Web strategy from Focus on the Family helps porn addicts
Religion Today, August 25, 1999
The temptation to indulge in pornography, and become addicted, “is increasingly a problem” among Christian leaders, Steve Watters, an Internet research analyst for Focus on the Family, told Religion Today. Many cards, letters, and calls that come into the Colorado Springs-based ministry reflect the problem, he said, and cable television and the Internet are two primary sources of temptation.
More than 15 percent of Americans who use the Internet use it for pornography and 5 percent of all who use it are addicted, Watters said, quoting recent statistics. “Of all the calls we receive from Christian leaders, over 10% are about pornography. Also, we believe that the problem may be more widespread than these numbers indicate because many don’t realize they have a problem or just don’t want to make it known.”
Christian leaders are “especially vulnerable” to pornography, Watters said. “Pastors as a group can be drained in their role as shepherd. After a long weekend of giving, there is no one around on Monday morning to talk to. Now something that has been off-limits is available privately. It seems like a safe area to explore. Some justify their exploring by wanting to know what the problem is all about, and then get sucked in themselves.”
Website helps addicts
Focus on the Family started the Pure Intimacy web site to help addicts from all walks of life free themselves from pornography, and to give advice on how to deal with loved ones who are addicted, Watters said. Most of those who have taken a self-test on the site “have gotten back results saying they do have a problem,” he said.
Focus purchased $24,000 in advertising on the LookSmart search engine, funded by revenue from Focus founder James Dobson’s pre-execution interview with Ted Bundy in which the serial murderer blamed pornography for his behavior. LookSmart was chosen because the company refuses to sell advertising space to pornography suppliers.
The Focus ad, which ran for 30 days, appeared when users keyed in the words sex, nude, porn, pornography, and addiction. If they typed in the word sex, the ad said “Great sex does not require a modem,” and if they clicked, they arrived at a portion of the site dealing with intimacy, Watters said. While the ad ran, 1,500 people came to the site, and 13 set up local counseling as a result of the visit, he said. “We know that our campaign caused reflection on the problem even if they didn’t visit our site.”
Intimacy v. short-term pleasure
The ads’ message is that intimacy offers more long-term satisfaction than the short-term pleasure in pornographic sex, Watters said. Focus wanted to “use the same medium that creates the temptation to offer a private solution. We didn’t want to play up Focus on the Family for those who may be prejudiced against it. We also wanted a resource for Christian leaders.”
Watters said he has been astonished by how little shame there is in society associated with Internet pornography. “I was amazed to see so many articles in places like USA Today that seemed to praise the small-business aspect of setting up a porno website. My concern was the need to stigmatize it rather than praise it.
“I realized how great a temptation this is, especially for people in their 40s. Men are attracted to the younger women portrayed in pornography. Women are attracted to deeper online relationships with other men.
“We must deal with the heart issue. Having sex outside of marriage destroys relationships and true intimacy. We must realize that a higher level of intimacy is found in three-way relationships: between a married couple and God.”
Pure Intimacy web site