freedomdefender
Just go to any 7-11 or a truck stop or most small convenient stores (even those run by "Arabs") and visit the magazine stand...Lot's of good articles.
83 posted on 02/04/2007 1:25:13 AM PST by Dallas59 (HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007!)
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To: Barnacle
And, Ford makes cars.

And Ford knows exactly what the car will look like when it reaches the showrooms. It also knows the capability and features of the car. Why? Because it was designed and built in their plant to their specifications.

For all who believe God made man, we can't credut Him with less knowledge than the Ford Co., for sure!

The obvious difference is that human beings, unlike cars, have free will and use it to decide how they will live their life.

Neither the car nor the human being can easily change it's basic outward appearance.

That's what I was referring to. Not worth debating about it. Peace!

84 posted on 02/04/2007 1:29:17 AM PST by IIntense
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To: Luke21
You're putting up with a lot of crap where you work. Maybe it's common these days. There have always been jerks and slackers in the workforce, but years ago this kind of stuff couldn't be blamed on computer access.

Even without that temptation, lazy people will still find a way shift work on the honest folks, while they "charm" their way into everyone's hearts, including the boss's!

85 posted on 02/04/2007 1:46:55 AM PST by IIntense
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To: IIntense

This is simply a marketing ploy for those in the software industry that create tracking programs.


86 posted on 02/04/2007 1:48:53 AM PST by DCPatriot ("It aint what you don't know that kills you. It's what you know that aint so" Theodore Sturgeon))
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To: IIntense

Yes. The bosses have rarely even spanked these guys on the hands for wrecking our computers because they can't control themselves. It's always our all night people.

One guy when caught said; "I was curious."


87 posted on 02/04/2007 1:50:57 AM PST by Luke21
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To: IIntense
Maybe there is more to it then just his side....Remember there are more sides to a story then just his. I would like to hear what she has to say about all of this before I pass judgment on the wife. I think if my husband came to me and said he was addicted to porn I would laugh...I would wonder why and if he was spending money on it and it was affecting our life ...I might leave. But it can be a serious addiction and it has been known to get out of control. Who knows what other reasons she may have had.
88 posted on 02/04/2007 1:58:56 AM PST by pandoraou812 ( zero tolerance to the will of Allah ...... dilligaf? with an efg.....)
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To: kittycatonline.com
Regarding the U.S. and at least some other countries, I have considered that we, at least in the past, have take a more private attitude towards sex. Obviously, that has changed greatly in more recent years.

I can only hope that we will not sink to the depths of what has become permissible and accepted in some European and other foreign countries.

Hope will not solve the problem and for those who watch the trends, the fear is that we are headed that way.

Americans had better wake up soon or we won't be "Americans" in the future.

89 posted on 02/04/2007 2:07:54 AM PST by IIntense
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To: Fitzcarraldo

I hadn't thought of that. Man, that's incredible!


90 posted on 02/04/2007 2:30:40 AM PST by Loud Mime (“War’s very object is victory, not prolonged indecision." Gen Douglas Mac Arthur)
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To: freedomdefender
All porn should be illegal. I am allergic to porn.






It makes my stecker piff.
91 posted on 02/04/2007 2:42:43 AM PST by MARTIAL MONK
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To: freedomdefender

I only get Playboy for the pictures.

Mark


92 posted on 02/04/2007 3:02:04 AM PST by MarkL (When Kaylee says "No power in the `verse can stop me," it's cute. When River says it, it's scary!)
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To: Larry Lucido

Exactly!!!!!!!!!!!


93 posted on 02/04/2007 3:03:50 AM PST by napscoordinator
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To: Larry Lucido
but in the case of the Cutlerville Fire department, where pornographic images were found on computers

Porn in a fire station. Now it's really "stop the presses" time.

Actually, it's a HUGH problem. Do you remember the cases where female firefighters won multi-million $$$ sexual harassment law suits from cities because of playboy magazines in lockers?

A city government that I worked with had us monitor the web traffic going through their firewall before we installed the content filtering. It was pretty amazing.

Mark

94 posted on 02/04/2007 3:06:05 AM PST by MarkL (When Kaylee says "No power in the `verse can stop me," it's cute. When River says it, it's scary!)
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To: backtothestreets
That 57-billion dollars is most likely the reason Congress has for years shunned requests to create the xxx domain to go along with com, gov, org, net and the others. It would be too easy to filter by parents, businesses and email providers if all pornographic sites were relegated to xxx domains.

That, and the little fact that congress doesn't "run" the Internet. Our congress doesn't have control over the Internet. Were they to pass a law, it could have effect over US based domains, but no control over foreign domains. So, unless you want to allow congress to control the Internet access in the same ways that China does, I'd do everything I can to keep congressional control out of the Internet.

Mark

95 posted on 02/04/2007 3:13:10 AM PST by MarkL (When Kaylee says "No power in the `verse can stop me," it's cute. When River says it, it's scary!)
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To: flashbunny

I just got a raging soft-off.


96 posted on 02/04/2007 3:24:34 AM PST by The KG9 Kid
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To: freedomdefender

I bet NONE of you can say you DIDN'T look at porn at least once this month.(Hey stop lying!)


97 posted on 02/04/2007 3:25:17 AM PST by cavador
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To: Williams

That quote is probably oversimplified, but well-travelled friends of mine have noted that cultures that go topless tend not to sexualize breasts the same way Americans do.

Often, it is all about the mystery.


98 posted on 02/04/2007 3:56:26 AM PST by amchugh
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To: flashbunny

CURED!

Funny, I don't seem to want to eat anything, either...

99 posted on 02/04/2007 4:16:48 AM PST by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: Slings and Arrows; flashbunny

Thanks. Were I a man, my willy would be good for nothing but emptying my bladder now!


100 posted on 02/04/2007 4:35:45 AM PST by Titan Magroyne ("Y'know, I've always thought of politics as show business for ugly people." Jay Leno:Al Gore 11/29)
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